A CANARIAN CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Christmas time in Spain is simple but wonderful. The magical Three Wise Men will be a regular occurrence for visiting hotels or festivals which are widely celebrated in Tenerife. It is a time when families come together and welcome each other with food, music and wine. 

Let me take you on a little tour to show you how a typical Spanish traditional Christmas would be spent and some important dates of celebration.

December 24th - Christmas Eve, where you will find families gather to attend Midnight Mass "La Misa Del Gallo' which means Mass of the Rooster. The history behind this is that the Rooster was supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born.

This day is one of the main days of celebration where families will have a main meal or Christmas dinner (Turkey stuffed with mushrooms). In Northern Spain, traditional Christmas lunch will be seafood as the area is surrounded by water.

Meat, Fish and good wine (mainly meat). Liqueurs and typical sweets such as Touron (almond, marzipan and various other flavours). Dry fruits and cheeses and the famous Serrano ham. Some families will celebrate with a glass of champagne as this date is a very special celebration day.

After Midnight Mass, in some towns, people walk the streets with lanterns/torches and play guitars and bang on drums. Family and friends continue with celebrations in the home with food, good wine and singing. 

December 25th - this day is not celebrated and is a normal day. It would be a day after the celebrations so I would imagine there will be sore heads from the fiesta and tired children.The day is spent snacking and eating (possibly cold food left over but still fresh and good). Continue with drinking to celebrate but this date is not Christmas day like it is in many other countries. The day will still be enjoyed by singing carols and family time.

December 28th - is similar to April Fools day in the UK where a little trick will be played (but not to the extent of the UK version). It is to celebrate el Día de los Santos Inocentes and a light humour joke will be played. This day is a remembrance of Kind Herod when he ordered to have all children killed under the age of 2 years but he was tricked as baby Jesus had already been taken away.

December 31st - New Year's Eve and a celebration of music, wine and fireworks. The tradition at the stroke of midnight, on each chime of the bell, you must eat one grape for every chime. It is believed that if you eat the 12 grapes on each chime, you will have 12 months of good luck.

January 5th - is a time for children to be excited and a hope that tomorrow will bring some gifts from the Three Kings (Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar) arriving on their camels. Slippers or shoes are put outside of front doors or balconies, cognac and goodies for the Kings and water and hay (grass) for the camels. Presents would be put in the slippers/shoes for the children to open the next day. The theory behind this story is this is the date in the bible when the Three Kings visited Bethlehem to see baby Jesus and brought gifts of Gold, incense and myrrh. 

A wonderful tale and I will never forget the experience of the year my two children Katie & Peter spent Reyes Day in Tenerife, putting their shoes out and hay for the camels. They both did not quite believe this story, until the next day when presents arrived and we suddenly seen the Three Kings and camels walking the streets of Tenerife in parades and visiting hotels. What magical times, fun and memories to treasure and I often have a chuckle of remembering their little faces in disbelief!

I hope you have enjoyed the little write up of Christmas in Tenerife and it would be lovely to have some feedback from anyone who feels they would like to leave a comment or share this story.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo!

God Bless x

Your Airline and Package Deal To Sunny Tenerife

Winter Sun? Yes please. 

There is nothing more stressful than the cold winter days, nights and long hours of darkness. The thought of this, just makes me want to hybernate for the full winter months and pop my head out of the house at Springtime. Some people love the winter but me, no thanks,  I would rather have the splendid sunshine, chilling out by the pool or taking long lazy walks.

The Canary Islands is a place where you will find sunshine all year round and Tenerife is one of my favourite places. Over the years, it has become a popular choice with tourists and what better way to experience Tenerife, is at the festive time. Navidad! The hotels are packed with seasonal decorations, lights and Papa Noel at Christmas. Celebrating Christmas in the sun can seem a little odd from what we are used to in Europe but hey, don't knock it until you have tried it (so we say). Christmas is what you make it and what better way to do something different and join in some Navidad celebrations with the locals.

Happy festive times ! December 2015

Flying with the right airline? 

Choosing the package deal is usually based on the holiday destination, hotel and board basis but we forget the little attention to detail such as a good airline provider. Yes this can play a big part in making your holiday a good experience and airlines are the start and end to your perfect holiday. What may seem like a good deal at the time of booking, may turn out to be less of a deal, if you did not get the little extras or attention to detail which other holiday makers may have received. 

Giving the customer that little bit more!

Certainly over the years, I have seen a rise in costs for flight only basis and sometimes it is not that much cheaper than the package holidays that are offered. Price is out of our control, and much of the airlines are around the same for their pricing strategy. This then leads me to look at what else the airline provider can offer in addition to price, so that at least you can feel you are getting more 'value for money'.

1. How much extra are you paying for luggage allowance? You need to monitor this when booking as it can vary in price and make a big difference if there are a few people travelling on the trip. Don't be fooled by a cheaper price displayed before going to the online check out section, as you may often see this price be bumped up once you have added in the luggage allowance. It can be disappointing.

2. Additional charges and hidden extras! pay special attention to any hidden costs. My opinion is that I would not pay extra for seating together or insurance via a travel agent. It bumps up your overall costs. Having said this, I booked my travel insurance via Jet2.com on my last flight and it was very competitive with a good customer service. My flight only deal offered me competitive insurance rates so that I did not have to spend endless hours on the internet shopping around. This was my first time choosing insurance with my airline provider.

3. Flexibility of times and dates of flights is a nice option. I always look at the flight times as well as the price and I like a morning flight if possible so that I land in Tenerife mid afternoon. It is not always possible but it does make a difference to your first day arrival.

So if you are planning a Winter, Spring or Summer holiday, think about the whole package and make sure that you get the most out of your airline operator by finding out what they have to offer. Jet2.com will offer you a baggage collection and boarding card for your return flight home and this is before you leave the hotel. Less stress and better value. No queuing at the airport and no transporting heavy cases onto airport buses. Winner for me! (this service applies to package holidays and not flights only).

Jet 2 Staff - taking care of their customers

Join me on my next adventure to Tenerife where I will be writing about my full journey from start to finish. I will take you on my tour to tell you about my airline choice, hotel, restaurants and much more!!!!  I have some exciting invitations to show you about what the Island can offer from food, romance and botanical beauty. Lots booked up for my next trip so stay posted and enjoy the ride.

Adios mi Amigos!!!

Tapas Dawn x

5 Top Tips To Holiday In Tenerife

     

A taste of North & South Tenerife

 1.    Know the difference between North & South

To get the best out of your holiday, research and get to know the difference between North & South Tenerife. If you like a cooler and greener place to stay, the North is a better choice. It is filled full of history and character, less busy with tourists. It has plenty of enchanting little streets and buildings, especially in the old part of La Laguna. The South is a more popular choice with tourists and it has lots of golden sandy beaches, more livelier and an array of hotels to choose from. Depending on your taste, both North and South has plenty of places to offer you to stay, eat and visit so you will not be disappointed.

2.     What is the best board basis?

Choosing the best board basis, is all about personal choice and budgets. If  you are faced with taking your family on holiday, this can run expensive and be difficult for your budget. The 'All Inclusive' choice becomes popular and appealing, as it has the advantage of knowing you have all your drinks and food paid for, hence having to have less spending money. On the other hand, it has the disadvantages of making sure you stay at the hotel every day and so you are limited to eating out and getting more involved in the culture and local life. There is so much of the island to explore with fiestas to see, so get to know what is happening for the dates of your holiday and plan for something different. 

      3.   Exchanging your money

A common problem is to exchange all of our money into euros before we set off on holiday. This then creates an issue that if we have lots of euros left, we have to take it back to the travel agency to exchange it back and usually we end up losing out on the rate. So why do this? All you need to do is take enough euros for a few days and then exchange the rest when you are there. If you are staying in the South, there is lots of kiosks (especially on the beach front) where you can exchange your euros. Usually a slightly better rate is offered from what you will find in the UK. This way, you will not end up with excessive euros left over and it is totally FREE to exchange the currency via the kiosks in Tenerife.

      4.     Local Transport Service

Exploring the Island is easier than what you think and there is a very good bus service available to help you travel to some great places. If your hotel is in the popular resorts of the South, check out the bus station at Los Cristianos or Las Americas, where you will find great bus links to the North. You can change at Santa Cruz to catch a 20 minutes trip to Puerto Del La Cruz.

      5.     European Health Card & Passport

Be safe and sensible. Always have your European Health card available in case you need to get to hospital. You will be asked for this immediately, even if you have medical insurance. Do not depend on your insurance alone, as some hospitals will not even treat you unless you can show them your 'blue card'. Failure to do this, may cost you a heavy bill upfront. Your European card can be a lifesaver so keep it with you at all times.

If you want to purchase items in the Supermarket or to do a spot of shopping, remember to take your passport with you if you decide you want to use your Debit or Credit card. Failure to produce your passport identification to use your card, will result in your card NOT being accepted.

Find the European Card Link HERE.

If you would like to know more about places to visit, stay and eat, please review my full blog. I hope this will give you a full insight into some great ideas and places to visit. Join in with the locals and their celebrations . They are fantastic, friendly people who love to see you try and speak a little Spanish or try some of their wonderful Tapas!! 

Recommended hotels and places to stay:

South Tenerife

www.fanabecostasur.com/en/
www.isabelfamilyhotel.com/en/
www.costaadejegranhotel.com/en/
www.hotelparadisepark.com/en/

North Tenerife

www.hotelbotanico.com/en/

www.noeliaplaya.com/en

Thank you for taking the time to read my top tips and I would love you to leave any feedback or share with this post with your friends and family.

Bye for now! Adios x

Lady Candelaria – Patron Saint of the Canary Islands

La Candelaria is a popular place for locals and visitors to the Island. Whoever enters into this small, quiet part of Tenerife, will immediately notice the sacred presence and respect from everyone that enters and leaves.

Who is this lady and how does she dominate such respect? Let me take you through some legendary myths and give you some background into how this holy person holds a special place in many hearts and continues to be worshipped.

Peaceful and Holy Town of Lady Candelaria

Legend 

It is recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other, was discovered on the beach in Guimar by two Guanche shepherds in 1392. One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue but his arm became paralysed, The other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. From here, the statue was taken by a local Guanche Acaymo to (cueve de Chinguaro) a local cave in Tenerife.

Later, another Guanche named Anton returned to Tenerife and recognised the statue as of the Virgin Mary. The Guanches then move the statue to another cave known as San Blas but the statue was stolen and taken away to Lanzarote. The statue made it's way back to Tenerie after varioius events including an outbreak of the plague which occurred on Lanzarote.

Statues of the Guanches

Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria

The basilica was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century. It continues to stand proud and sacred in the town of Candelaria and attracts thousands of visitors each year. 


The statue of Lady Candelaria is a replica of the original which was lost when a tsunami carried it out to sea in 1826.  

The Virgin of Candelaria is widely prayed to for protection agaist epidemics, plagues, droughts and volcanic eruptions of Mount Teide and other volcanoes. Between 1964 and 1965, the Dioces of Tenerife conducted the largest pilgrimage in the history of the Canary Islands and the statue was walked across the towns, cities and municipalities for the first time.

Every seven years, the tradition is to transfer the statue between two cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna where the statue will remain for that period of time.

Basilica of Candelaria

Celebration

Every year on 2nd February and 15th August, there is a celebration of Lady Candelaria where thousands of pilgrims and tourists arrive at Candelaria from all parts of the Canary Islands and some parts of Spain. It is a religious ceremony and a solemn procession but thereafter, locals dressing up, feasts and fiesta.

What draws me to this place? I honestly cannot say but I do know that it holds a special place in my heart. A kind of respect and comfort feel which I find that I am drawn too and think about a lot in times of needing some hope or a silent prayer. Whether the myth is true or not, Lady Candeleria brings peace, respect and unity to many people, so this has to be a worthy acceptance of joy.

My first visit to Candelaria in 2006 was an exciting opportunity where I was interested in the tale behind the legend. Walking around the magnificent Basilica and taking in the sheer beauty of the building was a lovely experience and a very happy day for me. Walking to the area of where the cave was situated, behind the Basilica was an interesting journey to make the myth more believable. It was certainly a day that I will never forget.

Lady Candelaria and inside the Basilica

Recently in September, I travelled back to same place as I have kept this close to my heart. I was drawn to visit here to say a prayer for my best friend who has recently been diagnosed with Cancer and been through many operations. I wanted to find some hope, lay flowers, light a candle and pray. It is times like this that this is all you have and to feel that this strong figure of hope might somehow get you through these dark day, it eases the pain. It was a sad day for me on this visit as it was a personal reason for me visiting this time, certainly not the same experience from my very first time and feeling so happy. I came away feeling strong, hopeful and thankful. 

So whether this is a myth or not, what people can gain from Lady Candelaria is a personal gain of hope, respect and a closeness to the holy land. It is worth a visit to sense the tranquility of this place but if you really want to be part of the celebration, you need to visit during the sacred day of fiesta. This way, you will get to see how much this statue is truly adored.

The photographs are from my own collection and a true reflection of La Candelaria