domingo, 10 de enero de 2016

My Spanish Holiday

      Honestly, my holiday was pretty boring.  I watched a lot of Netflix, but that's beside the point so I'll just highlight the interesting culture stuff.

  • My friend Trenton and I went on an awesome Christmas-bus tour of the city.  Madrid goes all-out as far as Christmas lights and seeing the city lit up from the beginning of December until now really helped enhance the holiday spirit.
  • I spent Christmas Eve with Gonzalo and Rodrigo who are essentially my second host family.  Christmas Eve dinner is like Thanksgiving.  You basically stuff your face and drink while spending time with family.
  • Christmas day is more low-key than Christmas in the states; at least from my experience.  I returned to my host family that day and we had presents and then I skyped my family.  The Reyes are far more important than Santa (I know this because here there are mall Reyes and not mall Santas) and they don't arrive until January 6th.
  • New Years Eve is like Thanksgiving part 2.  You get dressed up, stuff your face, and then sit around watching Spain's version of the Times Square New Years Eve show until the ball drops.  Spain's New Years Eve show was slightly more uhh provocative than the one in the states because they had a bit where the hosts came out in lingere before putting on gorgeous suits and dresses for the ball drop.  I guess no one tries to protect the innocence of children over here, but the male models were hot so I'll get over the emotional scarring.  In Madrid the ball drops in the clock tower, but the ball drop is not as important as the bells chiming.  In Spain, they have the tradition to eat a grape every time the bell gongs.  You are supposed to make a wish but I was so stressed by trying to chew and swallow a grape every gong that I didn't have time to make a wish.  Naturally, there is a fireworks show as well and then you watch a bunch of musical performances before crashing at around 3am.
  • Then every child is focused 100% on their second day of presents: the reyes.  On the 5th of January, there is a huge parade in Madrid called the Cabalgata which is essentially the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade only it ends with the three kings instead of Santa.  That parade was nuts.  In Spain, the kings have the tradition of giving the parade-goers candies.  Basically, throughout the 3 hours the parade lasted, I was pelted with hard candies as the people marching in the parade walked by.  And let me tell you, parade-goers are savage about those candies.  They will scream at anyone walking by who doesn't give them candies that they are "shameless."  But nevertheless once I ignored the people angry at me for being 5'11 and in the front row and the tiny boy behind me hitting me with his balloon, I thoroughly enjoyed the parade.  I'll just remember if I ever get the chance to go again to wear armour.
  • Then the kids go home and go to bed for Christmas part two the next morning.  Not only do they give letters to Santa, but they get to write two letters because they have two days of gifts (not that I'm bitter or anything).  All family-owned businesses were closed for the day and most people spend the day with their extended family so they can get even more presents and eat even more food.
So basically to summarize; this holiday season I stuffed my face, spent a lot of time relaxing at home, and was pelted with tiny candies.  All in all, an awesome time with people whom I now consider family.

walk-through Christmas tree in the city center

the three kings on their floats