Holiday food in Spain

Turkey

There are all sorts of Christmas foods in Spain but most of them are cakes and sweets - things like mantecados, polvorones and turrón.

What I find quite interesting, not really that interesting, is that there isn't anything particularly standard. So there is nothing like the uniformity in the British Christmas Lunch of turkey.

Roast lamb is reasonably common, fish - things like sea bass or bream - is popular too but I've had paella for Christmas dinner along with Spaniards on one occasion and faseguras, the big meatballs, on another.

If I were signalling one thing that nearly everyone eats it would be prawns - gambas, langostinos etc.

Christmas Eve is a big family meal, Christmas Day is probably nearly as important but not quite so (massive generalisation but you know what I mean) and it's just possible that on New Year's Eve some of the young people may not eat with their family but they'll eat with friends instead. Back to the family for lunch on the 6th though.

I think one of the odd things for Britons is that Christmas goes on longer (once it's started) than in the UK. So whilst Brits are forgetting Christmas on the 26th Spaniards are in the last throes of Christmas shopping get ready for Reyes on the 5th/6th of January which is still the big gift giving time.