6. What is turrón (also spelled turró)?
• Turrón (Spanish), torró (Catalan), or torrone
(Italian), or nougat is a confection, typically
made of honey, sugar, and egg white, with
toasted almonds or other nuts, and usually
shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a
round cake. It is frequently consumed as a
traditional Christmas dessert in Spain and
Italy.
9. Euphorbia pulcherrima , also known as the
“Flor del Noche Buena” in Mexico, is a favorite
of all of the Americas at Christmas. It is
commonly known to many in North America as
the Poinsettia, named after Dr. Joel Poinsett,
the first United States Ambassador to Mexico.
10. Puerta del Sol
• This is Madrid's most famous
and most central
square, located just a short
walk from the Plaza Mayor.
Originally it was the site of
one of the city's gates, which
faced the east and was
adorned with an image of the
sun, hence the square's
name. The square is actually
almost semi-circular in shape
and owes its current form to
the major renovation work
carried out between 1854 and
1860.
11. ¡Felíz año nuevo! - Tomar las uvas
• It is traditional to eat twelve
grapes when the clock striked 12
on New Year’s Eve, one on each
chime of the clock.
• This tradition has its origins in
1909, when grape growers in
Alicante thought of it as a way to
cut down on the large production
surplus they had had that year.
• Nowadays, the tradition is
followed by almost every
Spaniard, and the twelve grapes
have become synonymous with
the New Year. Each grape is
supposed to represent one
month of good luck in the coming
year.
12. Puerta del Sol, Madrid
The clock is the famous
clock all Spaniards turn
their eyes to on New
Year's Eve - guzzling down
a grape to each of it's
twelve chimes at
midnight.
Millions watch on TV and
what sometimes seems
like millions more brave
the cold here in the
square.
13. “Oso y Madroño” (the “Bear and the
Strawberry Tree”) statue
This is the symbol of Madrid,
Spain’s capital city.
It is a popular meeting place in the
Puerta del Sol.
14. ¡Felíz año nuevo!
• Spanish tradition says
that wearing new, red
underwear on New
Year's Eve brings good
luck
15. Nochevieja
• Nochevieja is the
Spanish word for New
Year’s Eve.
• Próspero Año Nuevo
means have a
prosperous New Year!
• feliz ano nuevo means
Happy New Year!
16.
17. Buñuelos
A Buñuelo is a fried dough ball. It is a popular
snack in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba
Mexico, Spain, Peru, the
Philippines, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and is a
tradition at Christmas, Ramadan and among
Sephardic Jews at Hanukkah. It will usually
have a filling or a topping. It is also an
"essential" dish in Mexican cuisine.
20. Día de los Santos Inocentes
• In Spain the date of December 28 is Día de los
Santos Inocentes. This is the traditional day of
pranks (equivalent to April Fool’s Day in the
U.S.)
• In Spain, after somebody plays a joke or a
prank on somebody else, the joker usually
cries out, "Inocente!" ("Innocent!").
21. Rosca de reyes
• It is traditionally eaten on January 6, during the
celebration of the "Día de Reyes" (literally "Kings'
Day”.)
• In most of Spain, Spanish America, and sometimes,
Hispanic communities in the United States, this is the
day when children traditionally get presents.
• A large, round bun with candied fruits on top and
things baked inside (such as coins or a small ceramic
object called a muñeca).
• In the Mexican culture, the person who finds the
muñeca or coin in their piece of cake has to throw a
party and provide tamales and atole to the guests.
24. El Gordo
• Massive Spanish Christmas lottery which takes
place on 22nd December, almost everyone
buys a ticket (billete). The results are sang by
children as the balls come out of the machine.
• It has been in existence since 1812.
• As measured by the total prize payout, the
Christmas Lottery is considered the biggest
lottery worldwide.
• In 2012 the payout was 4,000,000 Euros.