The Three Kings’ Day (el día de los Reyes Magos) celebrates the Epiphany on January 6th, and is the real Christmas Day (celebration wise) for most Spaniards. THE 6TH OF JANUARY IN ANDALUCIA Breakfast is a special occasion on January 6th with the Three Kings’ Cake (Roscón de Reyes) the centre of attention. At the end of the parade the three kings, los reyes magos, each have … How Spain's Three Kings Festival is Celebrated. Several regions across Spain have announced new Covid-19 restrictions for the Three Kings' festival and following days. From Spain to Puerto Rico to American cities like Miami and New York with significant Catholic, Spanish speaking populations, Three Kings' Day is often honored. By using Learn Religions, you accept our, The History Behind Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico, Guide to Christmas in Italy: Markets, Traditions, and Events, The Best Time to Visit the French Riviera, How to Celebrate Christmas and New Year's in Mexico, Welcome to Juana Diaz, Home of the Three Kings, How to Celebrate Christmas and New Years in Spain, Popular Foods and Sweets on the Christmas Table in Spain, 5 Reasons to Spend Your Next Christmas in Puerto Rico. Madrid has a grand, vibrant parade on the evening of January 5, for example.. Did you know that in Spain children receive their gifts on the 6th of January? Read on to learn more a… Even though virtually every family in Spain eats this dessert on January 6, almost everyone purchases a cake. The day of the Epiphany occurs on 6 January, and is said to be the day when the Three Kings or Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to give their gifts to baby Jesus. Differently from other Christmas traditions, in Spain the most important festival for children is the Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos ( Festival of the Three Magic Kings) on January 6, also known as Epiphany. On the evening of January 5th, the three elaborately dressed kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar, make appearances throughout Spain. In Spain ‘Los Reyes Magos’ - Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar - play a similar role to Santa Claus in many other parts of the world. Just as with Santa, children write letters to the kings and are encouraged to leave snacks for their exhausted camels before going to bed on the 5th. In Greece, swimming competitions have people dive into the water to retrieve crosses that have been thrown in, which represents the baptism of Jesus. The tradition here in Spain is that Los Reyes Magos, known as the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings in English, bring Spanish children their gifts on the Day of the Epiphany, January 6th. In Spain , this day is known as Kings' Day or the Día de Los Reyes, and is celebrated just like a second Christmas, with feasting and … Once the end-of-the-year parties are over and the New Year begins, in Spain, the children are still waiting for the most important day of the holiday season. From Monday, January 4th, new restriction measures regarding movement have … Traditionally, Santa arrives in secret sometime in the night, stealthily sliding down chimneys while everyone is fast asleep. In Alcoy, old folk and youngsters alike live Christmas and the arrival of the Three Wise Men with special excitement. Some big towns and cities have Epiphany Parades with each King having a big float that is shaped like a camel. It is to celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men - Melchior Caspar and Balthazar - to the city where Jesus was born. The three kings or wise men perform the same role as Santa Claus at Christmas, so on the evening of the 5th children are supposed to leave a cleaned pair of shoes outside their doors for the nocturnal visitors to fill with gifts. That might not be such a bad thing though, as some bakeries have been known to bake diamonds and cheques worth thousands of euros into the cakes, as well as mini monarchs and beans. Celebrated most in Spain and Latin America, but also across Europe, “El Dia de los Reyes”, as it’s called in Spanish, marks the adoration of baby Jesus by the three wise men. This is the day that families get together for a huge feast, unwrap presents (brought by the Three Wise Men/Kings… Damian Corrigan is a travel writer who has traveled extensively throughout Spain since moving there in 2003. On the twelfth day of Christmas, , we celebrate Three Kings Day! Each city and town hosts its own parade on the eve of Three Kings' Day, called the cabalgata, to celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings into Spain from their long journey. It's a tradition, especially for families, to come out and see the parade. Despite this, officially, the Spanish government held the first parade during the Christmas holidays in 1885. In Spain, he's known as Papá Noel, and arrives on a sleigh with reindeer just as in other parts of the world. It is always celebrated on A couple of weeks later, on January 6, Spain plays its second-largest lottery of the year, called El Niño. In Spain, children traditionally receive gifts on Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. For many Spanish families, January 6th is an important public holiday in which everyone comes together to watch the children unwrap their second load of presents in as many weeks. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK", A Kings' Day parade in Granada, Spain; StockphotoVideo/Shutterstock, A Kings’ Day parade in the Andalusian town of Velez-Málaga; Antonio Martin/Shutterstock, More Spanish children prefer receiving gifts from the three kings than from Santa Claus; Free-Photos/pixabay. Umbrellas are a traditional way for children to catch the candy that is thrown from the floats in the cabalgata, the parade held on Noche de Reyes, the eve of Three Kings Day. Many kids also leave out three glasses of warm milk and sweets for each of the kings, plus some hay or grass for their hungry camels. But given Spaniards’ love of a freebie, you’ll see plenty of adults with upturned umbrellas trying to catch as many as possible, too. Embedded inside is a plastic little king or queen and whoever finds it is monarch for the day, meaning they are entitled to be waited on hand and foot. The central part of the Three King’s celebration in Seville, and most other parts of Spain, is the huge parade that winds through the streets of the city on the 5th of January. Following routes through the main city plazas, the kings ride trucks, trailers, or floats (depending on the region) tossing candy to children as they ride by. It's one of Spain's most important holidays, not just for the gifts, but also for the massive parade, the national lottery, and the traditional kings' cake. The Three Kings, on the other hand, make a very public entrance with a lot of hubbub. SPAIN’S first black member of the Lower House of Congress has attacked an Alicante Council video promoting the ‘Three Kings’ which has a white man ‘blacked-up’. The main course varies from region to region and family to family. The forerunners of the monarchs of the Spanish throne were the following: Hidden inside the cake is also a bean, the unfortunate recipient of which has to buy the Roscon the following year. On Christmas Eve, families do host a big family dinner, which always begins with some cured hams and cheeses as appetizers and ends with turrón, a holiday candy made from almonds. Also referred to as the Feast of the Epiphany, this biblical holiday is celebrated each year on January 6 in Spain and many other Spanish-speaking countries. Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar are widely celebrated in Spain on Epiphany (Jan. 6), when they are said to have visited the infant Christ with gold, frankincense and myrrh. The sweets are supposedly just for kids, for whom this annual holiday has become the biggest deal for. Malaga regional hospital, particularly the children’s ward, today had a visit from the Three Kings themselves Melchior, Casper and Balthazar, Today January 5 will […] Learn about the three wise men — Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar — and other Spanish Christmas traditions. In Spain, jolly old St. Nick takes a backseat to the Three Kings of biblical lore, sometimes referred to as the Three Wise Men in English. In Italy and Greece, the Epiphany is celebrated in different ways. What’s more, they don’t receive presents from Santa Claus, but from the Three Kings. The Three Wise Men are seen during the Three Kings parade on January 5, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. As early as December, the ubiquitous holiday cake known as the roscón de Reyes, or kings' cake, starts appearing in the windows of bakeries and grocery stores across Spain. In Mexico, for example, a mile-long “Rosca de Reyes” cake is made to celebrate the holiday. The Cavalcade of the Magi parades are traditionally held in cities across Spain on January 5, the evening before Epiphany, sometimes called Three Kings' Day, with costumed performers riding through the streets on floats, while handing out sweets to children lining the route. For decades, Santa was a tradition reserved for the countries of Northern Europe and North America, but as U.S. traditions have become more and more widespread, it's not uncommon for children to receive a few smaller gifts on Christmas as well. On January 5, the eve of Three Kings' Day, Spanish children leave their empty shoes near the front door or window, hoping to find them filled with treats and presents the following morning. Good kids get presents and bad kids are supposed to receive a lump of coal. In Spanish tradition, the Three Kings are given names: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. A bakery in Madrid features its traditional Rosca de Reyes breads for sale in anticipation of Three Kings Day. January 5, 2021 13:14 EUROWEEKLY A hospital is not normally where you would expect to see the Three Kings, but it is an important visit for some possibly the most important. In Germanic countries, like Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, Dreikonigstag is the word for "Three Kings Day." This is Spain’s oldest parade, held since 1885. If you're in Spain during the holidays, you'll have to seek out a slice at a high-quality bakery. The Kings throw out candy to the excited spectators, who then rush home to bed so the Kings can visit and leave their presents. In Italy, stockings are hung by doors for the Kings to put presents in. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time of King Herod, the Three … Los Reyes Magos announce their arrival by means of a six-hour long journey through Seville known as La Cabalgata de Los Reyes . The ring-shaped pastry is decorated to look like a crown that a king would wear. It's difficult to prepare at home, and the most sought-after bakeries have their stocks reserved weeks before Kings' Day. Whether or not they were actually kings is up for debate, but their legend of gift-giving has lived on. The Festival of the Three Magic Kings in Spain. Sometimes there are also real camels in the parade. 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