Three Kings' Day- January 6th

This year, we had the pleasure of joining in with our culture and celebrating the way Spaniards do!  They celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas and they spend time together as a family.  Sometimes a family will open one gift on this day, but gifts are not the focus of Dec. 25th.  Throughout all of Cáceres, there are nativity scenes set up... usually in every household as well as in many public places.  Each day, the move the "three kings" closer to the stable... you actually watch their progression.  The night before "Kings' Day" each city has a parade to celebrate the "coming" of the three kings.

 

As is the tradition, they threw candy to the kids.  Many of the kids bring umbrellas, which they hold upside down, to catch the candy as it rains down over top of them. :)   The very last float carries the three kings (which I didn't get a picture of!), as they supposedly "arrive" in Cáceres.   It was a very fun experience for our kids.  

It was also interesting because they don't "do" Santa Clause here... they have the three kings.  The kids usually write letters to the three kings, explaining what they want for "Kings' Day."  They go and sit on one of the three kings' laps, like we would with Santa Clause; and tell them what they want.  They share gifts on Kings' Day in honor of the gifts that the three kings brought for Jesus.  It is quite refreshing, because it's actually much more Biblically based than much of what we do in the States!  We are enjoying integrating new cultural "traditions" into our lives.  We enjoyed focusing on Christ this year... explaining the tradition of Santa Clause and the Three Kings, but focusing on the birth of our Savior!