This year will be my third winter holiday in Canada, and I still can’t get used to how short they are. Yes, you read that right: Short! In Spain, where I’m from, the holiday season lasts about two weeks. Officially, Christmas ends on Jan. 6, the day of the Epiphany.

To understand why Christmas in Spain is so long, let’s start with the starting signal for Christmas in Spain: the Christmas lottery.

Nobody in Spain forgets to buy a lottery ticket, whether with work colleagues, friends, or family. People even buy their lottery tickets six months in advance during summer vacations because it’s a national draw, so the grand prize, called “El Gordo,” could be won by someone anywhere in Spain.

This draw is broadcast every year on Dec. 23 from the Teatro Real (Royal Opera) in Madrid, the capital of Spain. I used to wake up early to watch it on TV. However, it didn’t matter if I watched it or not because what made me happy was the breakfast my mother prepared, churros with hot chocolate or Roscón de Reyes, which is an oval-shaped cake decorated like a crown to represents the crowns worn by the Three Kings when they visited the baby Jesus.

By that morning, my mother was already busy preparing Christmas dinner.

She always asked us what we wanted because it was just the five of us at home (my dad, my mom, my two brothers, and me) and our grandmother when she was still alive. These intimate family dinners were always warm and joyful, creating cherished and unforgettable memories.

On the night of Dec. 24, we usually had a bit of everything for dinner, but in my house, we always had prawns as an appetizer and lamb as the main course, as my brothers are more carnivorous. We usually had dinner early because by midnight, we were at Mass to commemorate the birth of Jesus. The truth is, my brothers and I always fell asleep during those long Masses. For my brothers and me, the best part of Dec. 25 was opening presents and eating all the leftovers from the night before.

However, contrary to others parts of the world, it is not only Santa Claus who brings us presents in Spain, but the biblical Three Wise Men.

I always tell the story that when I said Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men came to our house, my classmates didn’t understand. I explained to them that Santa Claus brought a small gift on Dec. 24 because he was only one person, and the Three Wise Men brought significant gifts on the night of Jan. 5 because there were three people. But the reality is, my father loved American culture, and giving gifts on Christmas Day is a tradition in Catholic families. Still, when I was little, I was confused about whether the gifts came from Santa Claus or baby Jesus himself.

After Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, our family tradition was to see the Christmas lights downtown and visit El Corte Inglés, Spain’s most famous department store, to see the toys we hoped would be under our Christmas tree.

I remember my dad bringing home the toy catalogue a month in advance, and we would circle all the toys we wanted. My parents always told us we couldn’t get all the gifts because there were three of us. After deciding what we wanted, we wrote letters to Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men. My youngest brother, who is four years younger than me, still does this.

But there was still more to come! Over the next few days, we’d have to prepare for New Year’s Eve.

In Spain, we also count until midnight to welcome the new year, but we do it with an analog clock in Puerta del Sol, a famous plaza in Madrid. We eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to attract good luck, so you must eat all the grapes on time. My little brother still can’t eat grapes to this day and always eats chocolate chips or jellybeans instead.

I have noticed that the last day of the year in Canada is not usually a family celebration. On the other hand, in Spain, if we have a family dinner, the younger members go out to party at midnight and don’t return until the next day. In Madrid, there is a massive line at 7 a.m. on Jan. 1 to have churros with chocolate at Chocolatería San Ginés, the most traditional café in the city.

After the hangover from the New Year’s celebration, children eagerly await the arrival of the Three Wise Men: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. My favourite was Balthasar, who represented the African continent, while Caspar represented the Asian continent, and Melchior represented the European continent.

I remember watching the famous Three Kings Parade on television, which began on the afternoon of Jan. 5. My parents told me we only went a few times in person because of the cold and the crowds. Although, since I’ve been in Canada, I now laugh at the mild temperatures my parents once considered cold.

After watching the parade, I tried to sleep early, but it was impossible. In my house, we always left food for the Three Wise Men, including the traditional Roscón de Reyes, chocolate, and water for the camels. Another thing we do in Spain is leave a shoe under the tree for Three Wise Men to put our gifts into.

On the morning of Jan. 6, I loved waking up and seeing that they had eaten and drank what we had left on the table, along with the gifts under the tree in each of our shoes. The magic of finding missing food and gifts in their place always filled me with wonder and excitement.

The best thing about the Three Kings Day was opening gifts. The downside was that school started soon after, and I needed more time to play with my new toys!

Finally, the holiday season ended when we took down the Christmas tree, which we often delayed because we were so sad that Christmas was over. My father usually took care of this. Meanwhile, we wrote a farewell letter to the Christmas tree, hoping to read it next year.

Reflecting on my childhood makes me nostalgic but reminds me of the wonderful Christmases I spent in Spain.