What to expect at Christmas and New Year in Los Cristianos, Tenerife
Are you in Tenerife for Christmas or New Year this year? Are you thinking of going next year? It is a great place to be with lots of sunshine and traditional celebrations. Christmas and New Year in Los Cristianos, Tenerife is a magical time for couples and families alike.
You can be on the beach (with average daytime temperatures of 22°C) in the morning and playing in the snow up Mount Teide in the afternoon, so you don’t have to miss the snow & cold! With sunset at 6pm the longer days will keep you smiling.
Christmas Traditions
One Spanish tradition at Christmas is the Belén (Nativity scenes) which are in most towns. Some are quite large and even have a mini village. Try to see if you can find some while on holiday. Our children loved looking at all the characters.
In the supermarkets, at this time of year, you will find lots of different types of turrón. It’s is a traditional sweet eaten at Christmas time, made of honey, eggs, and almonds.
The Spanish families don’t celebrate Christmas Day like we do (however it is still a bank holiday). Christmas Eve is very important as families gather together at their homes in the evening to have a big family meal then go to La Misa Del Gallo (Midnight Mass).
They don’t celebrate Boxing Day, so all the shops will be open as normal. However, watch out for 28th December El Día de Los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day) which is a bit like our April’s fools day!
Spanish children have to wait until Los Reyes Magos (the 3 kings) arrive to get their presents. The Cabalgata (parade) happens on the evening of 5th January through Los Cristianos, where Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar throw sweets out to the children. They then receive the gifts on the morning of the 6th January.
New Year’s Eve in Los Cristianos
New Year’s Eve is a big, family-friendly, celebration with live music, dancing and partying in the streets. The main action is normally around the cultural centre or church square in Los Cristianos. The tradition is to eat 12 green grapes, one at each stroke of midnight, to bring luck for each of the following 12 months. And if you want to find love next year – wear red underwear!
At midnight there will be lots of fireworks from all different places, we always found the best place to see them all from was the beach in Los Cristianos. From there you can see many displays going on around town. They are amazing!
The sales in Tenerife don’t start until 7th January after their celebrations have finished on 6th so don’t get too excited on boxing day.
Don’t forget if you need an apartment for Christmas and New Year in Los Cristianos Tenerife click the link below to see what we have to offer. Be quick though as it a very popular time of year.
We hope you have a great time in Los Cristianos and enjoy this amazing time of year!
Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo
Felices Fiestas