Every December, the Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor, is a place which is worth visiting. It is full of stalls where you can buy all kinds of Christmas decorations such as decorative motifs for the nativity scene, Christmas stars, Christmas trees and countless decorations related to Christmas. This traditional market is held every year in the centre of Madrid. It is also a meeting point for friends and relatives where they not only see each other but also enjoy looking at the stalls. Many people who do not live in Madrid, come here specifically to feel and breathe this special Christmas atmosphere. The history of this market is very old. Would you like to know more about it?

FROM LIVE ANIMALS TO CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

In Madrid, there are several Christmas markets, but without any doubt, the one in the Plaza Mayor is the largest and the most emblematic of all.

In 1940, the tradition of creating a Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor, started for the first time. At that time, there were only a few dozen stalls and they sold live turkeys and chickens brought from the nearby villages.

The people that went there, were looking for something special to cook for Christmas. What we have now, is very different.

A CLASSICAL FILM TO REMEMBER

The film, “La Gran Familia” (1962), has become a classic as many scenes are
shot in the Christmas market at the Plaza Mayor. The directors were Fernando Palacios and Rafael J. Salva. There is a very moving scene when the famous actor, Pepe Isbert, loses his granson, Chencho, in the crowded market place. You can feel the anguish very deeply. The exact scene is shown in this video, it is worth watching because it also enables us to see how much the market has changed since then: