What do you do if squeezing yourself onto a tiny spot on the beach jammed between thousands of other tourists isn’t quite your thing? And if fighting your way through over-crowded inner cities just doesn’t sound particularly appealing to you? But what if you still want to experience authentic Spanish culture and way of living?
In this case we can definitely recommend you taking an off-season trip to Spain!
Not only will you spent significantly less time queuing up to get into popular museums or churches, you will also have the chance to immerse in the spectacular celebrations of the Spanish festive days, most importantly Epiphany (or the Three Kings’ Day) on the 6th of January.
The tradition of Los Reyes Magos:
Unlike in many English-speaking countries, the children in Spain don’t get their Christmas presents from Santa Claus but from the Three Wise Men (or Kings) who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh.
The tradition is that the children write a letter to the Three Wise Men, asking them for presents and explaining why they deserve them. On the evening of the 5th they put their shoes close to a door or window together with some treats for the Kings and water and hay for their camels.
The next morning they will find the presents the Kings have brought them or – if they were naughty – a piece of coal.
The Three Kings’ Parades:
On the evening of the 5th of January many “cabalgatas” (cavalcades) take place in which the ‘Kings’ parade through the cities or towns and throw candy into the crowd.
Some of the most spectacular parades are the ones in Madrid, Barcelona, Santander, Sevilla, Lugo, and many, many more that are all worth a visit.
The Three Kings’ Parades are not simply an beloved attraction for families but a must-see for anyone who wants to experience an incredibly beautiful and authentic Spanish tradition that will leave you filled with awe and wonder.
Because of its great location and amazing weather it is possible to almost do every kind of sport in Barcelona. There are lots of opportunities to practice it in both summer and winter. The Pyrenees for example are just three ...
St Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Spain in much the same way as in Anglophone countries. Couples, lovers and sweethearts buy each other gifts, exchange greeting cards professing everlasting love and go out for a romantic meal.
With many of its ...
First things first: where are you going and how do you want to spend the majority of your time? A traveler covering all of South America will obviously pack differently than someone heading to the Amazon jungle for 6 months. ...