Different rituals define people as members of a certain nation and society. Rituals show that there is something that unites every person in that community, and makes him or her part of something bigger. Such rituals represent unity of the entire nation, and they also help to stay connected with other people. Personally, I would like to share my experience of Spanish Christmas and Christmas Eve. I am Spanish, as well as every other member of my family. My family celebrates Christmas in a traditional way, which is common for other Spaniards. We celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th, and this day is especially important for us. One can say that in Spain, people pay more attention to celebrating Christmas Eve than Christmas itself. First of all, it is important to note that Spanish society is very religious. Most of the Spaniards are devoted Catholics. To them, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year, and that it why they pay so much attention to the way it is celebrated. Spanish society is very traditional and conservative. It has certain expectations for men and women. That is why, Christmas is always celebrated in a certain way in which every member of the family performs his or her role. As it was mentioned before, the Christmas Eve is celebrated more than the actual Christmas. Christmas Eve, or Noche Buena in Spanish, is a family holiday, and members of a family usually gather together. It is a tradition for children to visit their parents and grandparents. Hence, during Christmas Eve celebration, the entire family gathers together, including representatives of different generations. People come to visit their homes from all over the country, as well as from other countries and continents. It is an eve of family reunion. The purpose of such a tradition is to show the unity of the family as the main thing in the person's life. It shows that people who may be far away still think and care deeply for one another. Thus, it is important to gather in order to show one's love and affection for the relatives. Another reason is to show the strength of religious traditions in Spanish society. The fact that so many people gather in order to celebrate Christ's birth shows the deep importance Christianity and its symbols have for Spain and its people. People celebrate Christmas Eve in their home places. It means that they come to the house of the oldest and the most respected family members. For example, children usually come to their parents. There are families where parents and grandparents live together, and children come to them. Sometimes people come to the place where their grandparents live, and Christmas Eve becomes a family reunion, where cousins meet, and where people are able to communicate with their distant relatives. My family has a similar tradition because we all gather and communicate with the rest of our relatives. We also go to church in order to celebrate Christ's birth. The symbols and props of this holiday include specific meals we prepare. Men play a role of cooks in this case. They prepare a veritable feast which begins late at night and lasts for a long time. There are also special Christmas Eve sweets such as Turron (it is nougat) and mantecas (those are butter-based biscuits). Spaniards may also drink Cava (it is a Spanish word for champagne) after the holiday supper. Children also wait for Papa Noel, Spanish Santa Claus who is another symbol of Spanish Christmas Eve. Spaniards also lit oil lamps in their houses in order to show purity and blessings because Christ was born. The Christmas Eve ritual is very fun itself. People gather on the streets where they can dance. Spaniards have a traditional dance for Christmas. It is called the Jota. It is something that was traditional for Spaniards for hundreds of years. Mangers in houses have carved figures on them. People gather and sing carols which are special songs for that night. They also dance and greet each other because Christ has been born. One can say that Christmas Eve in Spain is very special because family members are able to unite and greet each other.

About author Linda works as an editor at https://essaysservice.com/write-an-interview-paper.html. She has always enjoyed working with a variety of literature and being interested in new facts. In addition, she easily finds common ground with many people. She also received her master's degree from American University Washington