I bought my sis a tiny fibre optic tree to take with them but they were in an apartment I'm sure you will find everywhere decorated! ( We have been to Canaries , Spain and Madeira over the festive period they were all decorated Madeira especially so fireworks the lot ! agree on a date pref after you get home and have your own Christmas then all the usual crackers and turkey will be reduced price too ! and just enjoy your holiday most hotels include gala dinners for Christmas and New Year might be worth e-mailing the hotel to check enjoy your holiday

My two youngest are 14 and 15 now and we go to Tenerife every christmas and new year. I would imagine where you are going would be pretty much the same at christmas and that is that most hotels/ shops etc are decorated for christmas but without all the hype you get over here. Most restaurants do Christmas dinners although some you may have to book. As for the kids what we tend to do now is take their cards which normally contain money now from their grandparents, aunts etc with us and a few christmassy treats i.e. sweets etc, although if you are that restricted on luggage you may find it easier to buy that sort of thing when you arrive. This year our daughter wanted clothes so apart from the clothes we had already bought for the holiday we gave her money for when we returned and she had a girly shopping day with her mate when we got home. She got loads for her money as the January sales where on so she was happy. Our son who is 14 wanted a PSP so we took him out while in Tenerife (to a recommended electrical shop not one of the ones mentioned in other topics) and he got what he wanted, PSP, memory card, games, speakers etc etc and we saved ourselves over £100 on UK prices so we where happy too. New Years eve you will find there are large firework displays everywhere so it does not really matter where you are as I am sure you will be able to see a few of these at the same time. Just go with the flow and relax, I used to panic about being away at Christmas thinking about the kids not having all those pressies to open christmas morning but they love the fact that while everyone is freezing here they are sitting on the beach or swimming in the pool. Spanish christmas is a more family orientated occassion not the money orientated occassion we know as christmas in the UK. It's not even christmas over here now as the shops start getting their christmas bits in around the end of August and by December everyone has had enough. Have a great holiday, relax and enjoy a traditional christmas, the kids might surprise you as mine did and not be that bothered that they are missing christmas in the UK.

Best Wishes
Jackie

Hi Craine.
We go for 3 weeks and still manage to take Christmas and Birthday presents for our son, and presents for relatives who come with us, I try to find 'light' ones. i.e dvds, cds, jewellery and watches, things like that as they don't take up much space.

And don't forget all your children will have 15kgs allowance so if I was you I would put any presents in your case so they dont see them and use their cases for some of your clothes. and also you will have your hand luggage allowance. And then any heavy presents they can have when they get back.
And the best present of all for them is being on holiday. what more could they ask for?

One year we took a pop up tent!!! last time we took a portable DVD Player.

Our Son opens 3 lots of pressies on holiday as we are there for the Spanish Christmas too, and then all his Christmas and Birthday ones from relatives and us as soon as we get back.

As we go S/C we also take loads of teabags, a big jar of coffee, lots of chocs and obviously toiletries to last 3 weeks. so I think you will be okay with your allowances.

On Christmas Eve we always put a mince pie, carrot and a glass of juice on the balcony, and put his Christmas sack out there, so he thinks Santa as left it there for him, we have been doing this since he was 2, now he's 10 I somehow don't think he believes us
Have a great time.

Lizzie