El Pessebre de Nadal - nativity scenes. A Spanish and Catalan Christmas would not be complete without the nativity scene, complete with palm trees, shepherds, three kings, Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus.

The nativity scene in Catalonia is called “El Pessebre de Nadal” in Catalan. Pessebre means "stable", but El Pessebre de Nadal refers to the manger or the crib, where Christ was born.

It is also called 'El Belén' in Spanish. 'Belén de Judá' means 'Bethlehem of Judea'

Crib scene displays can be found many places in Barcelona on plazas, in churches and in all Catalan homes, both in statue form and living nativity plays called "pessebres vivents".

The official Barcelona outdoor pessebre is on Plaça Sant Jaume in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona which is open from beginning of December.

There is a small but delightful Pessebre exhibition that opens at Christmas by the Iglesia de Belén chruch on La Rambla street.

Christmas guide Barcelona
Pictures Pessebres