Los Tres Reyes Magos (English)

On January the sixth, some nations around the world celebrate the story about the arrival of the three wise men to Jesus upon his birth. For some it’s a time of family, for others a second Christmas for gifts. That is to say, families would buy gifts to give around to the rest of the family like Santa’s second coming. Spain is one of the most enthusiastic Three wise men (or kings) is a time that involves feasting, family and gifts. I had the pleasure of being in Spain at the time visiting family.

We lived in a suburb east of Madrid close to Coslada. The day started on the fifth of January with a big breakfast feast. We ordered churros and many different types of sweets. Some marzipan from Toledo and local mandarins. We enjoyed our first stuffing of the day and decide to spend the rest of the day in Madrid. The eve of the three wise kings was a vibrant time with parades all over the country. To experience one of the biggest in Spain, we went to the centre of Madrid.

Puerta del Sol

We took this time to explore the area. We went to Puerta del Sol to enjoy a nice coffee and soak in the beautiful architecture. We planned to make extensive use of what this special day had to offer. We went a bakery to had turrón and more marzipan. The bakery was especially large for its centrality. I can’t recall the name, although it seemed very popular. The place was teeming with life with a large queue waiting to be served. The venue offered some amazing looking cakes, pastries and apple pies. They also served self-made donuts, bagels and sandwiches. Of course, we were looking for something sweeter. Keep in mind that turrón is normally produced at this part of the almost exclusively.

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The time being just after noon, the whole area was alive. The famed city of Madrid known for its festivities. However, the main event for the day was the parade. We spent the rest of the day looking around, seeing the decorations, the different performing bands. All the colourful baskers performing many different types of songs. Some wildly dressed ones performed tricks, some street cup gamblers and some who performed the best breakdance moves on this side of the Iberian Peninsula.

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After enjoying the festivities for several hours, much of the day had passed and the evening crept in, the parade began in full force. A massive crowd began flanking the parade street. Voices speaking in all languages from Spanish to Mandarin to Arabic. This particular parade has nationwide recognition. We squeezed through the crowd to get a great view of the parade.

The Parade

It began with the performers leading the way, music and dancers led the street. The crowd started cheering as the first float made its way. It was a spectacular mixture of vibrant colours and flare. The parade is supposed to represent celebration, peace and solidarity.

The colourful floats rolled in with dressed up individuals dancing, laughing and cheering the crowd on. The floats are completely covered in lights. Very bright and visible from some distance. After a few floats we spotted the large float of the three wise men. They waved at screaming kids as the crowd exploded. They were riding a train with carriages lit up like a Christmas tree lights on steroids. As is tradition, they began throwing candy at the crowd. It’s as if their carriage was an ocean and they threw waves and waves of sweets to the anticipating kids.

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I found the whole scene a bit funny. It seems to be a bit of a tradition for Spanish people to throw stuff to passer-by’s. The Tomatina, another Spanish tradition where people would throw tomatoes at crowds of white shirt participants came to mind. Another event worth being part of. However, that is not the theme of this adventure.

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I cheekily managed to grab a few chuches (sweets) that were thrown my way. My little cousins who joined us were going nuts, grabbing more candy than their pockets can hold. At the end of their journey, the three wise men made a speech that repeated the importance of those three values mentioned previously. The night inevitably ended with every child picking every last bit of candy before the sweepers clean the street.

My cousins had been going through a sugar rush for the rest of the night. We took the metro home and ended with a massive feast with the family. There are many traditional meats and cheeses to eat. Seafood is always a common cuisine to be served during the Spanish holidays. If you find yourself in Spain during this time. Make sure to check out the parades in Madrid. Or if you’re not able to make it, many cities throughout Madrid and most of Spain have their own three wise men parades.

When celebrating this event, make sure to have a generous amount of local desserts and eat well. Feasting is a popular way to celebrate holidays here. Happy Holidays!