It’s crept up on us again, Christmas is racing in and Los Gigantes is bracing itself for a bumper crop of visitors for the festive season. The friendly community feel of the west coast is never more evident than at this time of year and re-located Brits that have bought a property soon discover the special attractions of a Tenerife christmas.

While a trip up to the capital Santa Cruz answers all those big department store needs, some of the best and more personal gifts can be found in the small family run shops in the heart of Los Gigantes. Souvenirs with a local flavour are a great way to share that Canarian spirit with friends and family. The church plaza always looks delightful decked out for Christmas and New Year and it’s a focal point for celebrations and music.

The festive season Tenerife style packs a lot in, of course Christmas Day is celebrated with echoes of back home, sprouts an all, but many Canarian shops and restaurants will be open as usual, they tend to have a big family meal the evening before. Boxing Day is not part of the Spanish calendar but it’s another chance for celebrations, the two big days at the beach or around the pool can be quite a novelty. New Years Eve is a huge event with the church plaza again playing a central role but come midnight local traditions like eating a grape for each stroke of the clock are eagerly shared and the firework displays that greet the new year are always tremendous.

There’s still the biggest Tenerife celebration to come,Reyes – Kings Day, January 6 commemorating the three kings, they ride into town on camels the night before showering the crowd with sweets and then dishing out presents from the stage. It’s one of the great traditions and a large mixed community like Los Gigantes welcomes all to join in. These are just some of the annual festivities to look forward to once you find a property and make the move to live at least part of your year in Tenerife.