It’s today—the very last day of the year.By now, you’ve probably heard more than enough about the elaborate parade of New Year’s Eve traditions and paraphernalia the Spanish adore: red underwear, grapes, bells, cotillón… Spaniards like to celebrate, and when they do, they spare absolutely no detail or imagination. Many of you likely already have…
Despite living here for years, I’ve never actually spent New Year’s Eve in Spain. I’m usually traveling somewhere to visit family or friends for the holidays. In Singapore, we celebrated with fireworks and food — in my family, that meant mountains of chili crab. In Tucson, we serenaded the New Year around a desert bonfire,…
Bon dia.Valencia’s final week of the year is shaping up as a rainy farewell to 2025. Rain is forecast for today, with conditions expected to ease by the end of the day. After a brief holiday, I’m back in town and will be posting a feature on New Year’s celebration plans shortly. January 1 is…
The Christmas race is officially in countdown mode. The big day is just hours away and, somehow, you already feel Christmas-saturated. Everything around town is festive to the point of chaos: streets packed with people, public transport taking its sweet time, public parking full by 11 a.m. It’s loud, busy, and relentless. And while all…
Bon dia! A blast of polar air will keep Valencia unusually cold this Christmas week, with rain possible and even some snow forecast in higher inland areas, writes Las Provincias. I won’t be posting Weekend Highlights this holiday Thursday, but you can find a full roundup of seasonal activities here: Celebrating the Holiday Season in…
The 22nd: the first official day of Christmas.This is something you can count on if you ever need to know when Christmas truly begins in Spain. The kids will be out of school for sure—the Friday before if the 22nd falls on a Monday, or the day before if it’s midweek. The variation is minimal….