Comments on: New Year in Spain: Essential items

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.

By: Victor

Victor — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:24:09 +0000

Chris, traditions in Spain are sometimes very local. From a village to another one next to it, traditions can change a lot.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:19:14 +0000

@Rebeca – I can’t believe that fireworks are not traditional there either… it must be a Burgos thing… you don’t even use the little “petardos” that make noise and go boom? Strange, considering how common it is here.

By: Rebeca

Rebeca — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:50:33 +0000

I’m from Leon and fireworks are not traditional here either. Must be a Burgos thing. Happy 2010!