On “El Día de los Reyes” Spain and Latin American countries celebrate the biblical adoration of baby Jesus by the three Kings, also known as the three Wise Men or Magi.
.jpg)
Photo: Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy: The Three Wise Men. Nina-no/Wikimedia
Kings are cooler than Santa
In a 2015 survey, Spanish children overwhelmingly chose the Three Kings as their favourite gift giver (67 percent) over Santa Claus (27 percent).
In Spain ‘Los Reyes Magos’ – Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar – play a similar role to Santa Claus in many other parts of the world. Spanish children write letters to the Three Kings, or Three Wise Men, who then bring the children gifts the night before, or on the morning of the Epiphany, January 6th.
In some houses children leave their shoes outside the door so that the Three Kings will fill them with gifts, often leaving bigger presents alonsgide.
Just as children in many other places leave out some food and drink for Santa, and a carrot for Rudolph, Spanish children make sure to leave a drink for each of the Three Kings and some food and drink for their camels – as this is the only night of the year when the animals eat and drink.
Three Kings Parades
Three Kings parade in Madrid in 2015. Photo: AFP
Huge Three Kings parades or ‘cabalgatas’ are held around Spain on January 5th. They are huge spectacles featuring hundreds of actors and are broadcast live on Spanish television.
Every city and sizeable town stages a parade, and one of the biggest, in Madrid, draws crowds of 100,000 people, including thousands of children eager to catch the sweets thrown into the crowd by the three kings themselves.
This year Madrid’s parade starts at 6.30pm in Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, from where it will process into the centre of the city, ending in front of the city hall at Plaza Cibeles at 8.45pm.
In Barcelona, the Three Kings will arrive by boat at the city’s port Moll de la Fusta at 4.30pm.
The procession will begin at 6pm on avenida del Marquès de l’Argentera and weave its way through central Barcelona, ending at 9.30pm at the magic fountain of Montjuïc.
The oldest Three Kings parade in Spain has taken place in Alcoy, Alicante since 1885. This year it will start at 6pm and end with a huge fireworks display in the centre of town.
Umbrellas are always required
Photo: jacinta lluch valero / Flickr
Even if the skies are clear and there is no forecast for rain, you will see children brandishing umbrellas as they line the parade route. The reason becomes clear as the King’s approach and the umbrellas are opened and turned upside down becoming the ideal receptacle for catching the handful of candies thrown into the crowds.
Controversy
Photo: Gerard Julien/AFP
The roles of the Three Kings in the famous parades have traditionally been played by city councillors. Because most are white, Balthazar has usually been played by a “blacked-up” white man, which has often been branded as racist by critics.
Last year, for the first time ever Madrid’s left-wing council has called time on the controversial tradition, promising to employ a black actor for the part “to reflect the integration and diversity that increasingly characterizes Madrid’s community.”
Some town councils have chosen to replace a King in the parade with a Queen all in the spirit of equality but causing outrage amongst traditionalists.
Roscón de Reyes
Photo: El Coleccionista de Instantes Fotografía & Video/Flickr
On January 6th, Spaniards typically tuck into a Roscón de Reyes, a Three Kings cake baked in a ring and decorated with candied fruit and hiding a, sometimes lucrative, surprise.
A small figurine of the baby Jesus, or a little toy for children, is typically hidden inside the dough, as is a dry fava bean. Whoever finds the toy is crowned king or queen of the celebration, while the one who finds the bean has to buy the Roscón next year.
This year El Corte Inglés has hidden gold ingots inside 251 of the Roscón cakes sold from its stores across Spain – which would be a sweet surprise for someone to find in their slice on January 6th.
Spanish Kings?
Might the three Kings originally have come from Andalusia? The last Pope thought so.
Source : TheLocal.es
