Best wishes for the New Year from Barcelona

Hello my dears,

The last day of this year has finally arrived. On this day we all think of the year upon us and make wish lists and New Year’s resolutions for the new year we all have been waiting so much. Generally, all the wishes have been around for many years, going from one year’s to the next year’s list, because they seem so big, that we don’t know anymore from where to start to make them come true. It is so normal, in the era of consumerism, that we all wish for unrealistic things, that we usually forget about the little things that make us happy. So, when midnight strikes, enter the New Year happy, with a big smile on your face and wish for happiness. I’m sure, if we all start the New Year with positive attitude, life will treat us better and we’ll be happier.
I wish you to laugh a lot, to find your rainbow after every rain, to dance, to run, to travel, to cook, to write and to do whatever makes you happy. We often forget that each moment is unique but also unrepeatable, so try to seize it in the best possible way.

On this day, I decided to share with you some photos of Barcelona streets with Christmas decoration. I think Barcelona isn’t the perfect place to spend the New Year’s Eve as you can’t really have that Christmasy feeling here. I guess it’s because there’s never snow nor Christmas markets.
I think it might be interesting for you to know how Spanish people celebrate the New Year’s Eve. They usually have dinner with their families, and 12 seconds before midnight strikes, they eat 12 grapes, one each second, in order to have luck all 12 months of the year. In order to have money, they put a ring or something made of gold into the champaign glass, and usually wear red underwear in order to be lucky in love. After midnight, people usually go to clubs and bars with their friends and stay up late. On the way home, probably at 7 or 8 i the morning, they’ll buy some churros (a fried-dough pastry) and some hot chocolate. I think there’s no explanation for that 🙂
In case you’ve been thinking of spending the New Year’s Eve in the main square, there’s not much going on in Barcelona. There is some kind of show organised in Plaza España square, but it usually finishes 10 minutes after midnight strikes.

So, one more time, have an amazing New Year, be happy and let this year just be the introduction to many more happy years yet to come!
Cheers!

The street Portal de l’Angel is a pedestrian street full of shops

This year, La Rambla street is poorly decorated. If you look closer, you’ll see that the decoration looks like pigeons  

Passeig de Gracia is one of the biggest and the most important streets in Barcelona. Gaudi’s Casa Battló and Casa Milà are situated in this street

Gaudi’s Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera

Gaudi’s Casa Batlló this year looks like a frozen castle from some Russian fairytale

Gran Via street is decorated with the last year’s decoration. Words xin, xin, xin, nyam, nyam, nyam should represent, at least that’s how I understand it, onomatopoeia for the sounds we make during the Christmas dinner. I don’t really understand why they had to decorate the street this way, but I guess they had their own reasons… 

The famous Spanish shopping mall, El Corte Ingles

A fountain in Catalonia Square (Plaza Cataluña)

I can’t really say that one of the most important and the biggest avenues, avinguda Diagonal, has an inspiring decoration this year. I guess green and brown leaves aren’t really the first association of Christmas decoration

The last photo is to show you how Spanish people decorate the main entrance of their buildings. This is an entrance of a building in Diagonal Avenue