Dia de los reyes
It is customary to begin celebrations one day before the feast day of the Magi.
Participants in the parade throw candy and other gifts, and children use inverted open umbrellas to catch the candy. The cabalgata called a cavalcade or parade.Disney, television stations, and department stores sometimes sponsor: The parade, led by the municipal police on horseback, features approximately 30 groups or floats.
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TV crews broadcast the whole event for those who stay at home. After 5 pm, the path has more families, and 7:30 pm has more adults than children.
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On the twelfth night or Epiphany, there are booths outside department stores where children can meet the three kings and tell them what gifts they want to receive that year.īy 3 pm, the parade routes are full of eager spectators looking for front-row spots. The Cabalgata or Cavalcade or ParadeĪfter Christmas is the most popular time to shop for Three Kings, the sweet bread made from candied fruit, Roscón de Reyes, goes on display in bakeries before the feast. Christmas has thus remained a more serene day untouched by commercialism. The Three Kings is the traditional day of gift-giving in Spain. Spanish Christmas traditions did not include Santa Claus or Christmas trees until recently. In Spanish, they’re called Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar.
But Christians filled in the details and even named them. The biblical text doesn’t make explicit that there were three magi, nor does it specify that they were men or kings. The feast commemorates the Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to the newborn Jesus in Matthew 2:1-11. For the celebration of Jesus’ birth, children wait for the Magi instead of Santa Claus. This tradition suggests saving some presents to open on January 6. Most kids open their gifts on January 6 rather than on December 25. It’s a Christian tradition remembering the wise men’s gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh to Jesus. It is an integral part of the Christmas season, culminates in the 12 days of Christmas, and occurs on January 6. Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries observe Three Kings Day, also known as Día de Los Reyes Magos. As much as it is a religious affair focused on the Three Kings in the Christian tradition, it is very much a civic affair, shaped, as it has been throughout history, by the goals of particular governments. The cabalgata, called a cavalcade or parade, highlights Noche de Reyes in Madrid and many other cities. Some Spanish families also celebrate Santa, but the most important ones are Los Reyes Magos. On the night before Three Kings Day, January 6, the wise men deliver gifts to Spanish children. The Three Wise Men-or Los Reyes Magos- take the limelight during the Christmas season. As the holiday season approaches in Spain, Santa Claus isn’t the center of attention.