Here comes that magic month of the year… It is officially Christmas in Barcelona! The Christmas lights are on and all the stores are welcome in the Holiday Season. If you are wondering what to do in Barcelona in December, here is a suggestion for you to include in your plans: Fira de Santa Llúcia, the most famous Christmas market in Barcelona!
What will you find at this Christmas market in Barcelona, Fira de Santa Llúcia?
You can feel the Christmas spirit while walking through the streets in Barcelona. But once you get to Plaça de la Catedral, this Christmas feeling fully embraces you. You bump into many Christmas stands offering the most diverse decoration. From traditional Christmas figurines to beautiful jewellery to wear these special days:
- Nativity scenes and figures: accessories for Nativity scenes, caves, figurines, Christmas candles…
- Greenery and plants: natural or artificial trees, moss, tiós magic logs, lucky branches…
- Crafts: all kinds of handmade products such as clothes, jewellery, Christmas decoration…
- Hand drums Simbombes: and other traditional instruments such as tambourines.
Special Christmas stands: Caganer figurines
Among the stands showing Christmas trees, plants, home decorations… you will easily find those displaying a funny Catalan Christmas tradition: el Caganer, the Catalan Pooping Christmas Man. This figurine is usually included in the nativity scene in most of the Catalan homes.
And actually this famous character is adapted to diverse personalities depending on the social and political context. For example, this year we have found as featured “Caganers” Donald Trump, Oriol Junqueras, Puigdemont… Which one would you choose to include in your own nativity scene at home? ;)
A magic log in the most famous Christmas market in Barcelona: Tió de Nadal
And you will probably think that El Caganer is the most weird tradition we have here in Catalonia during Christmas, right? Then wait and keep reading… Have you ever imagined a magic log able to “poop” Christmas presents? Then let us introduce you to the Caga Tió tradition! Since we love this special Christmas ritual, we dedicated a special article to explain the story behind the Caga Tió ritual.
It usually ends up being a really nice and familiar Christmas experience: you can either go get your log in the woods or buy it in stores (including Fira de Santa Llúcia Barcelona Christmas market), then you have to take care of him (feeding and covering him with a blanket). Finally, when December 25 arrives, kids sing along the Caga Tió song and hit the trunk to make the Caga Tio “poop” the Christmas presents.
Among the Christmas traditions, sure you can’t deny Caga Tio is an original one!
How to get the most famous Christmas market in Barcelona?
Fira de Santa Llúcia, the most famous Christmas market in Barcelona, is located also in one of the most famous places in the city, next to la Catedral de Barcelona. So you probably know how to get there, but just in case here is the information:
Bicycle: Station Bicing on Avinguda de la Catedral, 4-6.
Subway:
- L1 Catalunya or Urquinaona stations
- L3 Liceu or Catalunya stations
- L4 Jaume I station
Bus: lines 17, 19, 40, 45 and 120.
Car: Car parking on Avinguda de la Catedral and Avinguda de Francesc Cambó, next to Santa Caterina Market. Entrance from Via Laietana.
For more details, you can visit Fira de Santa Llúcia website.
Merry Christmas everyone!
