Christmas decorating your Spanish home: lights, scents and safety

Spanish towns switch on their Christmas lights from late November, and many homes follow with lights on balconies, a tree or a nativity scene (belén) in the living room. Decorating is part of the fun, but it also brings extra plugs, cables, candles and heaters into the house. This guide covers how to decorate your Spanish home for Christmas, from lights and scents to the safety checks firefighters and consumer authorities recommend.

Spanish decorating traditions

• The belén: a nativity scene, from a few figures on a shelf to whole miniature villages. Christmas markets sell figures, moss and small houses.
• The tree: now just as common as the belén in many homes, real or artificial.
• Balconies: lights, a hanging Father Christmas or a Three Kings banner are popular in flats. Check your community of owners’ rules before fixing anything to the façade.
• Through to January: Spanish Christmas lasts until the Three Kings on 6 January, so decorations usually stay up until then.

For the full calendar, from the El Gordo lottery to Three Kings, see Christmas in Spain: traditions.

Choosing Christmas lights

• Look for the CE mark: Spain’s consumer authorities say light strings (guirnaldas luminosas) should carry the CE marking and identify the company responsible. Firefighters add that the price difference for certified products is usually small.
• Choose LED: LED lights give off less heat and use much less electricity than old bulbs.
• Indoor or outdoor: check the label before using lights outside. Only lights marked as suitable for outdoor use should go on balconies, terraces or in the garden.
• Timers and batteries: a plug-in timer switches lights off automatically, and battery or solar lights avoid cables on balconies.

Spanish lighting shops such as El Maestro de la Iluminación (ad) sell lights and home electrics online. Our guide to buying furniture, lighting and appliances online lists more places to shop.

Using lights safely

The consumer authority’s advice on light strings is simple and worth following every year:

• Check before use: look over every set, new or old, for loose connections and frayed or bare cables. Throw away any set that is damaged.
• Unplug to change bulbs: replace blown bulbs straight away, and never remove or insert bulbs while the set is plugged in.
• Switch off: do not leave lights on all day or all night. Turn them off when you go to bed or leave home, as heat or a short circuit can start a fire.
• Fix outdoor lights well: secure them so the wind cannot damage them, and use insulated clips only, never nails or drawing pins.
• Protected circuits: connect outdoor lights to circuits protected by an earth-leakage switch (the diferencial in your fuse box).
• Don’t overload sockets: avoid chains of adapters and power strips.

Candles, heaters and the tree

• Candles: firefighters consider open candles one of the biggest risks at Christmas. If you use them, put them in a stable holder that cannot tip over, away from curtains and decorations. Battery-powered LED candles are the safest choice.
• Heaters: keep portable heaters at least one metre from anything that can burn, including the tree and wrapping paper, and switch them off at night.
• Artificial trees: firefighters recommend buying a certified tree that meets safety requirements, as cheap trees can catch fire very quickly.
• Keep decorations away from heat: keep decorations away from heat sources, and consider fitting a smoke detector if your home does not have one.
• Wild plants: holly and some other wild plants are protected in parts of Spain. Buy cultivated plants from a garden centre rather than picking them in the countryside.

Christmas scents without the risk

A Christmas smell of cinnamon, orange or pine makes a home feel festive. If you want the scent without a flame, there are safer options:

• Reed diffusers and sprays: no flame, and they last for weeks.
• Natural options: dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks and pine cones in a bowl, or a pan of orange peel and spices simmering while you cook.
• If you do burn scented candles: never leave them unattended, keep them out of reach of children and pets, and air the room afterwards.

La Casa de los Aromas (ad) is a Spanish shop for home fragrance, including diffusers, air fresheners and candles. Before buying for a rented home, also check that your home insurance covers fire and accidental damage.

FAQ: Christmas decorating in Spain

Can I put lights on my balcony in a flat?

Usually yes, but your community of owners (comunidad de propietarios) can have rules about the façade. Use outdoor-rated lights, fix them with insulated clips and do not drill into shared walls without permission.

Are cheap lights from online marketplaces safe?

Not always. Check for the CE mark, the name of the company responsible and instructions in the box. If a product looks poorly made or has no markings, do not use it.

Can I leave the tree lights on overnight?

No. Spain’s consumer authority advises switching all Christmas lights off when you go to bed or leave the house. A timer makes this easy.

When do Spanish homes take decorations down?

Most families keep them up until after Three Kings on 6 January.

Useful links

• Consumer authority: safe use of light strings (Spanish, PDF)
• Comunidad de Madrid emergency services: safe Christmas tips (Spanish)

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and prices change, so check with the official source before you decide. Links marked “(ad)” are affiliate links – NewInSpain may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.