Experience the Christmas Fairs 2024

Christmas trees, fir trees, nougats, wafers, decorative elements, original handmade gifts... you will find all this and much more at the Christmas fairs that are organised throughout Catalonia during the month of December and the first days of January. Christmas fairs are another traditional element that makes up the Christmas festivities in Catalonia, like the shepherds' markets or the live nativity scenes.

The streets and squares of towns and cities are filled with charm with stalls selling local food where you will find everything you need for your Christmas meals. Do you need to decorate your house with a fir tree and a nativity scene? At Christmas fairs you will find that nativity figure you are missing or the star to finish decorating your Christmas tree.

In addition, many of these fairs are complemented with activities for the little ones to enjoy with workshops and creative, musical, and other activities.

Experience the Christmas fairs in Catalonia!

When are Christmas holidays in 2024?

Many of the Christmas fairs in Catalonia begin to be celebrated from the Puente de la Purísima or the Constitution (from Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8, 2024). Although the official day is the 13th, Saint Lucia's day.

The most important Christmas celebrations in Catalonia are:

Christmas Eve (Tuesday, December 24, 2024)

Caga Tió, where children hit a log with sticks while singing songs so that the Uncle “poops” sweets and gifts.

It is a tradition that fills homes with laughter, excitement and the Christmas spirit. Families usually gather to share a hearty dinner, often based on traditional dishes such as escudella and carne de olla.

Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25, 2024)

escudella con galets" and a roast chicken or stuffed capo, accompanied by nougat and wafers. It is a day dedicated to sharing special moments with loved ones, exchanging gifts and keeping deep-rooted traditions alive.

St. Stephen's Day (Thursday, December 26, 2024)

St. Stephen 's Day, exclusive to Catalonia, is a much-loved day that offers the opportunity to continue sharing moments with family. The dish par excellence of this day is cannelloni, which is traditionally made with the leftovers from the previous day's roast. This day symbolizes the continuity of Christmas celebrations and allows the festive spirit to be prolonged.

New Year's Eve (Tuesday, December 31, 2024)

cava and the traditional twelve grapes, which are eaten to the rhythm of the midnight bells to bring luck for the following twelve months. The party continues with dancing, music and celebrations until the early hours of the morning.

Beginning of the New Year (Wednesday, January 1, 2025)

New Year's Day, is characterized by being a day of rest and reflection. After the party the night before, families take this day calmly, making a more relaxed meal. It is a time to recharge energy and start the year with renewed purposes and good energy.

The day before Three Kings' Day is one of the most eagerly awaited days for the little ones. The Three Kings' Parades, full of lights, music and spectacle, fill the streets of all Catalan towns with the arrival of Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar. The children wait excitedly for the moment to see the floats parade, throw letters with their wishes and collect sweets while the expectation grows.

Three Kings' Day (Monday, January 6, 2025)

Three Kings' Day brings the Christmas festivities to a close. After the magical night in which the Three Wise Men have left gifts in homes, families gather to eat the traditional roscón de Reyes (Kings' cake ), which hides a bean and a figurine. Whoever finds the figurine is crowned king of the party, while whoever finds the bean must pay for the roscón the following year. This day joyfully closes the cycle of festivities, until the following year.