Catalonia celebrates Christmas, with caution

After a long and difficult year, people in Catalonia have finally been able to celebrate Christmas. Celebrate with caution, that is, and perhaps further away from friends and family than they would have wanted as the threat of Covid-19 remains ever-present.

This year around, and despite the softening of some measures on key dates, many have been forced to scale back holiday plans that are no longer appropriate during a pandemic. Much to our disappointment, there is no getting around the fact that Christmas this year is like no other, and health and safety restrictions must be heeded as authorities repeatedly warn of the dangers of letting our guard down.

Thankfully, there are still other ways to make the most of a less than perfect situation, perhaps by giving the good old Tió present-pooing log a good whack or by overindulging in torró and neules the only time of the year it is perfectly acceptable to eat your body weight in sweets. And who knows—hopefully, Christmas 2021 won’t be as bad?

Main holiday exceptions

Gatherings: On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Saint Stephen's—from December 24 to 26 —gatherings of up to 10 people from two bubbles, including children, are allowed rather than the usual cap on six.

This will also be the case on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, the Eve of Three Kings' Day, and Three Kings' Day.

Curfew: On December 24, people in Catalonia will be allowed to get home by 1 am.

Likewise, on New Year's Eve, the curfew will be an hour after midnight, while on January 5 it will be 11 pm instead of the 10 pm rule in place every other day.

Mobility: From December 23 to January 6, travel beyond one's county of residence to visit close friends and family members is permitted, but this excludes the Pyrenean counties of La Cerdanya and El Ripollès, on lockdown since Wednesday