Saturday, January 6th was Día de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. Friday night kids go to bed super excited for the next morning, where they wake up and the Three Kings have brought them gifts. Sound familiar? Here's the difference: They bring the gifts to different family's houses, so the kids have to go visit all their family to get these gifts. On the Saturday, everyone eats a huge Comida (lunch....at 3pm...) and then this sweet bread. In the bread, there is a semilla (seed) and a rey (king). Whoever finds the king gets good luck for the rest of the year and gets to wear the crown. Whoever finds the seed is supposed to pay for the bread dessert. Guess which one I got? Of course....... Although I'm holding both here, so maybe the luck of the king will rub off?
On Friday night there was an incredible cabalgata (parade) that happens every year and travels through Barcelona. Starting at the shore, the ships come in with the three kings, and all the kids line up to see them and give them their wish list letters. Berta, my sister, was telling me that when she was younger she would always ask, "Papa, where are the ships coming from?" I asked my padre that, and he said, "Well, really they come from the port over there, but we just tell the kids they come from the sea." How mysterious.
Each barrio (neighborhood) has their own smaller parade, but this huge cabalgata that goes through the major points of Barcelona is incredible. The colors are spectacular, the costumes are so many and so detailed, the floats are artistic creations. We watched in at la Plaza España, with el Museo Nacional de Catalunya behind with lights beaming out of it. This was the first night with my host family. Great way to start it off, huh?
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| the train that carries the letters |
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| swans |
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| the second king's float |
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| an amazing giraffe that bowed it's head to get under the bridge. |
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| a camel that was floating - it wasn't touching the ground! |
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| el museo nacional de catalunya, with the lights in the background and la cabalgata in front |
Saturday, January 6th was Día de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. Friday night kids go to bed super excited for the next morning, where they wake up and the Three Kings have brought them gifts. Sound familiar? Here's the difference: They bring the gifts to different family's houses, so the kids have to go visit all their family to get these gifts. On the Saturday, everyone eats a huge Comida (lunch....at 3pm...) and then this sweet bread. In the bread, there is a semilla (seed) and a rey (king). Whoever finds the king gets good luck for the rest of the year and gets to wear the crown. Whoever finds the seed is supposed to pay for the bread dessert. Guess which one I got? Of course....... Although I'm holding both here, so maybe the luck of the king will rub off?
Each barrio (neighborhood) has their own smaller parade, but this huge cabalgata that goes through the major points of Barcelona is incredible. The colors are spectacular, the costumes are so many and so detailed, the floats are artistic creations. We watched in at la Plaza España, with el Museo Nacional de Catalunya behind with lights beaming out of it. This was the first night with my host family. Great way to start it off, huh?
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