Comments on: New Year in Spain: Essential items

By: Ivan

Ivan — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:14:42 +0000

In Almachar, Malaga, we do lots of grapes, lots of parties and lots of fireworks too. At midnight on New Years Eve there is usually 30 minutes of fireworks. Come and see it for yourself!

By: ana

ana — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:29:06 +0000

Ya I’m agree with the other spaniards here, being myself one. Spanish traditions are very different from region to region and even from village to village in the same region even if they are just 2 km away from each other! Every region in spain (authonomous community) has its own culture, traditions, gastronomy, folkloric music, folkloric dance, mitology and even language or dialect! so Spain is all less homogeneos so you can never talk about Spanish food or spanish culture because eventhough all regions share something in common like the use of the olive oil for cooking etc the res it just depends on the regions or area or village your are living in! Some times we as spaniards get shocked of how people from other countries think that spain is. Some times I heard stories of people thinking that spain was a dry country, that the food was spicy, that everybody here loved bullfights, that we take naps every now and then, that stores close at midday because of the siesta thing (when of course the truth is that they close because it is the lunch time and in some villages or neighbourhoos they close at mid day to go home and have lunch since here lunch is the most important meal just like in italy and not the dinner like in other countries) and also that flamenco was the traditional spanish music! when flamenco it is just a gipsy music that almost everybody hates in spain of course not because it is gipsy but because it is not a music that we like. I think that tourists are who like this music not us!

By: ana

ana — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:19:54 +0000

Hi Chris, I’m from Barcelona and here fireworks are not typical at all for new years eve. Grapes are of course traditional everywhere of spain but fireworks? maybe it is just a Burgo’s thing or only in some cities or towns in Spain.

By: Phil Bailey

Phil Bailey — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:24:57 +0000

I first experienced a Spanish new year celebration in 1989/90 and I agree it seems really dangerous. My friends and I had a rocket explode right in the middle of us all … and we just had a bit of ringing in our ears, it could have been much worse.

Nowadays, I would settle for a nice bottle of Rioja and a baked potato for my new years celebrations … but I’m 43 now and feeling it. Pass me the slippers, time for an early night

By: Ramses

Ramses — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:25:45 +0000

Yup, only the grapes in the town I live. No such things as fireworks, apart from the few guiris that can’t do without it.

I think it depends on the region, as they each have their own traditions.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:07:08 +0000

@David – Thanks for the comment. I’m glad to know that this is done in other parts of Spain and it’s not only done in Burgos. I especially like how you described the 40 minutes of “fuego cruzado…” I guess I’m not the only one who sees this tradition as a bit dangerous.

By: David

David — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:41:59 +0000

In Palma people goes crazy with fireworks too. Really hard-noisy stuff. You can hear fireworks from 9pm until 4 or 5 am, simply crazy. Of course the biggest concentration of “amateur firework lightning” comes just after the grapes thing but still you know you’ll have ahead like 40 minutes at least of fuego cruzado. Fortunately there’s not many accidents, although every year there’s at least one firework exploding in our terrace (it’s quite big, and it’s very exposed in front of all our neighbourhood. I remember one year seeing a car set on fire in the street because one of those little tomahawks

Happy new year.

By: Holiday home rentals (Dave)

Holiday home rentals (Dave) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:03:19 +0000

Essential items ‘Grapes and Fireworks’ great blog and i never thought i’d see those two in the same list!

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:30:54 +0000

@Rebeca and Victor – Yes, I guess you’re right. The fireworks must be a Burgos thing. Next year for New Years you should both buy fireworks and try to “spread” the tradition to Gijón and León… a ver si se pone de moda la “nochevieja burgalesa” con fuegos artificiales y petardos.

By: Rebeca

Rebeca — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:43:54 +0000

Sorry Chris, we don’t even use “petardos”, we just eat our grapes and go out to party! As Victor said, it’s not unusual that villages or cities have different traditions.