Christmas in Spain Part I: Lights
It's always interesting to see how Christmas is celebrated in other countries. When I was in the Netherlands, the big eye-opener of course was Zwarte Piet. Here in Spain, Christmas is a big deal, and Spaniards really do celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas culminating in El Día De Los Reyes on January 6.
The cities really go all out with Christmas lights. I really like the icicles (those white bands) hanging from city hall.
I like it when you see Christmas decorations in warm weather areas like Mediterranean Valencia. Those white sticks hanging down from the palm trees have bright white lights moving in a downward fashion, like water melting off of icicles.
Lights are also hung across streets, like this one in Granada.
The main focal point is the big cone-shaped light tree. Here's the one in Valencia, turning the Plaza Ayuntamiento into a popular gathering place with many people taking pictures with the tree.
And here's the one in Granada, which was surrounded by a little Christmas Market.
A popular character at this Christmas Market was this (unofficial) Mickey Mouse. All of the kids who spotted him pointed and exclaimed to their parents, "Mira, es Mickey!"
