Christmas in Seville: nativity fair, convent sweets and lights

The Feria del Belén

Since the 1980s a fair of nativity figures, moss and miniature houses has set up beside the cathedral every December. It usually opens in late November or early December and runs until Christmas.

1. 1

   Catedral y Giralda

   Historic

   Vast Gothic cathedral; the Giralda was once the mosque's minaret.

   Directions Tickets

Lights and the old centre

Lights brighten the Avenida de la Constitución and the shopping streets around Calle Sierpes and Tetuán. In recent years the city has added light shows in the centre on winter evenings.

Convent sweets

Seville's convents bake traditional sweets such as yemas, pestiños and polvorones. In early December many are usually sold together at a special fair of convent sweets; at other times you buy them through the convents' revolving windows (torno).

The Three Kings

On the evening of 5 January the Cabalgata de Reyes, one of the oldest and longest in Spain, winds through the city for hours, with the Kings throwing sweets from their floats.

Good to know

• Many traditional sweets (polvorones, mantecados) contain pork lard — ask or look for “sin manteca de cerdo”.
• The Three Kings parade lasts many hours; check the route and find a spot early.
• Book restaurants for 24 and 31 December well ahead.
• Seville is mild in December, around 16 °C by day, but nights are cool.

Questions

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