Joseph. It is called the "Fallas de San Jose"
because of the huge, grotesque figures called "fallas" which are the
main feature of the celebration. Every club and religious group in the
city spends weeks in advance of St. Joseph's Day building these figures
out of papier-mache, and each group tries to keep its design secret
until the fiesta takes place. The best falla wins a prize, and at the
end of the three-day celebration, all the fallas except the prize-winner
are burned in a big bonfire while the people dance around it and
fireworks are shot into the sky.

Of all holidays, Christmas is one of the merriest in Spanish homes.
"Noche Buena," or Christmas Eve, is a time for families to sit down to a
wonderful feast. The mothers and older sisters of the family have been
preparing this feast for months, and fathers have been collecting the
best Spanish wines to store away until now. Turkey is the traditional
dish at Spanish Christmas dinners just as it is here. But Christmas is
one of the few times turkey is ever served in most Spanish homes, so it
is really a special treat.

Spicy hams, stuffed roast lamb, and special fish dishes are also served
with the roast turkey. And no Christmas table would be complete without
"turrones"--a candy made of honey and almonds, something like our
nougats. Dried figs and grapes, walnuts and hazelnuts load the table
even more. After dinner, the family goes to midnight services at church
called "Misa de Gallo"; then they come home and celebrate until morning.

There are no Christmas trees in Spain, but each family makes its own
Nativity scene, which is set out in time for Christmas Eve. In some
cities contests are held for the most beautiful "Belen" scenes, as they
are called, because "Belen" is the way Spanish people say Bethlehem. On
Christmas Day everybody goes calling to see the Belens in other people's
houses.

Sometimes grownups exchange gifts on Christmas Day, but Spanish children
don't receive their gifts until January 6, Three King's Day. Instead of
Santa Claus, the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar leave
gifts in the children's shoes. The shoes are set out in a window or near
the fireplace, filled with hay so the camels of the Three Kings may
feast. In the morning the hay is gone and toys, nuts, fruit and candy
have taken its place.

[Illustration]

Holy Week, the week starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter, is
another important time in Spanish life.