DECEMBER 26, or Boxing Day, is a time-honoured tradition in the UK, but do Spaniards celebrate it?
This year, Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday, so it would be logical to think you’d get an extra day off for Boxing Day,
However, unfortunately Spain does not celebrate the holiday in most places.
It is only recognised in Cataluña and Palma de Mallorca, where Saint Stephen’s Day is celebrated.
Known as Diada de Sant Esteve, it is marked by eating cannelloni and spending time with family as everyone gets a day off.
The tradition dates back to the ninth century when Cataluña was part of the Carolingian empire.
In other expat hotspots, some will celebrate Boxing Day by diving into icy waters as is the British tradition.
From Malaga to Murcia and beyond, bonkers Brits will take a dip to shake off their festive hangovers, wearing only santa hats and swimming cossies.
The event is always followed by mulled wine and mince pies to warm up again.
Why does your digital newspaper continue to mis use the description “ expats “ ?
They are “ foreigners “ if on holiday and “ immigrants “ if they live here permanently but hold non Spanish passports
This is a long term debate and while no-one can deny many of us are immigrants, plenty of us are happy to be expats.
To define an expatriate he or she is a person who ‘resides outside their country of citizenship’. Immigrants also tend to move permanently and expats often do not.