Today is January 5th and it is the big children's Christmas night in Spain, as the Christmas presents are brought by the three kings instead of Santa. Although globalization has started to kill this local tradition, there are still many families who prefer to give away presents on January 6th instead of December 25th.
During the previous days, you can see one of the kings in many places while walking around town. Most villages have specific dates where children can meet them and give them their letter where they tell them how good they have been during the year and request their presents hoping they will see them in the house when they wake up in the morning.
One of the nicest things about this tradition is the parades taking place all over the country. There are huge ones in the big cities but in small villages, you can get very close to the carriages and see the kings from very close and the look on the faces of all these children is just magic as they believe they are witnessing the three ancient kings which brought presents to Jesus in the old testament and now will bring presents to them.
Of course, there are also some presents for those who have not been very good boys during the year, the tradition bring them coal instead of one or several toys they requested in their letters and although it is sugar candy coal, it is the last thing you want to see when you wake up in the morning.
During the next day, on the 6th, a family meal takes place at lunch and as a dessert, you purchase a rounded pie stuffed with cream or chocolate. There is a hidden small king and a bean inside. If you are the lucky one getting the small king figure, you get a king crown, by the contrary, if you get the bean you are supposed to pay for the pie.
We usually organize Kings Day lunch and we have been preparing everything for a few days, food and presents. Unfortunately, we may have found the bean before even reaching the desert of the meal, as my wife got sick yesterday and is in bed with a fever. We may have to cancel the meal or just leave her in bed and celebrate at someone else's house.
Christmas break ends January 8th as children get an extra day off after the 6th to be able to play with their new toys before coming back to school.
We will see if today my wife starts feeling better or if we celebrate the meal at somewhere else's home, but even at 56th, I still remember those nights with nostalgia when I could barely fall asleep thinking about what I would find the next day in the morning.
