| The Cabalgata los Reyes MagosTwelfth Night Children's Parade Traditional Three Kings Parade in Spain Entertainment in Spain Holidays in Spain |
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The holiday season in Spain ends with the traditional Kings’ Day parade, as Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior (pictured above) travel through the streets of cities, towns and villages in Spain throwing sweets out to the assembled crowds of children and adults. A popular cultural tradition in Spain is the day of the Three Kings (Reyes Magos). The event varies immensely according to town and city. Celebrations can take the form of theatrical re-enactments, traditional pageants or the more common sweet distribution for children. Madrid opts for the latter of the three and on a scale that is likely to keep every Madrid dentist busy for the year to come. Hoards of people turn up to bear witness to the event. Estimates in the last few years have put the attendance figure at around half a million. Children and parents alike grin and bear the Christmas cold. Sweet tooth or no sweet tooth this event is bound to sweeten up your Christmas! Traditional Christmas Events in Spain THREE KINGS PARADE Christmas Festivities in Teulada-Moraira According to Hispanic tradition, gifts are exchanged on Epiphany rather than Christmas Day. Children eagerly await the Reyes Magos, or Three Wise Men, who shower the crowds with sweets and toys during Epiphany parades, or cabalgata, all over the country. Every town and city in Spain has its own cabalgata. The night of the 5 January (the eve of Epiphany) is awaited with more anticipation by Spanish children than Christmas Eve, for the Reyes Magos, or Three Wise Men, are the Latin equivalent of Father Christmas. It is traditional for children to leave their shoes on their windowsills and fill them with straw for the horses of the visiting trio, who deliver presents to the children on the morning of the 6 January. Remember to go to your local bakery to buy your rosco de reyes, a large donut-shaped cake filled with cream. Don't be alarmed when you bite into it and feel something hard. Every rosco has a little king inside and the person who finds it has to pay for the cake The Three Kings Procession (Cabalgata de Reyes) Cadiz According to Hispanic tradition, gifts are exchanged on Epiphany rather than Christmas Day. Children in Cadiz eagerly await the Reyes Magos, or Three Wise Men, who shower the crowds with sweets and little toys during the big Epiphany parade, or cabalgata. Every town and city in Spain has its own cabalgata. In Cádiz the procession leaves one of the major high schools in the area, Insitituto Fernando Quiñones, at around 6.30pm and passes through the main streets in the city: Avenida Duque de Nájera, Avenida Doctor Gómez Ulla, Paseo Carlos III, Alameda de Apodaca, Plaza Arguelles, Avenida Ramón de Carranza, ending in Plaza de San Juan de Dios. The beautiful nativity scenes, or belenes, displayed in every church during this period are well worth a visit. Remember to go to your local bakery to buy your rosco de reyes, a large donut-shaped cake filled with cream. Don't be alarmed when you bite into it and feel something hard. Every rosco has a little king inside and the person who finds it has to pay for the cake Cadiz Tourist Office Cádiz Plaza de San Antonio 3, 2a Planta, 11003 Cadiz Email: turismo@dispucaiz.es Procession of the Three Kings-Mao ( Mahon) Menorca On the eve of Epiphany,the night before the Three Wise Men arrive to give presents to good children, there is an ornate procession in Maó to celebrate their arrival. This is a family-oriented event ideal for small children The mythology of the Three Wise Men, or Three Kings, states that they come riding into town on their camels. This is not entirely practical here, so instead they sit on huge ornate floats, decorated with cartoon characters and Christmas items, throwing out sweets to the waiting families below as they parade through the town Menorca Tourist Office Menorca C/ Sa Rovellada de Dalt, 24, 07703 Mao, Minorca Email: infomenorcamao@cime.es Phone: +34 971 363 790 Parade of the Three Wise Men - Seville Seville's Epiphany parade takes place at sundown, when the Three Kings arrive in a golden carriage and make their way through the streets, throwing sweets and toys to thousands of wide-eyed children The night of the 5 January is awaited with more anticipation by Spanish children than Christmas Eve, for the Reyes Magos, or Three Wise Men, are the Latin equivalent of Father Christmas. During the evening, more than 30 floats pass through the city, distributing 90 metric tonnes of candy. It is also traditional for children to leave their shoes on their windowsills and fill them with straw for the horses of the visiting trio, who deliver presents to the children on the morning of the 6 January Seville Tourist Office (Municipal) Seville Edificio Costurero de La Reina, Calle Paseo de las Delicias, 9, 45013 Sevilla Phone: +34 954 23 44 65 Tourist Office at the Junta de Andalusia Andalusia Plaza Mariana de Pineda 10, Granada Phone: +34 958 24 71 28 The magic of the Three Wise Men The most magical moment of the year, especially for the little ones. On 5 January they get their presents from the Three Wise Men. In Spain it is Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar who bring Christmas presents to children who have been good during the year. After writing a letter, in which they tell the Kings which presents they would like, the long-awaited day finally arrives. The Wise Men parade through the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Spain in traditional cavalcades. Their camels loaded with presents, they go through the streets handing out sweets, accompanied by their royal pages. Little by little the colourful floats go by, entertaining all the family. Of all these parades, the one in Alcoi, Alicante, is particularly outstanding - it is Spain's oldest. When night falls, children go to bed early to wait for Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar to come in through the window and leave presents in their shoes. THE NIGHT OF THE THREE WISE MEN. THE PARADE At the end of the Christmas period comes the day dedicated to children. The 6th January (Epiphany or day of the Three Kings) is when children in Spain get their presents, after waiting all through the holiday period. Before going to bed, children leave their shoes in a visible spot in the house, or out on the balcony. They go to sleep with the excitement of waking up to discover the presents that Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar will have brought for them. On the afternoon before, there is the Three Kings Parade, where children can greet the Three Wise Men as they make their way through the streets, and ask them for the presents they want. The parade in Higuera de la Sierra (Huelva province) is particularly interesting: This cavalcade, which represents scenes from the Old Testament, has been filling the packed streets of this village with excitement, joy and colour since 1918. Thousands of visitors converge here throughout the course of the day. The Three Kings Parade in Higuera is the second oldest in Spain and has the National Tourist Interest designation Twelfth Night Procession Barcelona (La Cabalgata de Los Reyes Magos) The Cabalgata los Reyes Magos, or Twelfth Night procession, is a popular cultural tradition in Spain and Latin America. Barcelona chooses to celebrate the event at sea and crowds gather at the harbour steps of the Moll de Fusta to witness the glorious arrival of the three Wise Men.The first sightings of the kings' boat are met with fireworks and a riotous cacophany of fog horns from a flotilla gathered in the port, while a 21-gun salute welcomes them to dry land. A colourful procession, led by the mayor and the metropolitan guard, heads towards the city centre past some of the city's major monuments, culminating at the floodlit fountain of Montuic, where classical music written especially for the event is played. It's a great spectacle Moll de La Fusta to Montjuic , Barcelona, Spain Central Tourist Office Barcelona Plaza de Catalunya 17, 08002 Barcelona Phone: +34 93 285 3834 Barcelona Tourist Office Catalonia Aeroport de Barcelona Terminal A, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Email: ot.aeroportbcn.ctc@gencat.net Phone: +34 93 478 4704 Parade of the Three Wise Men- Malaga The traditional Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, or Parade of the Three Wise Men, is held every year in Malaga's town centre. Kings Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar lead a colourful parade and hundreds of children gather to catch the sweets and little toys that they scatter from their floats.In Spain, gifts are traditionally exchanged on Epiphany, rather than Christmas Day. During the weeks preceding the 5 January, children queue outside El Corte Inglés, the biggest chain store in town, to hand their letter to the Three Kings, and then eagerly await the arrival of their presents on the morning of Epiphany.Dia de Reyes celebrations in Malaga begin at 5pm on the 5 January, when the three kings arrive at the port. Once they reach their respective floats, a child reads them a letter requesting presents on behalf of all the children in Malaga and the parade from the Paseo del parque to the Town Hall begins.At the end of the day, the main post office organises a festival that includes a wide variety of performers and entertainers, from singers to illusionists Costa del Sol Tourist Board Málaga Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de la Costa del Sol, 4ª planta, c/Mexico, s/n, 29620 Torremolinos, Málaga, Spain Email: info@visitcostadelsol.com Phone: +34 95 205 8694 Malaga (Costa del Sol) Tourist Office Málaga Calle México s/n, Torremolinos, Málaga Phone: +34 952 058 694/+34 952 061 280 Procession of the Three Kings Palma de Mallorca On Epiphany Eve, the night before the Three Wise Men arrive to give presents to good children, there is an ornate procession in Palma de Mallorca to celebrate their arrival. This is a family-oriented event ideal for small children.The mythology of the Three Wise Men, or Three Kings, states that they come riding into town on their camels. This is not entirely practical in Palma so instead they sit on huge ornate floats, decorated with cartoon characters and Christmas items, as they parade through the city, throwing out sweets to the waiting families below La Palma Tourist Office La Palma Patronato de Turismo - Cabildo de La Palma Avda. Marítima, 3 Santa Cruz de la Palma, 38700, La Palma Phone: +34 922 41 21 06 Mallorca Tourist Office Mallorca Plaça de la Reina 2, Palma 07012 (drop-in centre on Sant Domingo Street, Palma, just near the Cathedral) Email: turisme@a-palma.es Phone: +34 971 712 216 The Three Kings All over Spain, the Three Kings will be celebrated. The oldest claims to be in Alcoi, Valencia, Spain The Magic is Back: Melchior, Casper and Balthazar Are Here Again The triumphal entrance of Melchior, Casper and Balthazar into the city of Alcoy will take place in the afternoon of 5th January, accompanied by a spectacular retinue, and together they will travel round the main streets of this Alicante city in order to bring toys and gifts to all the children. The first written references to the celebration of the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos de Alcoy (Alcoy Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men) dates back to 1866, and during all this time the most central streets of the city have enjoyed the magic of a parade in which the children ask for presents by leaving their letters in the saddlebags of the donkeys and they are raised up onto the backs of the camels in order to be able to kiss Their Majesties. The cavalcade begins at 6 o' clock in the afternoon starting from El Camí then travelling round the main streets of the city. One of the high points of this cavalcade takes place in the square known as Plaza de España with the Adoration of the Infant Jesus by the Kings. Meanwhile, hundreds of pages go around the streets bearing gifts and they reach the balconies of homes, one by one, using very long ladders in order to hand over the gifts that the children have asked for. No child ends up without a present. The oriental music and the torchlight that lights up the streets creates a magical and dearly-beloved atmosphere, which, together with the ancient tradition and enormous popularity that characterises this cavalcade, have contributed to its being declared a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest. 6th January All over Spain, the Three Kings will be celebrated. The oldest claims to be in Alcoi, Valencia The Magic is Back: Melchior, Casper and Balthazar Are Here Again The triumphal entrance of Melchior, Casper and Balthazar into the city of Alcoy will take place in the afternoon of 6th January, accompanied by a spectacular retinue, and together they will travel round the main streets of this Alicante city in order to bring toys and gifts to all the children. The first written references to the celebration of the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos de Alcoy (Alcoy Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men) dates back to 1866, and during all this time the most central streets of the city have enjoyed the magic of a parade in which the children ask for presents by leaving their letters in the saddlebags of the donkeys and they are raised up onto the backs of the camels in order to be able to kiss Their Majesties. The cavalcade begins at 6 o' clock in the afternoon starting from El Camí then travelling round the main streets of the city. One of the high points of this cavalcade takes place in the square known as Plaza de España with the Adoration of the Infant Jesus by the Kings. Meanwhile, hundreds of pages go around the streets bearing gifts and they reach the balconies of homes, one by one, using very long ladders in order to hand over the gifts that the children have asked for. No child ends up without a present. The oriental music and the torchlight that lights up the streets creates a magical and dearly-beloved atmosphere, which, together with the ancient tradition and enormous popularity that characterises this cavalcade, have contributed to its being declared a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest. As well as Alcoy the Reyes Magos will be taking their surprises and good cheer to many other places. CABALGATA DE LOS REYES MAGOS The Cavalcade of Kings Magos de Alcoy, celebration of National Tourist Interest, is the oldest Cavalcade of all Spain. His orígines dates from 1885. The first representation of the entrance of Its Magestades in the city, is documented in 1866. The first year was this in which the alcoyanos children could see ahead like his, crossing the streets they happened with great pomp and loaded of gifts the three Monarchs. The proximity of the celebrations navideñas is announced in Alcoy by the assembly of the Tirisiti. It is a theater similar to the marionettes but whose personages handle themselves with rods that are driven from the low ones of a scene, where the main protagonist that gives name to these singular functions, is the axis of a history that the birth of God, the celebrations of Moors mixes and Christians, the arrival of Kings Magos and other disparatadas occurrences that make the great and small delights of. These functions go back at the end of century XIX and are declared Intangible good of Cultural Interest. KINGS' CAVALCADE The Kings' cavalcade, celebrated in Alcoi is one of the most important in the Valencian Community. Tradition indicates that it is the oldest in Spain, dating back to 1885. During the celebrations, the ‘pajes' gain access to the houses using wooden ladders, an event that is emotionally charged. At Christmas the Betlem de Tirisiti is also represented, declared as being of Cultural Interest in 2002. Throughout Christmas the Betlem de Tirisiti is also represented, declared as being an Immaterial asset of Cultural interest in 2002, the day of the Pastoretes and the 4th of January " les burretes " gather letters to make sure they reach the Magestades de Oriente | |
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