Spain has a strong religious history and as such Christmas is a more holy festival, a time to spend with the family, although some gifts may be given, but on 25 December Santa Claus is not that important.
The day on which most gifts are given is Three Kings Day, January 6th (el día de Reyes). This is keeping with the tradition that this was the day on which the Three Kings (Los Tres Reyes Magos) arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for Jesus.
So, as expected, the magi were extremely busy across the region last week, fulfilling their usual hectic schedule of hospital and town hall visits which, in Orihuela, got underway at the Vega Baja Hospital where Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar handed out toys to the children, accompanied by the Councillor for Festivities, Antonio Sánchez, who also delivered a games console.
On Thursday, the day before Three Kings Day, every sizeable village and town holds a parade, a ‘cabalgata’ at which the Three Kings are paraded through the streets of the town, accompanied by musicians, dancers, performers and bands. The parades are extremely popular and can often draw large crowds, particularly in Torrevieja where their magnificent procession just gets better every year.
The day began on Orihuela Costa, though, where there was a healthy turnout to cheer the parade on its way as, according to police sources, approximately 3,000 people gathered between the Playa Flamenca town Hall and La Zenia Boulevard, with the size of the crowds increasing the further it got into the 2km route.
There were troupes of dancers, characters, large inflatables from space, an astronaut, spaceship, planet earth, moon, NASA robot, galactic spider and a host of heavenly angels, while bringing up the rear, a selection of Eastern Maidens preceded a crib scene, followed by the 3 Kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, on 3 very tired looking ‘stuffed’ camels.
In Orihuela city, however, the animals carrying the kings were very real, as were the six donkeys that were bearing gifts for the children, supposedly 25,000 of them handed out between the two main centres and the districts, although I saw no evidence of this during the Orihuela Costa parade.
With the purpose of the ‘cabalgata’ being to foster the illusion of children, so that, they can then go to their homes to sleep and wait for the gifts, it is thought that many parents had chosen to take their families into Torrevieja where the parade was scheduled to be held during the early part of the evening.
The traditional Christmas story sees the Three Kings arrive, each riding a camel, and whereas some towns like Torrevieja put their own stamp on the mode of transport as their Majesties sail in by boat, in Crevillente they dropped in from the skies in the basket of a hot air balloon!
In Torrevieja, after restrictions brought by two years of pandemic, the Three Wise Men, accompanied by their retinues, arrived in the port of Torrevieja aboard the “Espejo de Torrevieja”, where they were received by the mayor, Eduardo Dolón and the councillor for Festivals, Concha Sala.
As they moved across to their floats, they greeted crowds of boys and girls who had impatiently been awaiting their arrival.
The Royal Parade began from Paseo Vista Alegre with “A Christmas Wish”, a float that recreated the play area of a children’s room, capturing the impatience of children as they waited for their gifts. Behind them, a group of Jews with donkeys who distributed more than 2,000 Spanish flags, recovering an old Spanish tradition that had been lost in recent years. There were stilt walkers with lights, King Herod, escorted by seven Roman horsemen, followed by “Bollywood Dancers” and then a ballet inspired by the African continent where the dancers represented women from different tribes.
Next up were impressive floats depicting “Bethlehem” with Mary, Saint Joseph and the baby Jesus, and then the Three Wise Men, accompanied by pages, who distributed sweets, smiles and enthusiasm along the more than two-kilometre route.
But the star of the night was the magnificent float of the Royal Carboneros. A play on wheels, which even blew smoke into the air and with staging that impressed everyone.
The mayor of Torrevieja Eduardo Dolón and the Councillor for Fiestas, Concha Sala, received the Three Kings outside the Inmaculado Concepcion church, where their Majesties presented the baby Jesus with Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, after which Melchor, on behalf of the three Kings, thanked the people of Torrevieja for their welcome, as he also congratulated all the boys and girls on their exemplary behaviour, urging that Peace return to the world.
The events ended in the Plenary Hall in the Ayuntamiento, where the mayor hosted the 3 Kings along with guests and several councillors, thanking them for the joy they brought to the children of Torrevieja in these difficult times.
