Advent in Spain - A Season of Light, Tradition and Quiet Anticipation
As November fades and December begins, Spain enters one of its most meaningful and atmospheric seasons: Advent. While Christmas lights and markets bring colour to the towns, Advent adds something softer. It is a time for preparing the heart, welcoming light into the home, and gathering with family as the countdown to Christmas quietly begins. Unlike the commercial countdown we often see elsewhere, Advent in Spain still holds a beautiful balance of tradition, spirituality, community and the joy of everyday rituals.
What Advent Really Means
Advent marks the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Each week carries a timeless theme — Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. These ideas guide families to slow down, reconnect with loved ones, reflect on the year and let light return after the darker days of autumn.
Many Spanish homes place a candle, a small nativity figure or a sprig of greenery on the table to welcome the season. Children learn Advent songs in school. Churches prepare special music. Families begin thinking about menus, gatherings and gifts in a calm, thoughtful way. Advent is not about rushing. It is about readying the spirit for the beauty of Christmas.
The Ways Spain Celebrates Advent
The Advent Wreath – La Corona de Adviento
One of the warmest traditions is the Advent wreath with its four candles. Families often light one each Sunday, usually before or after a shared meal, creating a gentle moment of togetherness.
Advent Calendars
Advent calendars have become beloved in modern Spain. Some are simple chocolate ones from the shops, while others are homemade with notes, blessings or tiny activities tucked behind each door — a daily moment of joy as December unfolds.
The Belén – Nativity Scenes
The Belén is at the heart of Christmas decoration in Spanish homes. Families collect pieces over the years, adding small houses, animals or characters from local markets. Baby Jesus is placed in the manger only on Christmas Eve, a tradition that keeps the anticipation alive.
Community Gatherings and Local Events
Throughout Advent, towns and villages fill with concerts, artisan fairs and charity markets. Church choirs rehearse, children prepare their villancicos, and the atmosphere grows more festive with each passing week.
La Inmaculada – 8 December
The holiday of La Inmaculada marks the moment when the festive season truly begins across Spain. Many towns in Axarquía switch on their Christmas lights around this date. Families stroll through the plazas, enjoy churros and chocolate, and take in the first real feeling of Christmas.
Christmas Flavours Begin to Appear
In the kitchen, the first flavours of Christmas begin to unfold. Mantecados, polvorones, turrón and festive wines arrive in homes and shops. Local markets fill with seasonal fruits, nuts and spices. Advent is when Spanish households gently begin preparing for Christmas meals.
El Gordo – The Christmas Lottery
One of the most beloved Advent traditions is the famous Christmas lottery, El Gordo, drawn on 22 December. Throughout the month, families, friends, co-workers and even cafés share small portions of tickets called décimos. Winning is a hope, of course, but the real magic is the shared anticipation. The melodic draw, sung by children, is a moment that many Spaniards associate with the true arrival of Christmas.
Advent in Nerja and Axarquía
Here on our coast, Advent carries its own gentle charm. The lights of the Balcón de Europa, the cosy smell of roasted chestnuts, small artisan markets and the quiet sea evenings create a sense of calm and reflection. Families decorate balconies, cafés bring out their first trays of festive sweets, and children rehearse their villancicos for school performances. Each week the town glows a little more brightly.
A Season to Slow Down
Advent invites us to notice the quiet moments.
To prepare gently.
To let hope return to our homes.
To reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas before the rush arrives.
For more traditions, festive stories and Christmas ideas around our region, explore our other features on Nerja Amigos - your cosy guide to the magic of Axarquía at this time of year.
