This year I enjoyed the New Year festivities in Beires, Spain with my roomate Laura and her family. The best way to describe Beires is to compare it to Bloys Campmeeting. It is a very small community made up of people who are all related or families whom you have been friends with for years. There is a plaza where everyone meets to hang out, listen to music, have festivals, play soccer, etc. There is even a small swimming pool filled with fresh water from the mountains or the rain where people lay out (think Balmorhea - but much smaller). On New Year´s Eve, which in Spain they call Noche Viejo (literally translated as the "old night"), the whole family meets for dinner around 9pm and has several coarses of fish, calamari, ham, flan, chocolates, and then at midnight comes the fun. Everyone sits around the table watching the TV with 12 green grapes at hand. When the clock stricks 12 the TV has a 12 second count down, where on each ding of the second you eat a grape until you finish all 12. The goal is to finish all 12 grapes within the 12 seconds. Also you want to chose the biggest grapes possible, because the bigger the grape the better luck you will have in the New Year. I triumphantly finished all my within the 12 seconds, however not without difficulty. I almost started too early (there are a series of dings before the grape eating dings) and Laura´s mom started laughing at me and then I started laughing - with grapes in my mouth - and then with the first bite I realized these were not seedless grapes, making the chewing process much more difficult. After we finished the grapes then everyone had a glass of champagne. They have so many fun traditions! After dinner and the grapes, Laura and I went out with her cousins and friends from Beires to pre-party at her cousins and then go out dancing. The whole evening was a party. I finally made it to bed at 8:30am which I fondly made note was about the time when most of my friends and family were welcoming in the New Year! I spent the next 2 days catching up on my sleep and preparing myself for going out with Laura´s friends in Almeria on Saturday. In Almeria we went to dinner and did the whole bar-hopping scene. It was fun, but way too crowded! Everyone was out because it was a Saturday and vacation! I am looking forward to going back out in Almeria when its not such a big occasion. I am still getting used to the young peoples hours here. I have heard in the summer it is even later as in staying out until 11am, eating breakfast, then going to bed, then getting up in the afternoon, going to the pool, and then doing it all over again for several days in the row. Good thing summer is still a few months away:)
After returning to Santa Maria del Aguila, it was time to get ready for El Dia de los Reyes. Seriously, Christmas here is a 2 week adventure. On December 24th its Noche Buena, December 25 is Navidad, December 31-January 1 Noche Viejo o Feliz Ano, and then on January 5 is Dia de los Reyes. Dia de los Reyes is when the three kings bring gifts to the children. The are carried through the city in floats for a big procession where they through out candy to the children. Then they make their way to the plaza where they hand out gifts to the children (the parents have bought gifts ahead of time, wrapped them, and put their childrens´names on them for the kings to hand out). There is a big stage with christmas carols and massive lines to get to the kings. The Christmas Spirit continues on and on in Spain! They sure do know how to have a party! This upcoming Monday will be a rude awaking when I have to go back to work.
After returning to Santa Maria del Aguila, it was time to get ready for El Dia de los Reyes. Seriously, Christmas here is a 2 week adventure. On December 24th its Noche Buena, December 25 is Navidad, December 31-January 1 Noche Viejo o Feliz Ano, and then on January 5 is Dia de los Reyes. Dia de los Reyes is when the three kings bring gifts to the children. The are carried through the city in floats for a big procession where they through out candy to the children. Then they make their way to the plaza where they hand out gifts to the children (the parents have bought gifts ahead of time, wrapped them, and put their childrens´names on them for the kings to hand out). There is a big stage with christmas carols and massive lines to get to the kings. The Christmas Spirit continues on and on in Spain! They sure do know how to have a party! This upcoming Monday will be a rude awaking when I have to go back to work.
