Each year, Christmas comes earlier and earlier. Stores make it their Autumn duty to keep their finger on the pulse, and once Halloween is done and dusted, trees, baubles and nodding forest creatures wrapped in Winter woolies come out of hiding, reminding us all to buy, buy, BUY! At this stage, I’m use to any early celebrations, with friends of mine sometimes enjoying their work Christmas parties in early November. But I have never experienced premature New Year’s eve celebrations until ‘La Nochevieja’ (The old night) which took place in the Plaza Mayor on Thursday night. Over 30,000 people celebrated under the square’s green and red lights, with drink promotions and festive costumes.
During the last few seconds of the countdown, families and students ate grapes or gummy bears, one for each second for good luck. There was a great atmosphere, despite so many people squeezed into the town, but it’s a nice idea for those students who won’t be around for New Years eve in Salamanca during the Christmas break. It was a great start to the festivities and once Salamanca’s usual fast-acting rapid clean team scrubbed all traces of the city’s wild night, the square is ready for Christmas.
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