Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

About a month ago I suddenly started noticing something quite interesting as I was walking to and from my private lessons near the Plaza Mayor. Overnight there began to appear metal pits and little shacks and the thick scent of smoke in the air on any given corner near the city center. What you have to understand is that by this point I'm so used to weird things happening everywhere that I paid little attention to what it was that was going on. Every time I would pass by I would think, 'Weird..' and then I would continue on my way, cutting through the line of people that formed at these little shacks. This is what I saw:

And after asking around a little bit, I found out that they are selling chestnuts that have been roasted on an open fire. Here in Salamanca you can buy twelve castañas (that is, chestnuts) for one euro and they give them to you in a rolled up newspaper, as pictured above. One day between private lessons I was starving so I decided to give the chestnuts a try and they really do make for a delicious snack. Since they have been roasted, it is really easy to peel off the outer shell, and they are also nice and warm, which is nice since it is a bit chilly over here. 

Apparently the roasting and selling of chestnuts is a long-running tradition here in Spain during the holiday season. I think it's pretty great because every time I see those chestnut-roasting men out there doing their thing, I can't help but sing the Christmas carol in my head:

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Jack frost nipping at your nose...

Aaaand that's pretty much all the words I remember in that song up until:

Although it's been said many times, many ways

Merry Christmas to you

Anyway, that tradition has my vote. Nothing like eating chestnuts and getting Christmas carols stuck in your head to put you in the Christmas-y spirit. 

This doesn't hurt the spirit either:

Official countdown to Christmas break starts for me: 1 DAY!

Official countdown to Christmas Day: 4 DAYS!

XOXOXO