Christmas across Europe
There are no half measures when it comes to the fiesta in Spain, so it’s no surprise the country hosts one of the most extensive Christmas celebrations on the planet.
The main family get-together takes place on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day except for in Catalonia.
A more serene alternative is the traditional Misa de Gallo or Rooster’s midnight mass.
At this point, you might think there would be a collective groan of enough is enough.
Those chancing on the baby are destined to become kings themselves while the bean means buying the roscón the following year.
Adorned with colourful candied fruit symbolising the jewels in the Kings’ crowns, the roscón actually pre-dates Christmas as it was typically served as far back as the 2nd century AD for Las Saturnales fiesta that honoured the god Saturn and marked the end of the darkest period of the year.
In fact, you could say that, in Spain at least, the party has only just begun.