Christmas in Catalonia is one of the most special times of the year with an incredible wide range of traditions.

We have some traditions that last throughout all the Christmas season and one example of them is what we call “Els Pastorets”, which directly translates to little shepherds. They are a type of popular theatre that portrays the birth of the Messiah but gives prominence to the shepherds. This nativity play is usually staged by amateur actors of all ages in civic and cultural centres.

There is also the tradition of representing the Nativity scene in every house. It is called “Pessebre” and it is constructed using plant materials, like moss and cork. It must have the birth, situated in a cave or a stable, which acts as the focal point, and it contains the annunciation to the shepherds and the Three Kings. It can also contain other scenes and characters (a washer, old people spinning, a fisherman and shepherds bringing presents to the baby Jesus). It is also performed live where people dress up as characters of the nativity (including peasants, merchants) and stand in the streets.

One of the most popular figures in the “pessebre” is “El Caganer” and its name literally means the pooper. It is a figurine that is traditionally wearing a “barretina” who is crouching down, smoking a pipe, and is placed in a hidden spot of the nativity symbolizing fertility and prosperity. For some years now, various figure-makers have been making “caganers” which are caricatures of celebrities.

Throughout the Christmas season we sing “Nadales”, that are traditional songs that refer to Christmas. The Christmas song book is one of the most extensive in the repertoire of popular Catalan songs.

On the 25th of December we eat “sopa de galets”, a traditional Christmas dish made with a soup of large pasta shells (“galets”) that are sometimes stuffed with small meatballs. We also enjoy “Tió”, the Christmas pooping log, a domestic ceremony for children which consists of singing a song while beating the log with a stick, so it empties its bowels and drops presents for all the family.

On the 26th of December, with the leftovers of the previous Christmas day, we make “canelons”. They are made by filling rectangular sheets of pasta with meat, rolling them up, covering them with beixamel (white roux and milk sauce) and gratinating them with cheese.

During the Christmas holidays, we eat lots of sweet desserts, but the most popular ones are “torrons” and “neules”. “Torrons” are sweet doughs made from roasted almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts or walnuts mixed with honey or eggs, fruit or chocolate, which are normally rectangular in shape. “Neules” are long, crunchy, rolled sweet treats. They are made of a thin sheet of pastry made of flour, sugar, and egg white, and rolled into a tube.

On the 1st of January, as the traditions says, the bells strike midnight, 12 grapes need to be eaten before the last strike is heard, to ensure good luck for the year to come.

The Three Kings Procession takes place on the evening of the 5th of January in all the towns of Catalonia. They organize a big welcome for the Three Kings where they set off on a big parade through the city's streets, followed by a long procession of royal pages, floats and groups of artists, dancers, postmen and others that wish to take part. Children bring their own letters to the Three Kings with their Christmas wishes.

The next day, on the 6th of January, Catalonia celebrates the Three Kings Days, a day where they bring presents for the children who behave well and candy coal for those who don't. On this day it is tradition to eat a cake called “Tortell de Reis” or King's cake, a special bread with candied fruit and sugar symbolizing the crown jewels. Hidden inside are a couple of surprises which are the dried bean – whoever finds it pays for the cake – and the King figure – whoever finds it is declared king for the day and wears the paper crown.