What Does Spain Celebrate On January 6?
In Spain, Epiphany on January 6 is a public holiday and the day people exchange most of their Christmas presents. 
The three kings are also called wise men or magi. ©iStockphoto. com/Liliboas.
How does Spain celebrate 3 Kings day?
The 3 Kings Parade – Celebrations might look a little different in 2022, as Gran Canaria is currently at alert level 3 – meaning there are restrictions in place that forbid large gatherings and events. The celebrations usually start the day before, on the eve of January 5th, with La Cabalgata de Reyes Magos (the Three Kings’ parade).
People everywhere head to the streets to witness the arrival of the Three Kings, in carriages or on their camels, loaded with presents and accompanied by their helpers, who share sweets and goodies with everyone.
You’ll find different parades all over Spain, each one with its own style. It’s a real show of joy, light, colour and music! And the best bit? Everyone takes part. But, if it’s too cold to be outside, you can always watch the Three Kings riding through the streets on TV from the comfort of your own home! La Cabalgata de Reyes Magos (the Three Kings’ parade).
What happens on the 5th and 6th of January in Spain?
Known as El Día de los Reyes Magos , this day in the Spanish culture is considered to be Christmas day. It is an event that is celebrated on the night of January 5th and on the actual day of the Three Kings which is January 6th.
What events take place on January 6 in Spain?
What is Día de Los Reyes Magos? – Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries observe Three Kings Day , also known as Día de Los Reyes Magos. It is an integral part of the Christmas season, culminates in the 12 days of Christmas, and occurs on January 6.
It’s a Christian tradition remembering the wise men’s gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh to Jesus. Most kids open their gifts on January 6 rather than on December 25. This tradition suggests saving some presents to open on January 6.
For the celebration of Jesus’ birth, children wait for the Magi instead of Santa Claus. The feast commemorates the Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to the newborn Jesus in Matthew 2:1-11. The biblical text doesn’t make explicit that there were three magi, nor does it specify that they were men or kings.
But Christians filled in the details and even named them. In Spanish, they’re called Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar. Spanish Christmas traditions did not include Santa Claus or Christmas trees until recently.
The Three Kings is the traditional day of gift-giving in Spain. Christmas has thus remained a more serene day untouched by commercialism.
How does Spain celebrate Epiphany?
Children follow the kings through the streets on Epiphany Eve. There are numerous parades across the country, accompanied by bands and people in medieval dress banging drums and dancing puppets and clowns. Sweets would be thrown from the parade and eagerly collected, not just by the youngsters!.
What foods are eaten on Three Kings Day?
There are many different kinds of Kings Cake and Breads for Three Kings Day on Jan. Here are a few recipes: Three Kings Day is a big deal in the Latino community. According to the biblical story, the Three Wise Men/Magi travel for 12 days after Christmas to present gifts to baby Jesus. This Christian holiday is celebrated annually on Jan.
Celebrators usually eat a special kings cake or bread for the holiday. The ring-shaped sweet cake/bread usually has candied fruits and nuts on it, depending on the culture. It also has a tiny doll representing Baby Jesus baked inside.
In Latin American culture, it is tradition for the person whose slide has the doll in it, to host a party and prepare tamales for everyone on Candlemas Day ( Día de la Candelaria ) on Feb. There are many different kinds of Kings Cake and Breads. Here are a few recipes: 1. Rosca de Reyes with Cranberry-Almond Filling and Eggnog Glaze ( recipe ) 4. Kings Cake (New Orleans/Mardi Gras style) ( recipe ) [Pictured above; Photo: Today’s Mama ] 5. Roscón de Reyes ( recipe ) 6. Galette des Rois (French King Cake) ( recipe ) [Pictured above; Photo: Rook No. 17 ] 7. “Skinny” King Cake ( recipe ) 8. Dreikönigskuchen ( German Three Kings Cake) ( recipe ) [Pictured above; Photo: My Best German Recipes ] 9. Bolo Rei (Portuguese King Cake) ( recipe ).
What do they eat on Three Kings Day?
What do they eat on Three Kings Day? – A traditional Three Kings Day meal consists of a starter of soup or salad, a main course of picadillo meat with rice and beans (though some families exchange beans for corn or peas), and a King’s cake for dessert.
What is Epiphany called in Spain?
The day of the Epiphany occurs on 6 January, and is said to be the day when the Three Kings or Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to give their gifts to baby Jesus. In Spain, this day is known as Kings’ Day or the Día de Los Reyes, and is celebrated just like a second Christmas, with feasting and the giving of presents.
What is the 3 Kings tradition?
Learn about the three wise men — Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar — and other Spanish Christmas traditions. Once the end-of-the-year parties are over and the New Year begins, in Spain, the children are still waiting for the most important day of the holiday season.
Every year, Three Kings’ Day is celebrated on January 6th. The tradition says that the three kings (also known as the three wise men) had a mission to go to Bethlehem. They followed a star that showed them the way to see baby Jesus, who had just been born.
Upon arriving, these three kings offered three gifts: gold, incense, and myrrh. For this reason, every year, when Christmas approaches, all the children begin to write letters to one of the kings (or to all three): Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar. In these letters, the children tell the kings how well they behaved during the year and ask for the gifts they would like to receive on January 6th.
- In theory, the better the children behaved, the better their gifts will be;
- But all children know that if they misbehaved, they run the risk of receiving a piece of coal instead;
- Each year, the three kings travel on camel from the East to visit all the children;
When they arrive in Spain, several days after New Year’s Eve , they go to each of the villages to listen to the children’s requests and collect their letters. On the night of January 5th , 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 will know who to leave each gift for. Since the three kings travel such a long distance and have a lot of work to do during the 5th and 6th of January, families traditionally leave water, turrón (a typical Christmas nougat), and milk out for the three kings and their camels to eat and drink.
On the morning of January 6th, Three Kings’ Day, children get up early and are more nervous and excited than usual. They run to the place where they left their shoes to see what gifts they have received from the three kings of Orient. They happily discover that there is no water or milk left and the nougat has been eaten, a sign that the three kings have recovered their strength to return home.
Does Spain celebrate 3 Kings?
January 5: The Three Kings Day parade – Festivities officially start the day before the actual feast day of los reyes magos. On January 5, parades take place throughout the country to celebrate the arrival of the kings. Spanish families line the streets of their hometown to get a glimpse of the cabalgata de los reyes magos, or Three Kings Day parade.
Why do the Spanish celebrate the Three Kings?
On the evening of January 5th every year, Spanish towns and cities are given over to the colourful parades of the Dia de los Reyes, or the Kings’ Day – a celebration of the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth.
How do you celebrate Kings day?
Orange Bitter – A feast requires a toast. On King’s Day, the people make a toast to the king with Orange Bitter, a bright orange liqueur. The drink was created in 1620 to celebrate Prince Fredrick Henry’s victory. Initially it was not well-known but after William of Orange became the first king, it was produced once more.