Christmas in Spain can be a rather drawn out affair at the best of times but for those of you who are spending it out here without the luxury of UK television, what are the entertainment options on the box?
Well, television plays a major part in the Spanish Christmas which incidentally for those of you who didn't know lasts until the 7th January. Every year, you can expect the sorteo de la loteria which is the major draw of the year, the prize being "El Gordo". This usually takes place around the 22nd to mark the start of the Christmas period and lasts for a few hours as each number chosen is "sung" by schoolchildren.
Don't panic if you are going to be missing out on the Queen's speech this year as el Rey Don Juan Carlos usually makes his speech on Christmas Eve at around nine in the evening. Naturally, there is a lot of emphasis placed on the religious element with the screening of the televised mass at the Vatican on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The New Year's Day mass is televised on New Year's Day.
Cine de Navidad is usually pretty good as they show films like Harry Potter and Pirates of The Caribbean, all with a half hour break every fifteen minutes though! Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the line up of Spain's most adored singers including Isabel Pantoja and Miguel Bose. And you can always expect the much loved veterans of Spanish television to grace the screens at Christmas time such as Carmen Sevilla. For young children look out for Los Lunnis who have done their rendition of the traditional villancicos (Christmas carols) over the past few years.
Have I sold it to you yet? I didn't think so. Most expats that we know opt for British television all year round but Spanish television at Christmas does give you a wonderful insight into Spanish Christmas traditions if you don't have the opportunity of being invited to a Spanish neighbour or friend's house.
This year we will be doing a mixture of Spanish television and some classic Christmas films on DVD. We usually receive "box sets" for Christmas so they usually see us through the rest of the Christmas period. I am afraid Spanish TV only without Spanish digital channels can be a bit too much to bare over the Christmas period and we do allow ourselves some time "off" from it as a treat.