I celebrated New Years with friends Iben, KK and Doug and some more danish friends for a traditional Danish nye dinner party. Shrimp, pork filets with potatoes all made for a fun time. We headed to Plaza Espanya for the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight. One for each second. As none of us are Spanish and we didn't actually have a clock to go by... I'm not sure we held up this tradition very well but we all had fun trying.
A week ago the family and I celebrated Los Reyes Magos which is Three Kings Day or Epiphany Day where the Kings come to tell the good news and brings goodies (more) for all the little chicos y chicas. Three Kings Day is more widely celebrated by Spain but Christmas and Santa popularity are growing more and more. Christmas falls in the middle of the time off of work and school which gives everyone more time to celebrate and play with new toys.
Alfons and cousin Albert visiting Los Pajares (the 'birds' of the kings who collect children's wish list)
a live band and some entertainers were there for the fun too.
January 5th night the fam and I went to Mataro to see a big parade of all sorts of characters celebrating the arrival of the Kings. Almost everyone in the town comes out for this event and is thrown lots of candy and confetti by the paraders. Cheers and traditional holiday music is played throughout the streets. In almost every town you can find the Kings arriving in different ways depending where you are. Boats by the sea or horseback in the mountains. Very cool experience minus the extreme cold factor.
Pengins and mice helped celebrate! Scary?
All the three Kings were at the end of the parade.
The candy thrown is supposedly better in our town but I dont really need candy anyway. Esp because I have 4 weddings to get in shape for now! Sarah, Jenny, Katie and Valerie! Can you say wedding season?
King's cake made from mazapan with cream in the middle is eaten on the 6th. Somewhere inside is a little King and a bean. Whoever gets the King is the "King for the day" and whoever gets the bean has to pay for the cake. Our cake was especially ordered and they forgot to put both inside...
jipped!!!
The Kings have come!
Spiderman and Lighting McQueen
January 7th Carmen and Alfonso went back to work and the 8th Alfons went back to school. Now I'm back into somewhat of a routine which feels good to see the sun come up after you've been to sleep already...
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