Three Days of Christmas, Spanish family drama set at Christmas

The three sisters in middle age in Three Days of Christmas

Three Days of Christmas (Días de Navidad) tells a soapy melodrama about a family with lots of secrets. The story is told in 3 episodes set at Christmas time, each episode years apart. It’s a family saga, but shortened to three snippets of their lives.

Three Days of Christmas (Días de Navidad) uses so many different actors for each part as the characters age, I’m not going to attempt to name the actors. The only one I’m sure about is Elena Anaya, who played Esther in middle age.

The story begins the family’s three daughters are young. They are Maria, Adela, and Esther. A fourth girl named Valentina joins the family at this stage and is treated as a sister from then on. When Valentina is brought into the family, a death takes place that haunts everyone for years after.

The family lives in an isolated house near a lake and some woods. They seldom have guests but as the family grows with children and grandchildren the house is big enough to accommodate everyone.

When the girls are grown the family scatters. Adela stays in the house and marries someone she doesn’t love. She cares for the aging parents and has several children.

Esther leaves too. She has a daughter but doesn’t bring home a husband for holiday get togethers. She has a big secret about her daughter.

Maria is a closeted lesbian who lies to everyone well into adulthood. She finally gets found out and her secret is revealed. At least one of the secrets in this family is now known.

Valentina flees the family and doesn’t come back for almost 40 years.

Family members at different ages are pictured on the poster

The final episode of the 3 has the women probably in their 60s. Their mother is not well, their father is silent, and the secrets still hold. All four of the girls end up at the family home with children and grandchildren all around.

With Spanish dramas there’s always lots of excitement and emotion and this series is no different. It’s an interesting look at how secrets affect parents, children, and even grandchildren over time. The pressure of all the years of secrets finally brings things to a boil and the family learns about everything at last.

Even though the series is set at Christmas, I hesitate to label it a holiday series. Netflix chose to promote it at Christmas time, so that’s when it may come to your attention as well. It’s really about family and keeping family safe by hiding secrets that seem dangerous but sometimes aren’t. Secrets fester and damage lives and relationships in hidden ways. That’s what this story is really about.

If you watch it, I’d love to know what you thought of it.


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