Christmas is a time of festivities and celebrations, but not all countries celebrate Christmas in the same way.

In Spain, Three Kings' Day is a Christmas tradition that takes place in January. It's celebrated with huge and spectacular parades throughout the country.

Origin

Also known as Epiphany, Three Kings' Day is a Christian celebration commemorating the day the three wise men (also referred to as the magi or the three kings) visited Jesus after his birth. The Bible says the wise men, Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, traveled by night following the star of Bethlehem for 12 days to reach Jesus to give him their unique gifts.

The day is celebrated in Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and many more.

Celebration

The celebrations officially begin on the evening of the 5th of January with the three wise men parade taking place in every town and village. Hundreds and hundreds of people take to the main streets to watch the re-enactment of the arrival of the three wise men. Each parade has a wise man throwing gifts to the spectators for the little ones to pick up.

The three wise men play a role similar to Santa Claus so, before going to bed, the children prepare food to leave for the wise men and their camels.

The celebrations continue the next day on January 6th. Families gather to watch children open their gifts and have a feast to celebrate the day. One popular dessert to eat on the day is Roscon de Reyes. The brioche-like sweet bread is usually sprinkled with sugar and dried fruit.