This is my first post in the New Year, as I was in Spain with my family for my Christmas holidays. I would like to share with you some differences in being Catholic in Spain and in Finland.
Religious Education
| In Spain, the classes in religion that are taught in schools are Catholic Church teaching. I’m so glad that I was invited to a secondary school to share something of my life in Finland (of course, mainly about my apostolic life). Many students were surprised to hear about the low number of Catholics in Finland and… the cold weather. It sounds funny, but it’s really difficult for them to imagine a “North Pole” lifestyle. |  |
The school that I visited has two parts: primary and secondary school. They have daily Mass (if you don't wish to attend, you can spend the time reading) and Adoration once a month. They facilitate the religious life for their students a lot, and they also have a priest in the school all the time.
The Mass schedule
There are any number of parishes in the city, you can almost find one for every kilometre. The Mass is celebrated every hour in different parishes (except during lunch time). Moreover, Spanish weekday Mass is very short, it normally takes you less than 30 minutes, which meant it was so easy for me to attend Mass daily. On Sundays, there are more options for Mass, so you can easily organise your life easily and choose a convenient option.
In Finland, we usually celebrate Mass in different languages, as there are Catholics of many nationalities here. But in Spain, Mass is celebrated in Latin only for big feasts and normally it’s in Spanish.
In Finland, we usually celebrate Mass in different languages, as there are Catholics of many nationalities here. But in Spain, Mass is celebrated in Latin only for big feasts and normally it’s in Spanish.
Christmas gifts? No! Los Tres Reyes Magos!
In Spain, the day of giving gifts is the day of Epiphany. Or, as it's known, the day of the Three Kings: Los Tres Reyes Magos. Due to globalisation, many families now exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, but there are still many other families who follow the old tradition of gifts for Epiphany. On the night of 5th of January, there will be a Three King’s Parade and you can take pictures with them. If you have been a good guy/girl last year, you will receive gifts. If not: Black Carbon!
The Nativity Scene is art and art only
In other countries, many people enjoying decorating their Christmas trees. In Spain, the activity that comes closes for Spanish Catholics is decorating Nativity Scenes. It's only for decoration, so you will see the Baby Jesus in the manger before Christmas. In local churches, shops or offices, you can find large-scale Nativity Scenes. (We are talking about Nativities that more than 3 meters wide here.) Sometimes they will contain natural elements (rivers, cascades, etc.) or people in motion, sometimes there is background music - all in all, people are having a lot of fun with them!
But remember, the Nativity Scene’s most important part is the Nativity of Jesus, not other things! And I just realised that there wasn't a Christmas tree in my parish in Spain.
But remember, the Nativity Scene’s most important part is the Nativity of Jesus, not other things! And I just realised that there wasn't a Christmas tree in my parish in Spain.
Hope 2017 started well for all of you! The comments above were only a small part of my Spanish Christmas!
About the author
Yiran, or Maria Micaela. Born in China as a Protestant Christian but baptised in Spain (2015), being the only Catholic in the family. I came to Turku as an Erasmus exchange student and I stayed for my MSc studies. I'm also a participant of the Youth Weekends at Stella Maris.
Cooking, running and photography are my hobbies.
Cooking, running and photography are my hobbies.
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