Spanish News November 2008

November News of Spain and Upcoming Events

The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, presented new plans to reactivate the economy, with a budget of €11 billion! 200,000 jobs are hoped to be created and all the projects must start between January and April 2009.
Snow fell in Malaga last Wednesday and has continued to do so through to this week with many areas looking like Christmas cards!.

The Saudi Royal Family has permission to build 1,400 luxury properties in Estepona. The deal approved provides the Ayuntamiento with land, large enough to build 413 assisted homes on the site in El Paraíso.

Málaga continues to lead Andalucía in the buying and selling of property, despite the large reduction in sales seen over the first nine months of this year, sales are down 11.69%
Malaga hosted the worlds largest ever pillow fight. The current Guinness book of Records number for such a fight is 3,000.

Ryanair starts its new twice daily service between Alicante and Gatwick on December 18th, bringing 20,000 more tourists a month to Alicante.

December 21st - the shortest day of the year is celebrated in Granada and Jaen by jumping through bonfires for the fiesta of Hogueras.

December 22nd - El Gordo, the massive Spanish Christmas lottery, is drawn. This lottery is so big they start selling tickets in August! A whole ticket 'billete' is expensive but you can buy decimos, a tenth of a ticket which costs you a tenth of the price and respectively you win a tenth of the winnings.

December 24th - Christmas eve or Nochebuena the Spanish have their Christmas meal on Christmas eve and it is a family affair, Most bars, restaurants and shops close early.
December 25th – The second day in the family gathering and more recently families are choosing to eat in restaurants on Christmas day. By the evening most shops and bars will be open.

December 28th - Santos Inocentes which is Spain's version of April Fools' Day shares its special day with the fiesta Mayor de Verdiales where local villages compete in music & song and dance,

December 31st –New Year’s Eve or Noche Vieja. The Spanish see the New Year in with family and friends whilst remaining rather sober, going out to the bars later at 12.30, where an early night will bring you in at around 6.00am! The ancient fun ritual of eating 12 grapes at the bongs of midnight was started by farmers about 100 years ago who where left with too many grapes after the harvest.