Christmas(es): Barcelona celebrates the city's Christian plurality

From 2 to 23 December, the OAR has organised a series of activities to spotlight the city's religious, spiritual and cultural plurality and showcase the diverse range of Christmas traditions and practices. The series is organised in conjunction with: Associació Fira de Santa Llúcia, Port Vell Christmas Fair and Museu de la Música de Barcelona.

Barcelona City Council, through the Office for Religious Affairs (OAR), is promoting Christmas(es). Christian celebrations in Barcelona, a series of free activities that aims to share the many ways Christmas is understood and celebrated in the city, both from the theological standpoint —based on the different branches of Christianity found in Barcelona— and in terms of the cultural, family and community practices associated with it. The initiative, which combines reflection, information, music and cultural activities, is framed within the intercultural perspective that has been guiding municipal policies for over two decades.

The activities within the series include a panel discussion with the participation of members of different Christian communities in Barcelona; a sampling of concerts connected to different Christian traditions (traditional music from the Andean province of Apurímac in Peru, an open worship service at the Philadelphia Evangelical Church organised with the Museu de la Música de Barcelona as part of the Trànsits, Musics of the Spirit series, and dance and music from the Georgian Orthodox community); and a family storytelling session at the Santa Llúcia Christmas Fair to learn about how different cultures and religions in the world celebrate the family, the community and hope at the end of the year.

A Christmas that brings together different perspectives and traditions

Barcelona is a plural, diverse, dynamic city, and this diversity can also be found in its religions and beliefs. According to figures from the OAR (2024), Barcelona has 37 religious and spiritual traditions that are regularly practised here and 535 places of worship. Nonetheless, Christian denominations are predominant in the city. The 535 places of worship currently open in Barcelona include 233 Catholic churches, 182 evangelical churches, 16 Jehovah’s Witnesses centres, 4 orthodox churches, 4 Seventh-Day Adventist centres and 2 Churches of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Therefore, more than 80% of the city’s places of worship are Christian, and all branches of Christianity are represented..

Moreover, despite society’s apparent secularisation over recent years, these figures show that religion and spirituality continue to be present in public spaces and everyday lives through the heritage, history and lives of the communities, which as a whole show undeniable pluralism. In 2024, the OAR organised a colloquium on this topic, Nativity scenes in Barcelona: cultural and religious heritage in public space, on the occasion of the eight-hundredth anniversary of the nativity scene tradition. This event encouraged participants to reflect on the evolution and transformation of this practice, traditionally rooted in Catholicism but today has become a shared cultural, artistic and community expression that transcends beliefs and connects with Barcelona’s plurality. As Esteve Caramés, director of cultural programmes at the Barcelona Institute of Culture, said, ‘We cannot ignore the fact that all cultural traditions are rooted in spirituality’.

Christmas(es), in plural, aims to spotlight the internal diversity of Christianity and its expressions and show how Christmas celebrations are expressed in many different theological, cultural and family ways by Barcelona’s Christian communities.

First, it aims to identify the theological differences in the interpretations of Jesus’s birth and how it is celebrated. This also includes features of Christmas celebrations which may be viewed as traditionally Catholic but actually come from other branches of Christianity, such as the Advent calendar and the Christmas tree, which were introduced by Protestantism. It also aims to showcase the cultural vitality of the city’s Christian communities, which is expressed in diverse folk, musical and artistic traditions.

With Christmas(es), Barcelona is reaffirming its commitment to be a city that recognises, values and shares its religious, spiritual and cultural plurality. The activities are free of charge and open to everyone, and they invite participants to rediscover Christmas through diverse perspectives, music and traditions and to share the many different ways this celebration is experienced in the city.

ACTIVITY PROGRAMME:

PANEL DISCUSSION

Tuesday 2 December at 6 pm in the Sala Maria Aurèlia Capmany at the Pati Llimona Civic Centre (Carrer de Regomir 3).

LIMITED CAPACITY. PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIRED HERE.

This panel discussion will reflect on the different meanings of Christmas within the different branches, expressions and origins of Christianity. The following people will be participating in the event:

  • Conxa Adell, Benedictine nun at Sant Pere de les Puel·les Monastery (Catholicism).
  • Maria Rosa Ocaña, religious relations delegate at the Església de la Protecció de la Mare de Déu – Patriarchate of Serbia (Orthodox Christianity).
  • Víctor Hernández, pastor at the Església Evangèlica de Betlem (Evangelical Christianity).

The session will be moderated by Maria Forteza, PhD in sociology and Office of Religious Affairs officer.

CONCERTS

This is a sampling of concerts associated with the city’s different Christian traditions which reveal the plurality of Barcelona’s living musical and cultural expressions and practices. All three concerts will be accompanied by a prior talk to provide context and introduce the community and their own particular musical celebrations and practices.

Thursday 4 December at 8 pm at the Port Vell Christmas Fair (Moll de la Fusta). Activity organised in conjunction with the Port Vell Christmas Fair.

FREE ADMISSION.

Traditional music and dance from the Andean province of Apurímac in Peru that combines the festive Christmas liturgy from the Catholic tradition with features from the Andean worldview, performed in Quechua and Spanish by ‘mayordomos’, guides and dancers. The organisation contributes to the city’s culture and community and showcases the tradition of the huaylía antabambina, intangible heritage of the Peruvian nation from the Antabamba region.

Saturday 13 December at 5.30 pm, open worship at the Temple de la Mina Philadelphia Evangelical Church (Carrer Llevant, 23, Sant Adrià de Besòs). Activity organised with the Museu de la Música de Barcelona.

CONVERSATION: FREE ADMISSION UNTIL CAPACITY IS REACHED. OPEN WORSHIP: LIMITED CAPACITY. PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIRED HERE!

Conversation and open worship as part of the series organised by the Museu de la Música de Barcelona and the Office of Religious Affairs, Trànsits, Musics of the Spirit, which focuses on highlighting the ties between the spiritual practices of Barcelona’s different religious communities and music through a series of talks and concerts. The series opts for a plural and intercultural vision that aims to show the historical tie between music, spirituality and cultural and religious practices specifically from the different communities living in the city.

The Philadelphia Evangelical Church also has a particularly festive side to it, with the highly musical tradition of Roma culture merging with an emphasis on worship and the adoration of the Pentecostal denomination, plus the prominence of Protestant song, resulting in spontaneous and participatory practices where music plays an essential role.

  • Associació Ortodoxa Georgiana Sant Jordi (Orthodox Christianity)

Tuesday 23 December at 12 noon at the Port Vell Christmas Fair (Moll de la Fusta). Activity organised in conjunction with the Fira de Nadal del Port Vell.

FREE ADMISSION.

Concert and dances by the choir of the Georgian Orthodox community featuring a repertoire from the Christmas tradition.

Cultural and religious organisation associated with the Santa Nino Parish – Patriarchate of Georgia, that works to develop and showcase Georgian culture. They have participated in different festivals in European cities such as Milan, Paris and Florence for over sixteen years.

STORYTELLING

Wednesday 17 December at 5 pm at the Santa Llúcia Christmas Fair – Pla de la Seu. Activity organised in conjunction with the Associació Fira de Santa Llúcia. Featuring Deborah Ekoka, an Afro-centric oral storyteller and mediator.

FREE ADMISSION. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

This is a dramatised, participatory story that encourages the audience to discover how different cultures and traditions celebrate the family, the community and hope at the end of the year. Through stories and symbols, participants can travel through five celebrations filled with meaning and colour and discover that despite cultural differences, coming together and celebrating are a common language that connects everyone.

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