Old carousel located in the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid during Christmas.
The motto of this year's Christmas program of the Madrid City Council is "Christmas always comes back." We want to point out that it always comes back, but each time sooner.
With this we do not want to criticize the haste to which we Spaniards are not yet accustomed, even though Black Friday is an increasingly accepted starting signal, but to show that it is increasingly necessary to organize our Christmas leisure time in the capital with greater foresight and anticipation.
Because yes, at this point you are already late to buy tickets for the double-decker Christmas bus called Naviluz that runs through the streets of the center so that the little ones can enjoy the Christmas lights sitting down and without the burden of Agglomeration of people.
Luckily you can always take a walk in the early afternoon, at sunset, but before the cold sets in, and go to Cortylandia, on the façade of El Corte Inglés de Preciados, which this year represents with its most 42,000 LED points one funny city of dogs and cats. The workshops and children's activities (cooking, puppets, storytelling, etc.) of its toy library are free to enter until full capacity is reached, so you must be very quick or go to other centers, where there is the option of registering.
Or maybe let them ride on one of the old carousels installed in various strategic points of the city, such as the merry-go-rounds in Plaza de Oriente (€3, from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) and Plaza de Santa Cruz (€3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.). The latter is next to the Plaza Mayor, where the typical Christmas market is held every year (until December 31, Monday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and the eve of holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.). :00h) in which buy from a hat with reindeer antlers to a Nativity scene figurine, going through those joke articles that are already as traditional as the statue of Felipe III.
End the tour with a comforting and traditional chocolate with churros (€3.50) at the San Ginés chocolate shop. It is worth waiting in line at the entrance just to add to its guest book, which already holds a total of 5,432,655 cups of chocolate served since 1894, the year it was opened.
Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid.
SHOWS
Until January 6, Circo Price will offer a circus show inspired by Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, that incorporates a gospel choir that will interact with circus artists and clown conductors to guide its protagonist through time with the emotion provided by live music (from €9).
A little further from the center, at the Ifema-Feria de Madrid venue, Emilio Aragón pays tribute to the modern circus on its 250th anniversary with Circlassica, a show full of tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, jugglers and a live orchestra (until January 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., from €19.50).
Circlassica, a story by Emilio Aragón to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the modern circus.
In Madrid Río on December 21, the Christmas program will officially start with the Festival of Light, with music, pyrotechnics and light decorations with which celebrate the winter solstice. However, the main course in the vicinity of the Manzanares riverbank will take place on December 30 at eight in the afternoon, when a gigantic lamp 12 meters in diameter will turn the Puente Rey into a true open-air dance hall called Cristal Palace. There will be an orchestra, actors and actresses enlivening the event and, best of all, a final flashmob in which children will have fun participating with a few simple steps that you will find on the Christmas website.
And, finally, on January 5, at 6:30 p.m., the most anticipated moment of the performing arts arrives in Madrid: the great Three Kings Parade. Giant puppets from L'Homme Debout, dancers from Teatro Pavana or giant dolls from Transe Express, among other companies, they will accompany the Three Kings during their visit. The novelty this year is that the new magical floats will be built with wishes written on magic paper by boys and girls in the Crystal Gallery of the Palacio de Cibeles, some letters that will be exhibited there between December 21 and January 2 and that during the parade, when they are already part of the props of the show, will shine in a surprising way.
Show of 'celestial art' created by the French company Transe Express next to the Puente del Rey in Madrid Río.
PUPPETS, AUTOMATS AND PUPPETS
The ** Puppet Theater returns to El Retiro between December 22 and 30 ** loaded with free novelties: Vuela Pluma, a story about freedom (December 22 and 23 at 12:30 p.m., free admission), Jai, the sailor and his adventures at sea (December 28 at 12:30 p.m.), Don't touch my hands, a Chinese shadow theater and silent film (December 30 at 5:30 p.m.) ...
They will share space in the central patio of Conde Duque a ** Theater of Automata of the nineteenth century ** restored and a huge wicker giant who will participate on January 5 in the Parade of Kings. Created by the French artist Benoit Mousserion, it will be accompanied by mobile wicker elements made by those who sign up for the giant's workshops (in the Sala de Bóvedas from December 27 to January 4). Can you imagine then the illusion of the children when they see their own creation parading along with the Three Wise Men?
More than 50 performances They are scheduled between December 20 and January 6 at the Fernán Gómez Cultural Center of the Villa under the title Madrionetas. The Art of the Puppet. In addition to puppet theatre, there will also be a puppet show _(_€14, children €8).
A wicker giant created by Benoit Mousserion will participate in the Parade of Kings.
EXHIBITIONS WITH CHILDREN
Several miniature worlds will be represented by Lego constructions in the Andalusian Patio of the Palacio de Gaviria until February 24: scenes from the Second World War, the Imperial Forums, a winter town, a castle from Game of Thrones or a huge city with skyscrapers and even a train station. I Love Lego is called the exhibition (€7, €5 for children). The assembly is carried out by RomaBrick, one of the first LUG (Lego® User Group) in the world.
Curated by artist Petr Nikl e inspired by the first illustrated children's book in history, Orbis Pictus (Amos Comenio, 1658), the homonymous interactive installation will make it easier for children to participate and experiment with the works exhibited until January 6 in Nave 11 of Naves Matadero.
Detail of the 'I Love Lego' exhibition at the Gaviria Palace.
BETWEEN CHOIRS AND NATIVITIES
There will be Nativity Scenes in Madrid for all tastes, from the Playmobil Nativity Scene/Clicks carried out by the Spanish Association of Playmobil Collectors in the Fernán Gómez (from December 17 to January 6, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., free) to the Municipal Bethlehem of May, work of the craftsman José Luis Mayo Lebrija, located in CentroCentro and designed by the Madrid Nativity Scene Association (free).
And in the central arch of the Puerta de Alcalá, in homage to the 200th anniversary of the Prado Museum, a reproduction of two recognized works of the Spanish Baroque: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Murillo and The Adoration of the Magi by Fray Juan Bautista Maíno. So that no one misses a single one of the Nativity scenes exhibited by the city, the City Council has once again published its Practical guide to nativity scenes.
The concerts will storm the balconies of the Plaza Mayor (from December 27 to 30 at 8:00 p.m.) and the churches of the city with different types of music: Gospel Freedom in the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha (December 28 at 8:30 p.m.), Camerata Flamenco Project at the Hermitage of the Virgen del Puerto (December 29 at 8:30 p.m.), Fahmi Alqhai and Arcángel at the Parroquia Hispanoamericana de la Merced (January 3 at 8:00 p.m.), etc. Although admission to everyone is free, you must previously download an invitation that will be available online from December 17.
Christmas carols from the 18th century, flamenco, jazz or gospel will be heard in the series of concerts in the churches of Madrid.
THE CHRISTMAS
The International Fair of Cultures will once again occupy the facilities of Matadero Madrid to teach Christmas traditions from around the world between December 14 and 23. The game will be the main concept of Christmas and, as such, the smallest of the house will be able to learn to play ecuavoley, jeguichagy, hopscotch, Gaelic football or Japanese chess, among many others, in a space called 'court'.
More than a hundred free activities, between workshops, music, cinema, readings, storytelling and theater, which will take place around the international Christmas market, a meeting point in which to discover culture, literature, crafts and gastronomy from all latitudes.
At Matadero Madrid, children will learn about dances, games and gastronomy from around the world.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In case the children are still wanting more activities, take note: you can take them to the ice rink at the Palacio de Cibeles Crystal Gallery (from December 21 to January 5, €6), the Madrid RACE drive-in theater at watch Mary Poppins Returns (December 28 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) while eating a green hamburger inspired by the remake of The Grinch or The Christmas House located in the Royal Post Office (December 15 and 16 and from December 21 to January 5, free admission), so that they can meet Santa Claus in person and can visit the village where the elves live.
Finally, they only have to get on the Christmas Train at the Principe Pío station, which will run from December 22 to January 5 (except on December 24 and 25 and January 1, €13, children €11 ) . aboard his traditional wooden cars, As we have already told you in this article, the little ones will be able to give the Royal Page the letters they want to send to Their Majesties of the East. And on January 5, it will be the Three Kings themselves who will share the journey and petitions.
On January 5, the Three Wise Men will be passengers on the Christmas Train.