Seeing in the New Year in Alicante

This will be just a short post to wish you all a happy and healthy new year 2014 and to let you know how it is celebrated here.

New Year's Eve - Noche Vieja

The 31st of December is a normal working day here until about 6pm when shops start to close early to prepare for the family dinner (cena).  The day is quite busy with people going to the local market and supermarkets for last-minute provisions and preparations.

The evening meal is generally a family affair and could start at around 9pm or 10pm.  For this special occasion, seafood like prawns or lobster is usually on the menu and there are various courses hot and cold.

At midnight, people turn on their televisions to see the clock at the central Madrid square called la Puerta del Sol start chiming, first the four quarterly chimes and then the twelve individual bongs marking the hour.  On each of the twelve chimes, a grape is eaten (and has to be done rather quickly!) as a tradition.  Then there are certain other superstitions or actions that some do like:

-wear something red when the clock strikes

-put suitcases by the front door (if you would like to travel during the coming year)

-eat the grapes while standing on one leg only then hop onto the other leg when you have finished (to start off the new year on a good foot)

-write wishes and desires (deseos) on a piece of paper and burn it

-put something gold in your celebration glass, etc.

One year we went to the town hall square in Alicante expecting to hear the chimes and maybe see something special happen, but there wasn't even an hourly bell so we didn't really know when 12 o'clock was!  Won't be doing that again!

The Spanish (sort of) equivalent of Champagne is called cava and is popped open and drank to celebrate or a bubbly cider is used if preferred.

Once all of the well-wishing is over, the party continues or the younger people go out to a bar or nightclub to get together with friends.

Example of a Cotillón pack.  Courtesy of diy.ahorro.net

It is quite common here to go to organised dinner celebrations where you pay a one-off price which covers all of the food, alcohol and some paper party decorations (cotillón) like a garland, a hat, streamers and a hooter.  Lots of nightclubs also charge a fixed price for entry and a quantity of drinks (consumición) and maybe a cotillón too.  Nightclubs are usually open until 6am or 7am.

New Year's Day - dia del Nuevo Año

As with most people around the world, today is spent recovering from the night before, relaxing or visiting family.  The shops are not open here and there are usually no activities organised.  People go back to work on the 2nd of January if it is a weekday and start to get ready for the next fiesta on the 5th & 6th of January when the Reyes Magos (the Three Kings) come and visit...