Table Of Contents
- Schedule and dates of the Fira de Santa Llúcia in Barcelona 2023
- What can be found at the stops of the fira?
- What activities are held at the Fira de Santa Llucia 2023?
- The Tió gegant
- Christmas Carassa
- Festival of Christmas traditions and customs in Catalonia.
- Nativity of La Catedral and Frederic Marés.
- How to get to the Fira de Santa Llucia?
If we have to define the traditional Christmas in Barcelona our mind will go to two points. First of all, the nativity scene in Plaça Sant Jaume, the focus of the eyes of all the people of Barcelona every Christmas, and secondly, the Fira de Santa Llúcia, the oldest Christmas crib market in the world.
And so, because it is one of the most deeply rooted traditions of the city this year, as every year since 1786, the Fira de Santa Llúcia returns to install their stops at the foot of the Cathedral so that the barcelonsxs can find all the necessary material to turn your home into a Christmas crib.
Schedule and dates of the Fira de Santa Llúcia in Barcelona 2023
From November 29th to December 23rd and from 10am to 9pm.
What can be found at the stops of the fira?
The nearly 300 stands installed in the avinguda de la Catedral can be divided into three categories.
On the one hand are those that sell the classic material to assemble a crib and Nativity figures such as moss, the caganer, the Kings of Orient, the shepherds or the Nativity Cave.
Then a hundred green stands, with fir trees and Christmas trees for the houses. Here you will also find the traditional Tió and other types of leaves, branches, lucky leaves and eucalyptus plants.
The Fira de Santa Llucia also has a craft area with stalls where there are clothes, toys or jewelry, to find the necessary gifts.
Finally, there are also stalls selling typical Christmas instruments, such as zambombas or tambourines.
What activities are held at the Fira de Santa Llucia 2023?
The Tió gegant
A giant Tió will be installed for girls and boys under 12 years old, in order to fulfill the tradition of making him “shit”. This year will be held on November 30, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 15 December, from 11:00 to 13:30 h and from 16:30 to 19:30 h, and on the 14th only in the afternoon, from 16:30 to 19:30 h. Each child will get a candy and a booklet with an explanation of Christmas traditions.
This year, the Tió celebrates 31 years of uninterrupted activity since its first appearance in the city of Barcelona, in front of the old Can Jorba, in the avenue of Portal del Angel and the Santa Llúcia Fair.
Christmas Carassa
The Carassa visits every year the Fira de Santa Lucia and makes a tour of the Gothic spitting candy out of his mouth. It will be on November 30 and December 1, December 14 and 15, December 21 and 22.
On Saturday 14 there will also be a special departure of the Christmas Carassa during the Day of Customs and Traditions, accompanied by the performance of the Esbart Català de Dansaires.
Festival of Christmas traditions and customs in Catalonia.
As part of the Santa Llúcia Fair in Barcelona, the Association of Santa Llúcia Firaires organizes, for 31 years, the Day of Christmas Traditions and Customs in Catalonia. This event brings together various winter manifestations related to Christmas festivities and traditions, and makes them known in a great popular festival to be held in the Plaça de la Catedral on December 14, 2024, throughout the day.
Activities of the 31st Day of Christmas Traditions and Customs in Catalonia:
- 11:00 h – Presentation of the activities of the Diada.
- 11:05 h – Beginning of the Diada with the Ball d’Homenatge.
- 11:10 h – Performance of the Esbart Català de Dansaires (children and youth section) with dances and dances of winter and Christmas cycle.
- 11:50 h – Bagpipes (Sacs de Gemecs): Enric Morató and his group will perform Christmas carols with traditional bagpipes.
- 12:15 h – Awarding of the Firaire of Honor 2024: This year it will be for the Eagle of Barcelona, on its 650th anniversary.
- 12:30 h – Christmas Puppets: “Christmas Tales”, by the company Titelles Sebastià Vergés.
- 13:15 h – Christmas, swing and dance: Christmas dances with animation for everyone, with “Som-hi Dansa”.
Nativity of La Catedral and Frederic Marés.
The fira de Santa Llucia coincides with the celebration of two classic pessebres of the city.
The cloister garden of La Catedral hosts the traditional nativity scene, with free access and opening hours from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to 7.30 pm.
The courtyard of the Frederic Marés Museum hosts its own nativity scene from 25 November 2023 to 7 January 2024. It is free of charge and the opening hours are Monday to Tuesday from 10 am to 7 pm, Sundays and holidays from 11 am to 8 pm. On December 25 and January 1 will be closed.
How to get to the Fira de Santa Llucia?
Bicing: Bicing station at Av. de la Catedral (núm. 4-6)
Metro: L1 ( Catalunya or Urquinaona), L3 (Liceu or Catalunya) i L4 (Jaume I)
Bus: lines 17, 19, 40, 45 i 120
Car: parking on the same avenue with access from Via Laietana.