An abundant autumn: Weekend trip to London, an international Thanksgiving, and discovering local holiday traditions
- claudiaerne41
- Dec 26, 2025
- 10 min read
OOOFFF! I realized how long has passed since I wrote a post. The past month has been semi-rainy, mega-busy, and very "holiday."
Weeks of Nov. 10 and Nov. 17
The cozy fall feelings have been activated. It is full-on Christmas season, which means El Corté Ingles (Spanish department store) is stunning in its holiday glory and the Feria de Belén is on full display! Beléns, or nativity scenes, are incredibly popular during the holiday season here. Practically every Spanish family has one, and you can purchase different parts (baby Jesus, animals, stables, even wheelbarrows if you want) of the scene from vendors at the fair. If I had unlimited space in my suitcase, I'd curate my own Belén and lug it home.
In B2, we continued with our environmental unit while also discussing emotions and specific adjectives. Even though we have required units for each course, the professors still throw different activities in the mix, like "Guess the Idiom" or a small warm-up activity that gets us talking. In C1, we discussed Franco because Monday, the 20th, marked the 50th anniversary of his death. We also continued with our art and history unit, touching on Picasso and Kahlo.
This week, I went shopping for a warmer coat. I didn't expect Seville to get quite this cold, and I made the mistake of only packing light jackets. An affordable coat was much needed, so I browsed some second-hand stores and landed on a solid black jacket for 20 euros. Ironically, I don't have a mirror picture of me trying on the coat, but I do have one of me in an oversized blue number at Humana. I'll include it here just for fun.
I also had an appointment at the Extranjería for my foreign identity card. The process was SO much easier this year; I didn't need a digital certificate nor have to run around to several banks in order to pay the Tasa fee. Part of it was due to my previous knowledge of the system, but also living in a bigger city allowed me to schedule an appointment with (more) ease. The rest of my week consisted of Sevillanas and a FLIGHT TO LONDON on Friday. :)
London weekend trip: Nov. 21-24
So....my friend Regina and I booked cheap flights to London less than two weeks in advance. It came up in a random conversation that we both wanted to visit the city soon and Christmastime seemed like the perfect opportunity. Needless to say, we took the plunge! We flew in on Friday morning and took a bus into to the city from Luton.
Once we set our stuff down in the hostel, we set out for some GRUB. We both had the most scrumptious chicken burgers with cranberry sauce from a pub called The Queens Arms. I was also reunited with my favorite beer in the world, Jubel Peach. This beer is single-handedly the most delicious beer I've ever tasted; I have been waiting to get my hands on it again ever since I tried it in Edinburgh last year. I was very happy on the 21st, I'll have you know. Later that night, we checked out a bar and ended up getting in for free after befriending the manager, LOL.
The following day, we set off on some touristy adventures. We saw the Big Ben, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and stumbled upon some pop-up holiday markets (which satisfied one of my two principal desires for the trip, the other being to visit Notting Hill). For lunch, we split a proper fish and chips meal, and then met my friend Myous later that night at Covent Garden. With Myous, we walked to an outdoor food festival, where I ate a huge cinnamon roll. The weekend just kept getting better.
Then, we went to Selfridges, this huge British department store, and wandered around. We tried layering different perfumes with the help of a Dior sales rep, sat in front of one of the huge, energy-wasting HD TVs whose saturation burned our eyes, and chatted with another Selfridges employee about her Hallmark-esque love story with her now-boyfriend. No joke, he visits her in London almost every other week from Boston and he told her that he has loved her since he was four years old.
I think we spent two hours in Selfridges and it was so much fun. It felt like that one casino scene in the Percy Jackson movie. We parted ways with Myous and then Regina and I went back to the bar that we visited the night prior. We met so many funny people and tried about five different times to get the DJ to play Bad Bunny — or any Spanish-speaking artist for that matter — to no avail.
The following morning, I went on a solo excursion to 221B Baker Street, which is the Sherlock Holmes Museum. It was fascinating! I later met Regina at the Buckingham Palace and we walked to the Victoria & Albert Museum, which was one of my favorite sights from last time I visited. Later, we ventured off to Notting Hill and visited the Portobello Road Market along with William Thacker's blue door (it's just necessary). We ate a great Indian meal that night and then went to bed right after so we could wake up for our ridiculously early bus ride to the airport.
Overall, if I had to describe our trip in seven words, they would be: fantastic experience, feet hurt, multiple side quests.
Week of Nov. 24
In the last week of November, we discussed superlatives, clothing, and polysemic words in class. My friends and I held a little Friendsgiving on Thursday where we made stuffing, mashed potatoes, broccoli, mac & cheese, and a typical British sponge cake. Our "Thanksgiving meal" was ironic for many reasons: it was a lunch, we played Spanish music while cooking, we bought a chicken, and two of the four of us are not from the US. That is called an international Thanksgiving if I'd ever heard one. Nevertheless, the meal was so delicious and we had fun playing around in the kitchen.
With the kiddos, I played more Bamboozles, participated in a "singing contest" with the youngest, and danced to various Just Dance YouTube videos. I also went out with friends on the 29th to watch the Christmas lights turn on at Avenida de La Constitución. It was PACKED but very much worth it to see the precious decorations. I later met up with my friend Mira to do some art and we listened to the Rosalía's new album LUX about three times through. Later we reconvened with Regina and ended up doing part of a bar crawl with this nice group of tourists we met.
My host family and I put up the tree on the weekend! I made a bear using egg cartons and we added it as an ornament. I showed the kids a Christmas presentation I made for my students in Sant Mateu last year; I also explained to them the concept of Christmas tree farms. They were in awe of the fact that it is so common to have a real tree.
I find the different holiday norms in each country to be so interesting. My host family has never even thought about having a real tree, but my Danish friend, on the other hand, told me it's offensive to have a fake one in Denmark.
Week of Dec. 1
First week of December! Apple Replay 2025 came out and shocker! All of my top stats had something to do with Bad Bunny's newest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. I was on a Bad Bunny kick this year, which will continue (especially since he is performing at the Super Bowl in 2026).
My friends and I spent the late afternoon on Saturday, the 6th, crafting Christmas cards for each other as a sort of budget-Secret Santa. Then we went out in Casco Antiguo as a last hurrah for our friend Jai, who is returning to Scotland to get her teaching certificate. On Sunday, I met up with a new Spanish friend for coffee and later went Christmas shopping at the Feria de Artesanía Creativa in the Jardines de Cristina. Artisanal fairs and holiday markets are my absolute favorite because I love shopping small for loved ones! I think it's a super great way to find unique gifts for people while supporting talented artists.
In B2, we just started an automotive unit, which is quite random. We've been very much focused on niche vocabulary recently but it's proven to be helpful in real-life contexts. We've also been reviewing past perfect subjunctive and colloquial sayings in C1.
The kids and I started our Mercadona chocolate advent calendars and continued our singing extravaganzas this week. I recently learned about a "Name Day" tradition that is celebrated among families in Spain. On Monday, the boys came running up to me and said that they had active countdowns until their "Saint's Day." As most of us know, kids are often named after saints or biblical figures because of how dominant Catholicism is in Spain. Turns out, kids are celebrated on the day of the Saint whose name they share. Families gift their kids small items or treat them in some way. In my family, both the boys received new soccer cleats. :)
Week of Dec. 8
The kids were very eager to see pictures of my house and our holiday decor this week. I pulled up a presentation I made last year with detailed photos of each of the rooms and they flipped out. Hands on head, "Ostras!" ("dang" or "jeez" in English), jumping around, flipping out. They're very enthusiastic kids. It was adorable. My mom also sent me a video of the snowfall in Michigan featuring my dad shoveling. They watched it several times. <3
Those moments, however little they may be, really speak volumes about the value of cultural exchange. The act of sharing these tidbits of my life and home country with the kids not only broadens their worldview at a young age, but also reminds me of how magical my upbringing was. It makes me look back fondly on memories like sledding, reading by the fire, and checking the snow day calculator while preemptively flushing an ice cube down the toilet or wearing my PJs inside out. It also prompts a discussion of how Christmas "feels" to them, since they have no concept of snow days and still wear shorts or skirts to school in December.
On the flip side, I have gained so much more insight into Spanish holiday traditions this year. Working in an elementary school last year taught me about typical Christmas delicacies and school customs, but I'm living the holidays with Spaniards this season and it's super meaningful. The kids recently took the time to write letters to the Reyes Magos, or the Three Wise Men (Three Kings). They are eagerly waiting for the Three Kings to arrive the night of the 5th, which they told me is the most important day this time of year. They're going to put their shoes out, rather than stockings, so that the Kings can fill them with goodies.
I went to another language exchange on Thursday and I am proud of how it went. I have been dedicating some real time and energy listening to podcasts, reading my book, and listening to a lot more music in Spanish. I'm seeing progress in my fluidity and conversational skills, which is exactly what I'm hoping for, since I'm now fine-tuning my grammar and vocabulary. My native-English speaking friends and I have also started to speak more in Spanish just for the heck of it.
On the 12th, we had our school Christmas party. I did some fun makeup and braided festive ribbon into my hair. I brought my Danish friend as well — she's leaving Spain on the 20th and we are trying to enjoy the last couple weekends together! I also bought small gift bows to give to friends. We all wore them to the party.
Saturday was designated au pair duty with the kids. We spent the day making homemade, dairy-free brownies from scratch, which was not easy with five cooks in the kitchen. However, they turned out fabulous and tasted even better. We also danced and made holiday drawings. The oldest loves to color, and after realizing I can draw, she has recruited me to sketch several Christmas cards for her to fill in.
In other news, I am in the middle of a social media detox. This fall, I've realized that I consistently scroll on Instagram reels before bed, check my phone's lock screen for no reason, and drag my energy-sucking device with me throughout the entire apartment. It is evident: My phone is not needed in my back pocket all the time nor is it actually helping me unwind at night. Yet, what seems so obvious is so hard to actually put into practice, which is why I've deleted the apps! I've committed to retraining my attention span and reclaiming personal time for hobbies and meaningful activities that fill my cup.
On Sunday, I finished all my Christmas shopping and started to wrap small gifts for my family. I have been in a resourceful mentality recently and decided to use brown paper bags in lieu of store-bought wrapping paper to wrap my items. I'm drawing my own designs on each of them to give them a touch of something special. They're more personal, better for the environment, and a fun activity.
Week of Dec. 15
The dreaded five days leading up to holiday break. Waking up and going to class took two times the effort and I felt slightly overwhelmed with tasks on my to-do list. However, my week did consist of some very positive moments. I went out on coffee walks with two new friends, one from school and the other through a mutual friend. Both are awesome and we had great conversations! Since I've fully settled into my routine in Seville, I've been trying to nourish my existing friendships while seeking opportunities to meet new
people. :) I'm excited to continue that throughout the new year.
After Sevillanas class on Wednesday, my classmates and I went out to a local bar. Since my class consists of seven women (including our teacher), we got to know each other on a much more personal level. I learned where each woman is from in Andalucía, which can actually be noted by the slight difference in their accents. I didn't initially realize the region itself had such diversity in pronunciation; the more people I've met from Málaga, Córdoba, and small towns within the region, the more I can differentiate between the accents.
The kids were super amped up for Christmas and couldn't wait to be on break. We played a lot of Go Fish, Christmas games, and danced to holiday music. The three older kiddos also received "Outstanding" grades for English this fall. I couldn't be prouder!
That's all for now, peeps. Thanks for hanging in there, I know I haven't posted in forever! Life goes by quick, ya know.
With love,
That was a great recap Claudia. I love you hearing about the different holiday traditions between the countries and how they celebrate.