I am considering a family trip to Spain from Dec 19-27th-ish. I have some concerns about a lack of activities/restaurants/attractions around Dec 24th-26th. What should we expect during that time? When are those things shut down, and when do they open back up? Does it vary by region?
Thanks so much!
Just the opposite, except maybe on Christmas Day, which is more a family day and many restaurants are closed (but bars are open at midday for the aperitivo before the 3pm long lunch). Our Christmas season is longer than in other countries, as presents are brought by the Three Wise Men or Three Magic Kings on Jan 6, so lots of people are on holidays and everybody is out and about. Plenty of activities for all kind of ages, everywhere, it´s a very, very lively time of the year. Yes, customs and traditions vary by region, but the joyful atmosphere will be everywhere until Jan 6.
Saying Spain is like saying the whole US... it'll depend on many things, of course. It's not the same NY than Scofield, Utah :)) So you should be more precise. Furthermore, Spain is not a heterogeneous territory, quite different cultures exist in various areas, and they might have common traits but also very different ones in other instances (f.e. 26th is a holiday in Catalonia, while in say, Madrid it's not).
If you intend to visit "touristy" places, it's more likely you'll have plenty to do and see during those days.
What's your itinerary then?
Thank you both! I thought there could be some regional differences, as stated in my original post. I am leaning towards Andalucia. Much appreciated!
Not an expert on Andalucia, sorry, if anything to mention that 26th December is not a holiday there.
Also to add that, while in Andalucia they are more conservative than us here in Catalonia and tend to observe these types of holidays/festivities more strictly than we do, modern times are catching up and you'll likely find a number of restaurants open on the 25th. For the 24th and 26th I wouldn't worry as they're regular days -albeit on the 24th many businesses will close earlier since the Spanish celebrate the main Xmas event on the night of the 24th, while we Catalans do so on the lunch of the 25th.
Even on the 25th you'll have things to do, if you're say in Seville or Granada or any big city, take these as an example: https://andaluciainforma.eldiario.es/actualidad/6-mejores-planes-navidenos-para-hacer-25-de-diciembre/
https://www.abc.es/queplan/sevilla/que-hacer/sevilla-hoy-miercoles-diciembre-2024-20241225075016-nts.html
If you google up surely you're bound to find more.
Enric, and in the Basque Country we celebrate a big dinner on Christmas Eve AND a big lunch on Christmas Day :)
But of course Mikel, when we talk about food... you Euskotarrak don't ever miss an opportunity, right? LOL! Love from BCN
