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Let´s face it, Christmas shopping in the UK is no fun. Hordes of shoppers, crowded stores, queues at the checkouts, your kid´s favourite toys sold out….oh, and the incessant rain and biting wind.
Let me tell you, Christmas shopping in Spain is fantastic – it´s amazing, it´s relaxing, it´s fun – it´s BRILLIANT…and everybody should do it.
First of all, the weather. Although the evenings start getting a little darker a little quicker in the winter months here in Southern Spain, you are normally sure of clear blue skies and 20 degree heat.
But the key difference is that you can be in a department store in the middle of Puerto Banus, browsing away, with all of the season´s atmosphere – that´s right, Santa will walk past ho-ho-hoing, there will be Christmas trees and tinsel aplenty, and the obligatory Christmas tunes….although no ´Mistletoe & Wine´ from Sir Cliff. The shop assistants will offer to wrap your presents, and everything you want is there, on display, without the throng of stressed-out urban mums battling to lay their hands on everything they see.
So why is it so different?
Although the Spanish celebrate Christmas Day, they do so fairly mutedly – it´s a real family affair and is highly respected, and although some presents are given at Christmas, the Spanish children generally receive their gifts on January 6th – the day of the Three Kings.
So, you see, there isn´t the mad rush to the shops the weeks leading up to Christmas, as we have in the UK – it´s civilized, relaxed – utter bliss.
Of course, don´t expect it all to be plain sailing. The downside to all of this is that the shops are normally bursting to the seams during the week after Christmas and leading up to January 6th. And for this very reason, don´t expect any Boxing day sales. Traditionally, the sales start on 7th January.
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