Christmas Tag + A Bit Late Merry Christmas!

After more than a week without writing a single post (believe me, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to, it was because my router died and the company, which should have brought the new one is full of incompetent people, lied to my face when they said they tried to deliver it but couldn’t because I wasn’t home. HA! I was the whole day at home just to get it but whatever….), I’m here today to give you a very late tag. I was tagged millions eons ago by the lovely Sarah @ Bookish Retreat and I was supposed to upload it this last 24^th but alas! No internet, no blogging possible for me whatsoever. I meant to upload as well a Top Ten Tuesday but that is not gonna happen now since Santa has already come. Anyways, I’m gonna answer the questions in a moment but before I want to tell you all a bit about Spanish Christmas traditions.

You need to know that Santa Claus wasn’t part of our Christmassy traditions. He has been incorporated to our culture recently (and by recent, I mean before I was born) as a commercial strategy. We celebrate Christmas as the day Jesus was born and all family members get together and have a lovely day full of food. Originally, we get our presents from "Los Reyes Magos" ('the three wise men') of the Bible, the ones who visited Jesus and brought him Gold, Incense and Myrrh; and we don’t get them the 25^th of December but the 6^th of January, what it is known as the Twelfth Night. So we, Spaniards, go to bed the 5^th of January and the next day: surprise! lots of presents.

Even though this whole Santa Claus situation is just a business thing, I think is a good idea that we have it because it means double presents! YAY! Well, it means the presents get split up and divided into two but who cares? It is still double fun LOL. But it also means that kids can enjoy their presents (toys or videogames) a bit longer. You see, we start classes again either the 8^th or the 9^th of January (sometimes the 10^th) and that means there is not a long time to actually play if you get your presents the 6^th. So, I think it’s nice to give the toys in Christmas so they can be enjoyed a tad longer, don’t you think?

Still, and even though I love Santa Claus, I prefer our traditional custom. We get a mahoosive parade (in Madrid we do at least, but other places also get them) the 5^th of January to greet the Three Kings and they throw candy and all that jazz. It’s fun. I’m a bit older for all that, not gonna lie, but watching the kids get all excited it’s priceless, really. After that, it is also a tradition to full our bellies with Three King’s cake which is basically a ring-shaped cake stuffed with cream or chocolate truffle and a figurine inside which it’s supposed to give luck to the person who finds it. We eat that with a, or several, cup(s) of hot chocolate. It’s the best part of all the holidays, you know? All the family together eating and drinking (the hot chocolate I mean). We get really fatty but what can you do? It’s delicious!

I don’t know if people from Latin America or anywhere else around the world also celebrate this whole Three Kings Tradition but if you know, please tell me because I’ve always believed it was only a thing from Spain. Also, did you have any idea about all this or is all new to you? I love how Christmas traditions are different in other countries so please tell me below how you celebrate Christmas :) 

I think I got carried away… 

Let’s get on with the questions of the tag!

1. Do you like to stay in your PJ’s, or dress up for Christmas? 

PJ’s all the way! Honestly if we celebrate Christmas at our house I don’t dress up one bit but if we go somewhere else I do even though I wish I could wear my PJ’s all the time. They are so comfy and I love comfy clothes.

2. If you could only buy one person a present this year who would it be?

Only one person ? That’s not fair! I can’t choose between both my parents so I’ll buy each a present.

3. Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

Christmas morning! We don’t put the presents until that day so there is no much room left to choose hahaha

4. Have you ever built a Gingerbread house? 

Nope.

5. What do you like to do on your Christmas break? 

I read, catch on TV shows or movies and I also get all stressed due to Christmas shopping. TOO MANY PEOPLE I CAN’T HANDLE IT. I get all panicky. I went the other day to centre of Madrid and I almost had a heart attack!

6. Favourite Christmas meal or treat? 

Ferrero Rocher! I could eat those all day and night long. So good! And you know what? I’m getting one right now because my mouth is watering just thinking about them. I also like ‘Turrón’ which I don’t really know if it has a word in English. I think is nougat but I’m not sure. Anyways, it’s delicious!

7. What’s your favourite holiday movie? 

Right now it has to be The Holiday but I also enjoy Love Actually and Home Alone.

8. Candy Canes or Gingerbread Men? 

I’m gonna go with gingerbread anything because I’ve never tried a candy cane and I love gingerbread. The other day I went to Starbucks and ordered a gingerbread latte for the first time. I fell in love.

9. Have you ever made a Snowman? 

I had! Not a big one though. During my first year at Uni (back when I was studying Psychology six years ago) there was this huge snowfall (well, huge for us because we don’t get snow around here) and we had an exam that day but it got cancelled because a lot of people called saying they weren’t gonna be able to make it. As a result, a couple of friends and I went outside to try and build a snowman ;)

10. Which do you like better, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? 

Christmas Day because my family gets together. Normally on Christmas Eve it’s only my parents and sisters because my father is all tired due to his job and he’s not really in the mood to celebrate it big time which I totally understand and so we have a cosy dinner the five of us.

11. White lights, or coloured lights? 

I’m not really a big fun of lights. I prefer tinsel and coloured baubles but if I have to choose, I’ll go with the coloured ones.

That’s the end of the tag. I wanted to tag people but since Christmas Day is over I don’t know what to do now. As always, if you wanna do it, feel free to post your links down below. I hope you had a lovely Christmas Day and of course, best wishes for the New Year!