Since the Student New Year in Salamanca on 10th December, residents and Spanish students in Salamanca have been looking forward to the Christmas period with great anticipation. And if the Student New Year celebrations are anything to judge by, then the festive season’s set to be a roaring success:
The town hall tried to ban it but still, last night at midnight Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor was jam packed full of univeristy students, language students and residents of the city, all ready to celebrate “la noche vieja universitaria” – a fake new year celebration for the students who won’t be together on the real 31st December New Year’s Eve.
Waiting for midnight in the Square
Salamanca's 2009 Christmas tree!
Wearing their Christmas clothes, hats, jewellery and decorations, students began to arrive in the square at 11 o clock to enjoy the good company and the beautiful decorations of the Square – this year there’s a new, less traditional tree and a series of bows and stars which light up the walls of Salamanca’s main attraction.
Though in years past there has been concerts and a stage, with a presenter to count down to midnight, the town hall refused to pay for it this year and so it was up to the students to make their own fun – and they certainly did! The square was full, the atmosphere was buoyant and celebrations carried on until the early hours of the morning.
This is just a taster of what is to be expected from the city on the real New Year’s Eve – a date when people from all over Spain come to the Castile-Leon city to welcome in the New Year. Hotels are booking up quick and it’s no surprise!
There should also be many language students here over the festive period, all wanting to see a Spanish new year – with its quaint tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight for good luck!
If you are lucky enough to be doing a Spanish course in Salamanca then why not invite some friends over from home and show them your home-from-home city at its very best – decorated for the Christmas celebrations and the New Year’s parties!
