How to enjoy the Beautiful Three Kings Parade in Barcelona
Barcelona is a wonderful city. It is a place that gives magic off and makes everyone who visits it to fall in love. But there is a time in the year when Barcelona is one of the most charming and attractive cities in Spain and even in the world. We are talking about Christmas time, when we can find special and astonishing traditional Christmas markets all over the city and its lightning makes it worth visiting it. But if we are talking about lights and magic, we have to make compulsory reference to the most special day for the little ones in the house. That day is January 5, when the Three Kings Parade takes place in most cities of the country announcing the arrival of the Three Wise Men who are bringing presents to children accordingly to what they traditionally did with Jesus Christ when he was born. So, if we put together Barcelona and Magic, what could go wrong?
First of all, we have to explain what this tradition is and where it comes from. The Three Kings Parade, also known as “cabalgata” is a custom that was established in Spain more than a hundred years ago. Little by little, these parades have been gaining prominence across Spain and have made the night of January 5 the most singular night of the year, being the culmination of Christmas celebrations. The great majority of towns and cities in Spain celebrate the day the Three Wise Men visited Jesus in Bethlehem during the afternoon of January 5, while the presents are received by children the following day. Every city welcomes Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar to give them support and strength so they can deliver all of the presents in time.
This is a parade in which you can see lots of Christmas typical characters celebrating this magical time. They are distributed in different carriages which are created by associations, having more than a thousand participants. They keep dancing, singing and delivering candies to thousands of people during the route across the city from start to end. It is considered to be the most special night for children every year, so they are looking forward for the Magi to come.
Furthermore, there is also a tradition that goes hand by hand with these special days, which is the Roscón de Reyes. It is a ring-shaped cake decorated with candied fruit that includes a hidden figure of one of the Three Wise Men as a symbol of luck and a dry bean, so the one to pull it out from the Roscón has to pay for it. It is usual for a family to gather and eat the cake all together to have the stomach full to go to bed and wait for the Magi to come with toys.
From I Live Spain, we would like to offer you the chance to witness this magnificent parade in an exclusive way as you visit Barcelona during the most magical season of the year. If you are thinking on what to do for next Christmas holidays, this could be a really good choice. For sure this is something that children will enjoy and you can spend some days in the city living Christmas in a different way, living one of the most expected times in Spain not only by children but also by adults. One of the best ways to live this experience is to watch the Three Kings Parade from a privileged spot right in a building located at Barcelona’s official parade route, as it counts with a fantastic show full of music, lightning and color to make everyone enjoy and make them feel as a kid again. We invite you to join us in spending this special evening by watching the “cabalgata” from an exclusive balcony while you try the famous Roscón de Reyes as an afternoon snacks.
Additionally, you can also combine this activity with making some special Christmas shopping in the different craft markets or discovering the most delicious Christmas sweets and dishes during one of our gastronomic Barcelona Tours.
Finally, we can only recommend you to enjoy this colorful atmosphere with us, so we are sure you won’t forget this very special night. Not only children will enjoy this amazing parade, as it is an ideal spectacle for adults to watch as well. Don’t doubt for a second and come to Spain to live this unique time of the year in one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Barcelona and the Wise Men are waiting for you!
