Taradell“Whether or not I’m the oldest person in Spain doesn’t matter to me,” says Carme Noguera, a 111-year-old historic nurse. She does not attach much importance to the title of the longest-lived person in the State, which a few weeks ago was taken from her by a resident of León, aged 112. Although she remains the oldest in Catalonia, there is another recognition she has recently received that makes her much more excited: that of being a great-grandmother. When asked about this, she smiles and confesses that “he’s a very smart boy since he was born and being a great-grandmother is very cute”, and he can’t help telling some anecdotes with the boy.
In fact, Carme is a very familiar woman, and like every year she plans to celebrate the Christmas holidays with those who love her the most. “I don’t organize anything, now my daughter takes care of it,” she says, but she acknowledges that there are some traditions that for her cannot be missed on these designated dates. “Every year we eat cannelloni for St. Stephen’s Day, we make the uncle shit and we receive a visit from the Kings,” he says. However, Carme confesses that what she likes most is the bowl of cookies with balls, so they have to prepare it year after year without fail.
Christmas is a special time for this centenarian, and when Dolors, her daughter, reminds her of the most outstanding milestone of these days, her face lights up: “Núria, my great granddaughter, is back from Brussels! We love each other very much.” He explains that he has been living abroad for a long time and, as happens in many homes, these days are also reunion dates, which is what Carme is most looking forward to.
A Christmas with new traditions
The daughter takes out her cell phone and starts a video. A group of elderly people can be seen singing the Christmas carol He us from the seaand Carme appears in the foreground, wearing a necklace and blouse perfect for the occasion. It seems, therefore, that it is never too late to adopt new Christmas customs. “It was his first concert with the residence choir,” explains Dolors. Once a week the members of the choir meet to rehearse, but this was Carme’s first performance in front of the public. “I really liked it, and I wasn’t nervous at all,” she says proudly.
Although Carme celebrates Christmas with enthusiasm, for her the big party always falls on August 22, her birthday. “Today, at home, no one else would fit in,” says the daughter jokingly. When she turned 110 she had four different celebrations: one with her family, one with her doctors, one with her friends and the last one with her English classmates, a language she was learning until she was 105 years old.
This curiosity and constant learning have been two key drivers in reaching the centenarian stage with a clear mind, but he confesses that he still has some work to do. “As a child, the Reis brought me a toy piano. I was very excited, but I would have preferred it to be a real one to learn to play,” he explains.
He has very fond memories of Christmas during his childhood. He says that back then he was already making his uncle poop – even though he brought food and not toys like now – and that the sign to know that there were already presents under the blanket was to hear a bottle of champagne being uncorked. The cavalcade of the Kings passed through the door of his house and the children waited with a lantern in hand, and moreover his family had the habit of setting up a very shiny nativity scene. The biggest change for Carme, if she compares Christmas at the beginning of the 20th century with the one now, is the family, because “now the parents are no longer there”, but she has welcomed children and grandchildren who celebrate it with her.
A 2025 marked by a hospital admission
This year has not been easy for Carme, who had to spend four months in hospital because her health became complicated following a fall. During this time, she says that the doctors at Vall d’Hebron Hospital have been her “guardian angels”, and both she and Dolors are full of praise for the center’s medical team. The daughter thinks that the doctors at other hospitals did not want to operate on her because of ageism. “They only looked at the age of the card, and did not look at its good condition. The operation has saved his life,” he says.
Admission meant that his social life had to slow down, but even now he likes to tell anecdotes and jokes whenever he has the opportunity. And what has the oldest woman in Catalonia asked the Kings of the Orient this year? “May they bring me health, strength and make me a little younger!” he says. And if she had to give the key to reaching the age of 111, Carme Noguera is clear: “You have to eat little, sleep a lot, have a sense of humor and, above all, not die.”
Aiko Tanaka is a combat sports journalist and general sports reporter at Archysport. A former competitive judoka who represented Japan at the Asian Games, Aiko brings firsthand athletic experience to her coverage of judo, martial arts, and Olympic sports. Beyond combat sports, Aiko covers breaking sports news, major international events, and the stories that cut across disciplines — from doping scandals to governance issues to the business side of global sport. She is passionate about elevating the profile of underrepresented sports and athletes.
