After more than 20 years, posts here will now only be occasional ( |
| The North Pole depicted in Tenerife |
December begins with two National public holidays on Thu 6 December for Día de la Constitución Español a (Constitution Day) and Sat 8 December for Inmaculada Concepción (The Immaculate Conception). Many are bound to take the day off on Fri 7 too and take what's known as un puente (translates to bridge) or short break. Naturally, most of December's events are to do with Christmas.
It's customary to put up Christmas decorations on the weekend closest to 8 December, but the holiday period always kicks off proper with El Gordo (The Fat One), the Spanish Christmas Lottery, which is drawn on 22 December, with kids singing out the numbers drawn during a five-hour televised spectacular.
Christmas Day, Tue 25 December will be a Public holiday. For Canarians, this is often recovery day after a big family gathering on Christmas Eve.
Boxing Day isn't a tradition nor holiday in Spain or the Canaries.
There are no municipal public holidays in December.
On 28 December, beware of El Día de Los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocent Saints), the Spanish equivalent of April Fool's Day.
And that, of course, brings us to the end of the year and New Year's Eve.