What to do on Christmas Eve and the Christmas holidays in Barcelona? 

If you want to enjoy Barcelona in a little less hustle and bustle than usual, hit the city during Advent, Christmas or even Christmas Day (Christmas Eve). Really - during the holidays everything slows down a bit and there are also significantly fewer tourists than in the main summer season. 

During Christmas you will find beautiful decorations and lights in the streets of Barcelona

When is Christmas Day in Spain?

Christmas Day (and the subsequent Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena) is celebrated in Barcelona on December 24. On this day, the whole family gathers for a joint dinner, and after it, like in other European countries, they give each other gifts. The following day, December 25, is then the main Christmas holiday, when everyone rests, goes for walks or visits. Everything is also closed on this day as it is an official public holiday.

Below you will find some of my tips on how things work in Barcelona over Christmas and Christmas Eve, what to do, where to have dinner and much more. 

The best things to do in Barcelona on Christmas Eve and over the Christmas period

Christmas Day is celebrated in Barcelona on December 24, but unlike the following day, most places are open. As tourists, you have a wide range of options for what to do in the city at Christmas: 

• go to the beach – it might sound crazy, but why not spend Christmas Day morning at the beach with a good sangria or other drink? You certainly won't be alone - plenty of locals do! 
• go ice skate – if the beach is not for you and you prefer classic winter fun, go to one of Barcelona's ice rinks. The most popular and largest is BarGelona (gel = ice in Catalan) na the main square Pl. Catalunya. Further around the city you will find various smaller ice rinks such as the one in the shopping center L'Illa Diagonal, another on Tibidabu or one hidden in one of the buildings within Christmas lights in Santa Creu and Sant Pau.
• experience the Christmas markets – you can find Christmas markets in several places in the city. They usually last until January 6th and end together with the Three Kings Day. And where can you find the markets in Barcelona? For myself in the center, I recommend one of the following: 
  • Fira de Santa Llúcia – traditional Christmas market on the square in front of The cathedral, where you can buy some traditional gifts or have something good to eat (website)
  • Fira de la Sagrada Família – the second popular Christmas market can be found in front of the biggest jewel of Barcelona, Sagrada Familia.
  • Christmas parade in Port Vell – if you pass La Rambla street, head towards of Port Vell, where a large Ferris wheel, a lighted Christmas tree and lots of stalls will catch your eye from afar
• admire the Christmas decorations and lights – in order to really enjoy the magic of Christmas and the right festive atmosphere, go for example to the Christmas lights at the well-known Passeig de Gracia or to the Christmas garden Els Llums de Sant Pau v Both Santa Creui and Sant Pau. 
• ride the Christmas bus around town – forget about the classic tourist buses running during the day and take a look at the Barcelona Christmas Tour offer, thanks to which you can be driven around the city by bus for an hour and a half and admire all the wonderful decorations.
• visit nativity scenes – Christmas holidays are traditionally associated with Christianity in Barcelona, ​​so you can see Christmas nativity scenes in many places. For example, go to Sagrada Família, Cathedrals, at Pl. de Sant Jaume, to the Frederic Marès Museum or to The Spanish village of Poble Espanyol, where there is even a live Christmas nativity scene. 
• go to a museum or some attraction – yes, most monuments a museums in Barcelona is open until late in the afternoon on Christmas Day. You can easily go exploring even during this holiday season and you don't have to limit yourself to anything. If you are in Barcelona with children, I recommend on Christmas Day science-entertainment Cosmocaixa. 
• explore the city by bike – as there will be minimal traffic on the streets as most people will be at home, you have a unique opportunity to explore the wider center of city by bike. There are several rental companies in the city. 

And what do I not recommend?

Go to Montserrat – although this might seem like a good idea, the opposite is true. And that's mainly because everything on Montserratu on Christmas Day closes in the early afternoon, around 14:00 p.m. So you would be able to get up just fine, for example by cable car, but going down would be worse. 

Unusual Christmas traditions and customs in Catalonia

Barcelona is included Catalonia and there are several unique Christmas traditions and customs in this area. 

Perhaps the "weirdest" thing is that Christmas presents are not carried by a specific Christmas character like Santa Claus or Nicholas, but by a piece of wood called Tió de Nadal. Seriously! It is a traditional Catalan symbol in the form of a wooden log with a face on it, which children have to hit with a stick and sing a song to make it poop out gifts. 

Tió de Nadal's Christmas log

In other parts of Spain, the name Caga Tió, translated as the Pooping Log, has been adopted for this tradition.

And I probably don't need to say how the local kids love it! 

Catalans also love Christmas nativity scenes. But they add one character to those, who - at least for us from other cultures - has no business there. This is Caganer. The figure of a guy who sits on the toilet bowl and - oh yes - poops! Although it may seem disgusting to many people, according to local tradition it is a symbol of abundance... More about traditions.  

Caganer – traditional symbol of abundance

If you are in Barcelona during Advent and Christmas, you can buy a Tió de Nadal Christmas log and a Caganera figure from one of the stalls or shops as souvenirs. 

Fira de Santa Llúcia Christmas markets in front of the Cathedral

Where to have Christmas Eve dinner?

Many restaurants, bistros and bars are also open on Christmas Eve. I'm currently putting together a list of them, so I won't give you specific tips, but I do have some advice for you: 

• start by downloading TheFork mobile app, through here you can easily see which restaurants are open and when, and possibly book them. 
• if you have a restaurant near your hotel, normally ask to see if they are open on Christmas Eve and if they serve dinner.
• many restaurants - especially the better ones - are booked long in advance, often several months in advance. If there is a restaurant you would like to Spanish cuisine to really taste it, make a reservation as soon as possible! 
• hotels that have their own restaurants can be a good choice. There are several in the center. Find out if they're open on Christmas Eve and what they're cooking.

Enjoy your Christmas in Barcelona! ¡Feliz Navidad!