Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Up The Ladder To The Roof

Traditionally in Spain, Santa Claus (Papá Noel) doesn't get much attention during Christmas — although he does gain ground (rooftop) with each passing year. Christmas Eve is a time for dinner with friends and family, but the gifts are often saved for Epiphany Eve. Epiphany is also known as Three Kings Day (Dia De Los Reyes Magos). You may remember my blog posts in the past few years about the Cabalgata de Reyes Magos (The Three Kings Parade). (Click here to experience our first Three Kings Day in Spain. I can't believe that was nearly four years ago.)

(Click any image to aggrandize the kings.)

DOING A DRY RUN?
STILL THERE IN THE MORNING.

Santa doesn't bring gifts (usually) to Spanish children. The Three Kings do. And they don't deliver the gifts until the eve of Epiphany, which means children here wake up to gifts on "Three Kings Day" instead of Christmas Day.


My Ephiphany:
"Yesterday's broken dreams. Don't you know they'll all fade away?"

20 comments:

  1. For sure they were working that ladder - the 3 Kings and the 3 Supremes!

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  2. They were before Dianna Ross! My teenage idol! Seriously, I was obsessed with her. (did I say this out loud?!!) lol
    I didn't know this about Spanish children waiting till the 5th of January to get their gifts and that Santa wasn't the one who gave them!
    I always learn something here, Mitchell. I always enjoy how you 'tie in' everything with a tune.

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    1. Just read the bio on You Tube...and I wasn't listening to 'Ed'....it was after Dianna's departure.

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    2. Jim:
      Yep, that was their first hit after Diana's departure. And kids don't sit in Santa's lap around town either. They sit in "Baltasar's" lap!

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  3. I always thought the procession of the Three Kings would be vastly improved if they threw Quality Street from the floats instead of those boiled sweets. Probably be safer too.
    At our first Three King procession we managed to half fill two shopping bags with boiled sweets,around two years later when we were moving house we happened across those very same bags at the back of our wardrobe.
    Buckshot infused with mint extract would probably be more nutritional and easier on the teeth

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    1. Ty:
      Our first year in Sevilla, I didn't know the Spanish word "caramelo" was generic for "candy." I was SO disappointed when I started getting pelted with boiled sweets (hard candy) instead of soft and delicious caramels.

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  4. I assume that the gift-giving on Christmas (by Santa or others) is because most Christians think all those stories happened at one time. Of course, the wise men (from Matthew's version) and the shepherds (from Luke's) were there at quite different times -- if they were there at all, but we won't go into that.

    When I was in the monastery and never able to be with family for Christmas (that was a heavy work day for us!), I explained about Epiphany to my Protestant nephew and nieces and that is why they would get their tiny gifts from me on that day instead of on Christmas. They loved the idea. My gifts were always small (no funds as a friar) but they liked the fact that everyone else they knew thought Christmas was over and they were going to get something extra a couple of weeks later.

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    1. Michael:
      By the time Epiphany arrives here, we're complaining, "Will this holiday NEVER end?!?"

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  5. Another great lesson...ypu are better than wikipedia x

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    1. John:
      Aw, shucks. I try! I figure if you only want the info wikipedia has to share, you don't need me.

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  6. I'm wondering if we'll see King's cakes in the bakery here next week.... but it must be confusing... my birthday is Dec 6 (St Nicholas) and some celebrate then... some celebrate on Dec 25 and some on January 6th.... Poor Santa... he must use Excel spreadsheet to keep track of who gets what when....

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    1. Sharon:
      I LOVE roscones de reyes. Jerry doesn't. I'll have to buy a little one for myself. Poor Santa. Poor Three Kings. Our upstairs neighbour in Sevilla was indignant when her young sons said they wanted presents from Papa Noel. She said, "We don't get presents here from Papa Noel. We get our presents from the Baby Jesus!" Apparently, the Three Kings are nothing more than UPS!

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  7. Harrumph, the internet lost my first comment, so... I love you and am baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

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    1. Jacqueline:
      Oh, so glad you're typing. Do you remember the Little Rascals bit, "Hey, wait a minute. She only cut off one finger!"

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  8. Mitchel in my place it is very popular view here Santa Claus on the ladder to the window. Have a fantastic and fruitful New Year 2016

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    1. Gosia:
      Santa on the ladder was a common sight in the States, as well. I had never seen the Three Kings doing so until we came to Spain.

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  9. All I can do is shudder because The Supremes were no longer supreme after Diana left.
    Just sayin'.

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    1. Bob:
      I'm glad they continued to make a living for a while with the new "Diana." But it was never the same.

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  10. I'm not really sure what Epiphany is (I haven't a clue), but here in France it is celebrated by the eating od a Galette des Rois, which is filled with Frangipane. I celebrate the eating, if not the reason for it.

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    1. Cro Magnon:
      Here it's called Roscón de Reyes. And, really, it's why I celebrate, too.

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