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| Christmas parties |
Christmas parties constitute a peculiar way of feeling Christmas in Jerez. They
go back in time to the period in which old neighbor houses often shared a unique
coal kitchen. At such buildings, neighbors, relatives and friends got together.
Whereas housewives prepared Christmas sweets, the others sang and danced around
a bonfire so as to get warned. These traditional parties took place at Christmas
Eve and they lasted up to dawn, fast in time so that the mother or grandmother
had a nap and went on cooking for Christmas lunch preparation.
The old tradition of Christmas parties marks flamenco Christmas in Jerez. For
a December full of such celebrations, it is felt the most traditional form this
city has to enjoy these festive season. At the classical Christmas party celebrated
outdoors around a bonfire, it is eaten sweets made up of flour, eggs and covered
in honey, some types of doughnuts and it is drunk anisettes and sweet wine,. Besides,
it is dampened some kind of giant reed at one of the local instrument used for
carols (zambomba, also called like the party) so that it can be heard. Participants
sing and dance as much as they can.
Neighbourhood associations, cultural entities, educative centres, political parties,
Flamenco groups, Holy Week associations and every kind of groups currently celebrate
these parties each year. So, they recreate and recall the tradition of neighbor
houses.
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