Between tradition and Mediterranean flair

How residents in Marina Alta and Marina Baixa celebrate Christmas

What happens when Advent wreaths meet Spanish nativity plays? Or when Father Christmas brings presents alongside the Three Kings? In Marina Alta and Marina Baixa, Christmas time brings a very special blend of tradition, creativity and family rituals. Our residents share their personal insights into how they celebrate the festive season amid candlelight and palm trees. The following questions were asked:

How do you celebrate Christmas here in Marina Alta/Baja?
Are there any special traditions/places/events that you particularly like here?

After a turbulent 2024, what are your hopes, wishes and plans for the new year 2025?

Thomas Eichkorn, Managing Director of Poolaesthetics, resident in Dénia since 1999

Every year, we take the children to the Three Kings Parade (Cabalgata de Reyes Magos) on 5 January in Dénia. It's a must for our children, both big and small.

I hope that the lethargy that can be felt at all levels will turn into action. Everyone has become accustomed to the bad news and is just putting up with it. It is really time to do something, in all areas.

Gerda and Ludwig Stalf from Görlitz, pensioners who have been spending their winters on the Costa Blanca for 15 years

For us, the Christmas season begins with the first Advent – without snow, but with palm trees and a green garden. We create a little piece of home for ourselves with homemade Advent wreaths and Christmas decorations, far away from the typical Christmas stress. Homemade cookies based on old German recipes are particularly important to us, and we enjoy sharing them with friends and neighbours. Every year, we try to get hold of a genuine Dresden Christmas stollen – we still can't get used to the Spanish polverones. We enjoy the festive atmosphere in Dénia: the „Nit de la Llum“ with its beautiful Christmas
Lighting, candles and nativity scenes, the church in Pedreguer with its impressive nativity scene and the festive Christmas concerts on Boxing Day. We find the St. Nicholas Festival, which supports families in need and is lovingly organised by the German-speaking community, particularly touching. A special highlight for us every year is the Three Kings parade on 5 January – a magical moment that we never miss.

We hope for a year of reason and confidence. A new government in Germany should be able to reduce polarisation, promote economic strength and lower energy costs. Changes are urgently needed, for example in migration policy and in some controversial laws. On a personal level, we wish above all for health and stability, both for ourselves and for our family and friends. If 2025 is peaceful and hopeful, we can be satisfied.

Andreas Schaich, managing director and owner of Schaich Immobilien in Dénia, resident in Spain since 2006

We celebrate Christmas traditionally, as in Germany, on 24 December 2024 with Christmas decorations and a tree. The children are excited because they receive their presents on 24 December and again on 6 January, when the Spanish celebrate Christmas. The traditions are somewhat mixed due to school. The children are happy about this. It is very nice to see in Dénia when the Three Kings arrive by boat, walk through the city and the children's eyes light up.
We wish everyone a peaceful and healthy 2025.

Sabine and Eberhard Biefang from Munich and Duisburg, residents since 2003 and working as management assistant and accountant

We celebrate Christmas in a small circle, and every year a little less. Last year, for example, we were invited to Galicia by Spanish friends, but we also visited family in Germany a few times and had friends over to our house for potato salad and sausages. Sabine attends the Christmas Eve service at the Protestant tourist parish every year. The only decorations are a wooden light arch and a homemade Advent wreath. We gave away our artificial Christmas tree from Germany a few years ago. Every now and then we watch the Cabalgata on 5 January, usually when we have visitors.

In addition to world peace, we wish for good health for our friends and ourselves, so that we can spend many more years together. After more than 20 years here on the Costa Blanca, we feel integrated and are delighted to have been so warmly welcomed by the Spanish people. We hope to continue enjoying this hospitality.

Joachim Linna, Managing Director of Outdoor Kitchen Paradise, resident in Spain since 1996, based in Teulada since March 2024

I spend Christmas with my family in Germany and Tenerife. It's a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the festive season with my loved ones and experience the special atmosphere in both places.

My greatest wish is to stay healthy – and just as important to me is the desire for world peace! Professionally, I hope that the first BBQ House at Outdoor Kitchen Paradise in Teulada will be a real success story.

Darren Yates, in La Nucia since 2003

We celebrate Christmas here with my family, who come from the UK. We drive to my mother's house in Altea Hills, enjoy a traditional roast turkey and spend wonderful time with the family. We always spend New Year's Eve at my house, enjoying a meal together and watching the fireworks from our roof terrace, which can be seen from Altea to Benidorm. It's simply spectacular! On Three Kings Day, we always visit the local parade in Alfaz del Pi.

We hope that the new year will bring health and prosperity, and we wish for the world to live in peace and harmony.

Stephan Richter from Dénia and owner of Richter Consultants, resident since 2002

Santa Claus is a relatively new phenomenon here; most people give presents on Epiphany. Christmas Eve is therefore not celebrated very much here, but rather Christmas Day. Boxing Day is not celebrated here (in the Valencian Community). However, Santa Claus has been gaining ground in recent years. He does not replace the gift-giving on Three Kings Day, but rather complements it, so that children get to enjoy receiving gifts twice. Christmas markets as we know them in Germany are rare here, and tend to be found only in the major cities. At Christmas, several generations of families get together to celebrate, eat, laugh, etc. The religious background of the festive season is not necessarily the main focus, but rather the „getting together“ of all family members.

Here in the Valencia region, we naturally hope that we will be spared severe weather disasters in 2025. We hope for sufficient rain due to the drought of recent years, but in moderation and without flooding. I also hope, for the sake of my relatives and friends in Germany, that Germany will „wake up“ and get back on track, and above all that there will be more peace in the world and that wars will come to an end... Merry Christmas – Feliz Navidad – Bon Nadal

Volker Dietz from Els Poblets, master hairdresser, resident since January 2024

I enjoy the pre-Christmas period here on the Costa Blanca by visiting the many small markets in the surrounding towns. The climate is completely new to me. It's wonderful to be able to snack on the delicacies on offer without having to wrap up warm. I spend the holidays with my family. I am really looking forward to a Spanish Christmas, the arrival of the Reyes Magos on 5 January and the parades.

After emigrating to Spain in January 2024 and opening my salon in Es Poblets, I would like to build on this initial success. I am also striving to establish more contact with my local neighbours in order to gradually immerse myself in the local culture. Otherwise, I hope to stay healthy and that tempers around the world will calm down and people will return to peace. Life is so beautiful, why do we need wars?.

Roman Ebmeier and Manuela Rehagel, residents since 2007 Llucmajor Mallorca / Alfaz del Pi, publishers of Die Inselzeitung & Costa Blanca Magazine

Christmas with us combines German traditions with Spanish flair. The Advent wreath, festive decorations and a Christmas tree are a must for us – we couldn't do without them. On 24 December, we have a relaxed family dinner with presents. Around St. Nicholas Day, we spend a few days in Germany, enjoying time with the family and, of course, visiting the Christmas markets – that's just part of it. At the same time, we love Spanish Christmas here, the temperature, the Christmas markets, which are always beautiful with their lights and atmosphere. What strikes us is that Christmas in Spain is livelier and less contemplative than in Germany – more like an exuberant celebration.
For 2025, we would like to see more peace and less stress in politics – in Europe and worldwide. There remains a glimmer of hope that politicians will perhaps return to the essentials: meaningfulness, reason and the ability to find compromises. But realistically, this wish will probably be difficult to fulfil. Personally, we are happy to be able to continue as before. We try to enjoy the small and big moments in life – and that will remain our most important plan in 2025.