Christmas Stuff

I saw an article the other day written for the British about Christmas in Spain (in the Telegraph). There will be lots more of similar efforts in the English-language papers in the weeks to come, including endless talk of the 'Gordo' - muddling up the name of the prize with the lottery itself, more properly called the Lotería de Navidad. Other Christmas highlights of articles include the importance of the Three Kings (now apparently the wise men that came from Andalucía, according to His Holiness the Pope - much to the satisfaction of the andaluces, I might add). Noche Buena - Christmas Eve, Noche Vieja - New Year's Eve, celebrated in Mojácar with so many fireworks that you think the Moors themselves had returned. Oh, and the wretched cageners: the little pooping dolls from Catalonia that lurk in the Nativity Scenes...
Three things that are less discussed but are typical of Christmas here: 
The frankly horrible villancicos played on loudspeakers and in shops - shrill piping children's voiced carols. 
Polverones: Small cakes made of flour and sugar that dissolve into a floury and sugary powder in your mouth. Impossible to swallow. Watch for these! 
Pascueros which are poinsettias - a plant which has somehow taken off rather like holly in England. Almería Town Hall, for example, has just planted 24,000 of the damn things in the city gardens.