We arrived in Spain on December 10 so the locals were already in the Christmas season. In Spain, it starts on the 8th with the feast of the Immaculate Conception and continues until January 6 (the Epiphany). The Spanish airline we flew on from London had the typical magazine in the seat pocket except that the articles were in both English and Spanish. The one that caught my eye was on the changing Christmas celebrations in Spain. The author attributed the diminishing emphasis on the traditional celebrations to the influence of American culture. In Spain, the three wise men bring gifts to the children on the eve of the Epiphany. Santa, though, is slowly strengthening his grip on the people of Spain and displacing the wise men. We saw a lot of blow-up Santas rappelling from balconies or beckoning shoppers into stores. Resistance is futile.