Hannah's Tradition: An English Christmas, a Spanish Season

A Christmas Rooted in England

Hannah grew up with a Christmas rhythm she knew by heart. December meant ice skating, mince pies, mulled wine, carols, nativity plays, and a calendar filled with concerts thanks to her musical family. Christmas Day itself unfolded in a comforting, familiar order: stockings in pyjamas, a roast lunch, the King’s speech in the background, a long walk with the dog, and an evening of Quality Street and a feel-good film. It was a season defined by warmth, tradition, and the small rituals that made home feel like home.

A Spanish Season Full of New Traditions

After moving to Spain, the holidays took on an entirely new shape. Nochebuena - not Christmas Day - became the festive centrepiece, with long dinners that stretch late into the night. Hannah embraced the joy (and mild chaos) of eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and discovered that the season continues all the way to Three Kings Day, complete with parades, letters to the Kings, and a different kind of magic.

Now, her daughter grows up in a blended world where English and Spanish traditions sit side by side - a bilingual, bicultural holiday season that has become its own version of home.