Arcadia Spain

In Spain Christmas holidays last until January 6, the Three Kings’ Day (also known as The Three Wise Men). They are the ones who bring presents to everybody.

According to the tradition, the three kings (Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar) followed a star that showed them the way to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus, who had just been born.  As a present, they offered him gold, incense and myrrh.

On January 1^st, children write letters to the Three Wise Men explaining them how well they have behaved during the whole year and what kind of presents they want for it. Theoreticaly, the better the children have been along the year, the better gifts they can receive. If a child hasn’t been “good”, he can receive a piece of coal instead, which is made of sugar and eatable.

Children give the letter to the Three Kings or emissaries and royal postmen who arrive to the city to collect them.

Finaly, on the night of January 5^th, families go out to the streets to see they Three Kings parade. They come riding camels, on boats or on convertible cars accompanied by royal pages who throw sweets and goodies to the children.  They are parades celebrated all over Spain on this day. Each has its own particular style, depending on where you are. In Barcelona, the Three Wise Men arrive by sea.

After having seen the Three Kings parade through the city, the children run home to clean their shoes and place them in a good spot for the kings to see them. That way, the three kings know who to leave each present for. It is also a tradition for families to leave water and turrón typical Christmas nougat) for the Kings and their camels: they travel from a long distance and have a lot of work to do that night!

And on the morning of January 6^th, the most awaited morning of the whole year, children get up early to discover the presents that have been let next to their shoes and that the water and turrón have been drunk and eaten by the Three Kings.

The traditions ends eating the Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake decorated with candied fruit which represents the jewels on the clothing of the Three Kings. The cake can be filled with whipped cream, truffle cream or pumpkin jam. Apart from this filling, there are also two other things to be found in the cake: a faba bean and a king. The tradition says that whoever finds the faba bean has to pay the Roscón, but the person who finds the king will be named the King or Queen and it is said to have good luck for the rest of the year.

Don’t miss this Magical and Festive tradition!