WHY IS IT STILL HOLIDAYS SEASON IN SPAIN?
January 6 is a very important holiday in Spain, the reason why it has been declared a national Bank Holiday. It’s the Spanish Christmas tradition called El Día de Reyes or El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (known in English as Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day).
The celebrations start on January 5 and it’s a very exciting day for the little ones (and not so little). In the afternoon, each city organizes a special event. It may include musicians, people in costume, and the most important, a large parade through the streets carrying the Tres Reyes Magos (the Three Kings).
Candies fly from the parade to the streets, where everyone tries to catch as many as possible and fill up the bags brought from home.
After the parade, families gather together for dinner and, before bedtime, kids prepare their shoes and leave them in the living room, so, when the Tres Reyes Magos come home, they’ll know where to leave the presents for each one.
The morning of January 6 is the most expected day. Children jump out of their beds and run to see what gifts the Three Kings left for them.
Families enjoy the bank holiday while saying goodbye to the holidays season. Kids get ready to get back to school and everything goes back to normal, until the new local or national bank holiday, something that abounds in Spain!