Santa Llucía is the main and oldest Christmas market in Barcelona, located at Plaça Nova, in front of the impressive Gothic cathedral officially named La Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia. The construction was slow due to various plague epidemics, wars, and uprisings, and eventually, there was no money left for the construction of the facade and the two towers. It took about four hundred years, until the World Exhibition of 1888, for the facade to be finally completed.

At the annual Christmas market, you can buy Christmas trees, decorations, sweets, crafts, and figurines for nativity scenes.

This year marks the 237th anniversary celebration. The first confirmed date of the Fira de Santa Llúcia was in 1786. At that time, it was customary for children to walk with their parents through the market to get into the Christmas spirit. At home, they would then build their nativity scene.

The market is open daily from November 24 to December 23 from 10 AM to 9 PM.

While you're at the market, we'd like to tell you about one of the Catalan Christmas traditions.

The 'caga tió,' also known as tió de Nadal, is an ancient tradition in Catalonia. It is a log with a friendly face. Where does the log come from? In the past, a wooden block was placed in front of the fireplace, but now it's a log with legs, a red 'barretina' (cap), and other attributes that give it a smiling face.

According to tradition, starting from December 8, children must feed and cover the caga tió with a red blanket so it doesn't get cold. On Christmas Eve, December 24, the back of the log is placed in the fireplace, and it is asked to 'poop' out gifts. This ritual has somewhat declined because not many people have a fireplace anymore. What still happens is hitting the caga tió with a stick while singing songs, supposedly to get the small gifts out. But beware, if children have been naughty, it will only poop out coal, and there will be no gifts. Take a look at the market to see if you can spot it!