Why is St Stephen’s Day such a firmly rooted custom here when it isn’t celebrated in the rest of Spain? The booklet ‘Celebrem el Nadal’ (Let’s celebrate Christmas), by Amadeu Carbó, has the answer to this puzzle and a good many more besides.
St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day) and cannelloni are two inseparable ideas: thousands of ‘canelons’ are made and consumed every 26 December! But this firmly rooted custom is loaded with myths, legends, arguments and technological innovations so it’s...
Arab-style desserts, medieval sweets, 19th century Italian imports and effective commercial strategies. Our Christmas fare is rich and varied, coming from a wide variety of traditions.
It's a custom in Barcelona to ask for the saint every, 13 December, for her protection against eye-related ills. Hundreds of devotees light candles in the chapel devoted to the saint in the Cathedral, a chapel that is flooded with light by the end of...
The Santa Llúcia Fair is the oldest Christmas market held in the city and its long history has made it a key figure in dozens of stories, customs and curiosities well worth bringing together.
The Tyrolean Krampus, the German Christmas markets, the Scandinavian St Lucia choirs, presents appearing under a model ship in Greece, a witch who brings presents in Italy... Would you like to know more?
Christianity. Advent is a time of reflection and preparation for people of Christian faith.
All Saints, and autumn in general, would be very different without the season's three top dishes: chestnuts, panellet cakes and sweet potatoes.
Would you like to take a walk around the lost Barcelona, accompanied by the explanations of historian Dani Cortijo and the 'Costumari Català’ (Catalan Customs) by Joan Amades?
All Saints is one of a group of festivals, along with the Day of the Dead and Halloween, which all have a common origin: the beliefs of the Ancient Celts, which were partly based on remembering their dead.
