One Spanish tradition that our boys could really get on board with was the present-giving holiday of Día de los Reyes Magos, which meant they got TWO mornings of waking up to presents over the holiday break, since we still celebrated the American tradition of Santa coming the night of December 24th.
The festivities start on January 5th with the cabalgata de los reyes magos, or The Three Kings Parade, which take place in cities and towns all over Spain. Here in Seville, the parade consisted of over 30 huge, elaborate floats, was ¾ of a mile long and included dancers, marching bands, and the kings themselves on horseback. People lined the streets 20-deep while everybody involved in the parade hucked over NINETY TONS of candy at the crowds. Have you ever gotten hit in the head with a candy missile from the top of a 10-foot float? It hurts! According to one story I heard, Spaniards even have a word for getting hit in the head with candy: caramelazo.
On the night of the fifth, children leave their shoes out (after cleaning them thoroughly!) for the Three Kings to fill with presents. The children leave treats for the Kings and hay or carrots for their camels. And on the morning of the sixth, they wake up to a pile of presents (but only if they’ve been good!)
Another part of the Three Kings celebration that my boys were thrilled about was the roscón de reyes, the three kings cake, a doughnut-shaped, bread-like cake filled with sweet cream and topped with candied fruits. Like the famous kings cake of Mardi Gras, a little king figurine is baked into the cake – whoever finds it is “King of the Feast” – on this day, it was our youngest, who was more than happy to fill that role for the day!
Learning about and celebrating El Día de los Reyes Magos was a wonderful way to feel connected to our new home.
Interested in learning about new Spanish traditions to call your own? Email us to see how we can help get you to Spain!
