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Christmas at Barcelona
Christmas at Barcelona

Christmas 2017

Barcelona lights up Christmas today with a festive event on the Rambles in tribute to the city's response to the terrorist attacks in August. 

Christmas is coming and Barcelona has planned lots of activities to celebrate this special date. This year, the theme of the celebration will be the idea of Christmas as a time of dreams and good wishes and a moment for renewal and hope.

The Christmas festivities traditionally start with the lighting of the street lights, which will be on Thursday 23 November at 7 pm on Rambla de Santa Mònica, in a ceremony that will pay tribute to the city’s response to the terrorist attacks of 17 August.

This ceremony will be the starting point of a Christmas in which activities in the city's districts will play a starring role: there will be more than a thousand between mini-trains, Father Christmas, special Christmas fairs, Tió de Nadal logs, charity games, etc.

This year, the city will have two pessebres or Nativity scenes. The one on Plaça de Sant Jaume, the traditional location in recent years, can be visited from 24 November, while there will be another in the courtyard of the Museu Frederic Marès, which will have a more traditional look.

Plaça de Catalunya fills with Christmas activities

From 22 December to 4 January, Plaça de Catalunya will become a festive spot linked to the Christmas festivities. There will be shows and activities for children, teenagers and the whole family.

This year, the square will be hosting the Un pas de pardal show, a cultural event in which the stars will be the seven large spheres called “ingravidolles” and which will also feature in the 2018 Kings' Cavalcade.

Visitors can see shows and activities, while from 2 to 4 January, it will be the setting for the arrival of the Royal Postmen. Pages Estel and Omar will welcome children who want to send their letters to the Kings in person.

Plaça de Catalunya will also host the third edition of the Responsible Consumer, Social and Charitable Economy Fair, the annual venue for initiatives that promote responsible and local consumerism with projects that seek to transform society.

New Year’s Eve celebrations

The celebration to see out 2017 will be on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, with a special show led by artist Miquel Setó, which will start at 11.30 pm and go on until about 12.10 am. To entertain the wait of everyone who gets there early enough, from 9 pm there will be music and stories around the end of year theme

Kings' Cavalcade

Like every year, the Three Kings of Orient will arrive in Barcelona in the afternoon-evening of 5 January accompanied by their traditional retinue of magical creatures and the eighty postmen, who are there to collect the late wish letters before the magical night.

The evening will begin at Moll de la Fusta at 4.30 pm, the time that Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar are expected to arrive on board the Santa Eulàlia schooner. After the traditional reception by the mayor, they will then go on a procession through the streets of the city centre that will last until 9 pm.

Other notable Christmas activities in the city

The Santa Eulàlia schooner has become an essential part of Barcelona's celebrations. This historic ship, restored by the Museu Marítim, is to be found at the Moll de la Fusta in the Port Vell. Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar will be arriving in the city on board this ship on 5 January. On 2, 3 and 4 January, there will be a royal postman on the ship who will collect the letters with your wishes for the Three Kings of Orient. 

Another date for your Christmas diary in Barcelona is 4 January 2018, when the Orfeó Català will be offering the traditional Christmas Carol concert, on Plaça del Rei.

Traditional Santa Llúcia and Sagrada Família fairs

Friday 24 November sees the opening of the city's two traditional Christmas fairs: Santa Llúcia and Sagrada Família.

The Magic Fountain will also sound for Christmas

As is traditional, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc will be staging special light, water, colour and sound choreographies with Christmas music from mid-November until 7 January 2018.

You can find all the information about Christmas in the city at lameva.barcelona.cat/en/christmas

Publication date: Thursday, 23 November 2017
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