With one of the most anticipated holidays of the year rapidly approaching, we wanted to provide a breakdown of Christmas traditions here in Barcelona, as well as Catalunya at large. No different than the rest of the world, where Christmas is universally recognized as one of the year’s biggest holiday seasons, Catalunya has some distinctive traditions.

December 8^th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is recognized as the start of the season, when decorations are put up. The nativity scene is a common decoration, both in houses and in public areas. One part of nativity scenes unique to Catalunya is a small figure known as the Caganer. The Caganer is a small figure with its pants around the ankles, slightly bent over in the act of defecation. With many explanations for its presence in the nativity scene, it is most likely a tribute to Catalan humor. In recent years, famous political figures have been immortalized in their representation as Caganers, such as the newest addition, Barack Obama.

In the same vein, another prominent Catalan Christmas tradition is the Caga Tió, a log figure painted with a smiley face that poops out presents. During the weeks leading up to Christmas day, children feed the log sweets, much akin to the tradition of leaving cookies out for Santa Claus. The log grows fat throughout the season, as presents are stuffed inside of it. At the culmination on Christmas day, children hit the log which then yields the presents that were stored inside. These presents are generally the smaller, family presents, while the larger ones are brought by the Three Wise Men on January 6^th, the last day of the Christmas season.

Naturally, the next thought is likely to be, Where can I get these Christmas figures? One of the oldest outdoor markets in Spain is located right outside of the Barcelona Cathedral, known as the Fira de Santa Llucia, where all these figures are available for purchase.

Make sure to visit us at ComeToBarcelona to reserve your apartment early for the Christmas season!

Sure Bus Turistic provides a great tour via bus, but if you´re looking for a tour on two wheels we´ve got some options for you! 

Do you want a motor on your bike?  If so, the Barcelona Scooter Tour is the trip for you.  On this 3-hr tour you will ride 125cc automatic scooters with four-stroke engines.  The tour starts in the Barceloneta area and an English-speaking guide leads you throughout the city, covering every facit of Barcelona. 

If you prefer some exercise while touring, we´ve got four great options for you! The first three options leave from Orbea Bicicletas (C/ Gran De Gràcia 1, Barcelona) and the fourth leaves from Plaza Sant Jaume.  The length of the tours vary, but they are all conducted in English. 

The first option is the Mountain Bike Tour---Caldes de Montbui.  You will be picked up for a drive to Caldes de Montbui, your base for the bike tour, only 22 miles (35 kilometers) away.  This  5-7 hour full-day tour allows riders to see Barcelona´s countryside as never before.  Your tour will end in "La Font de Lleo" the most famous fountain at Caldes de Montbui , where you can witness the hot Thermal spring waters coming from the fountain.  The next option is the Barcelona Natural Park Bike Tour which is less strenuous and much shorter.  The Collserola Natural Park is an oasis in the Barcelona metropolitan area providing the population with a green wooded area away from the crowds. It contains around 10 million trees, 1,000 species of plants and almost 190 species of animals, reptiles and birds.  Here is where you will ride for 2 hours.  The third option also takes place within the Collserola Natural Park, yet it takes place while the sun sets!  The Barcelona Sunset Bike Tour enables riders to see the lights of many of BCN´s landmarks light up as the sun in the sky goes down.  The last tour parallels the Sooter tour in that its goal is to get you to all the sites within the metropolitan area of BCN.  The Barcelona Half-Day Bike Tour takes about four hours, and the tour enables riders to choose destinations of greatest interest. 

Why not book an apartment with us, so you can hop on your bike ASAP!