How Spain celebrates Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year

Terms used

• Nochebuena — Nochebuena is Christmas Eve, 24 December, when Spanish families have their main Christmas dinner.
• Nochevieja — Nochevieja is New Year's Eve, 31 December, marked by a late dinner and twelve grapes at midnight.
• Turrón — Turrón is a nougat-style Christmas sweet, soft (Jijona) or hard (Alicante).
• Roscón de Reyes — The roscón de Reyes is a ring-shaped cake eaten on 6 January.
• Cabalgata — A cabalgata is the parade on 5 January in which the Three Kings arrive in town.

Key rules

• Working days: 24 December and 31 December are normal working days, so ask your employer and your children's school about shortened days.
• Regional holiday: 26 December is a holiday only in some regions, so check your local calendar.
• Twelve grapes: Eat one grape per slow chime at midnight on 31 December, and ignore the four quick quarter chimes before them.
• Shops: Most shops close on national holidays, so buy your food before 25 December and 1 January.

Which days are holidays

25 December, 1 January and 6 January are national holidays, while 24 December and 31 December are normal working days. Many employers shorten hours or give time off on those two days by agreement, so ask yours.

26 December (San Esteban) is a holiday only in some regions, for example Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Each region and town also sets its own calendar, so check yours for the year. In 2026, 25 December is a Friday, 1 January a Thursday and 6 January a Tuesday.

Nochebuena, 24 December

Nochebuena is the big family dinner, usually around 21:00 to 22:00. Expect seafood, a roast and turrón, often followed by carols. Some families go to Misa del Gallo, the midnight mass. If you are invited, arrive on time, bring a dessert, sweets or a bottle of cava, and plan for a long evening.

Christmas Day, 25 December

Navidad is a long family lunch around 14:00 to 15:00. Many families serve leftovers or soup. In Catalonia the meal is often sopa de galets, and canelons on 26 December.

Nochevieja, 31 December

Nochevieja is a late dinner with family or friends. At midnight you eat twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock, for luck in the new year. Then comes cava, and a party that can run until morning.

To manage the grapes:

• Buy small seedless grapes, or peel and seed them. Many supermarkets sell tinned grapes in December.
• Wait through the four quick quarter chimes (the cuartos). Start with the first of the twelve slow chimes.
• Follow the chimes on TV rather than a phone clock, unless the phone clock is exact.
• Have your cava poured before midnight.

You can also join the crowd at the Puerta del Sol clock in Madrid. Arrive early, as police restrict access and may check ID or bags.

New Year's Day and Reyes

On 1 January, expect a late start and a relaxed family lunch. On the night of 5 January, towns hold a cabalgata parade and children leave shoes out. On 6 January families eat roscón de Reyes with chocolate, open presents and share lunch.

What people eat

• Starters and mains: prawns, langostinos, percebes, centollo, cured ham and cheese, roast lamb, cochinillo, roast turkey or capon, and bacalao.
• Sweets: turrón (soft Jijona, hard Alicante), mazapán, polvorones and mantecados, with cava.
• Regional dishes: Galicia has seafood and empanada. The Basque Country has kokotxas or besugo. Madrid has sopa de picadillo and roast lamb. Andalusia has pestiños and roscos de vino. The Canaries have truchas de batata. Valencia has turrón and pelotas de Navidad.

Details differ by region and family, so ask your hosts what they usually serve.

The timeline and checklist below show what to book and buy early. The FAQ covers dinner times and the grapes.

Timeline and deadlines

• Nochebuena family dinner: Evening of 24 December, a normal working day, with dinner around 21:00 to 22:00

• Christmas Day lunch: 25 December, a national holiday, with a long lunch around 14:00 to 15:00

• Nochevieja dinner and twelve grapes: 31 December, a normal working day, with the grapes at midnight

• New Year's Day: 1 January, a national holiday, usually a late start and a relaxed lunch

• Reyes parade and presents: Parade and shoes out on the night of 5 January, then roscón, presents and lunch on 6 January, a national holiday

Christmas in Spain: what to book and buy early

• Check your region's and town's holiday calendar for the year, including whether 26 December is a holiday where you live.

• Ask your employer or your children's school which days they close or shorten around 24 December and 31 December.

• Book your Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and Christmas Day meals or restaurant tables as early as you can, since many places fill up.

• Order the main meal items, such as the roast, seafood or lamb, from your butcher or fishmonger ahead of time.

• Buy the 12 grapes for Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) and the drinks for midnight a few days before 31 December.

• Do your main food shop before 25 December and 1 January, because most shops are closed on national holidays.

• Book trains, flights and hotels early if you plan to travel for Christmas or New Year.

• Buy Reyes gifts and order the roscón (the ring-shaped cake eaten on 6 January) before 6 January, which is also a national holiday.

Check your region's and town's official holiday calendar for the exact year, especially for 26 December.

Frequently asked questions

What time is Nochebuena dinner and is there anything after it?

Nochebuena dinner is usually around 21:00 to 22:00 on 24 December. Many families sing carols afterwards, and some go to Misa del Gallo, the midnight mass. Christmas Day lunch follows around 14:00 to 15:00.

How do you eat the twelve grapes at midnight without choking?

Peel and seed the grapes, or buy small seedless or tinned grapes, which many supermarkets sell in December. Wait for the four quarter chimes to pass, then eat one grape with each of the twelve slow chimes. Have cava ready for the toast.

Can I watch the grapes at Puerta del Sol in Madrid?

Yes, crowds gather at the Puerta del Sol clock, but you should arrive early because police restrict access and may ask for ID or check bags. If you prefer to stay home, TVE and other channels broadcast the chimes.

What do people eat at Christmas in different regions?

Typical dishes vary by region: Galicia has seafood and empanada, Catalonia has canelons on 26 December, and the Basque Country has kokotxas or sea bream. Madrid favours sopa de picadillo and roast lamb, and Andalusia has pestiños. Turrón and polvorones are eaten almost everywhere.