The Kings Arrive

Knowing that January 6th is King’s Day in Spain and all the markets would be closed, Rocky and I headed out to the grocery store by 10:30 am yesterday. As usual, Rocky was dragging the carro, a wheeled grocery cart, and Wilma and I followed. When we approached the exit to our apartment building we were surprised to see parents and children of all ages lining the street in front of our place with many running to secure the best view points near the railing overlooking the water. Festive music played loudly from speakers, interrupted occassionally by an exciting play-by-play for the children: The Kings are Arriving!

Imagine our surprise to find that the Three Wise Men, called Los Reyes Magos here in Spain, were about to arrive in the marina, right in front of our apartment. We were swallowed up, grocery cart and all, by the crowd of families hoping to get a glimpse of the Kings. Grocery shopping would have to wait. There was no getting thorough this crowd, and anyway, we did not want to miss seeing the Kings. I looked over at Rocky and noticed he was getting choked up by this magical moment we had unknowingly stumbled into.

The announcer worked the children (OK actually all of us) into a frenzy, yelling “The Kings will be arriving by boat soon! They will be searching for all the children who have been good this year so they know where to drop off presents tomorrow.”  “Hmmm,” I thought… “Same Santa scare tactics here minus the big guy with the red suit.” No one cared that it was raining, or that we had to wear masks. We all waited with anticipation for the King’s boat to dock in the port and for them to start their procession, called a cabalgata de los reyes magos, through the streets of Gijon.

Waiting for the Kings

At 10:45 am the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) boat finally docked and the three Kings emerged onto the upper deck, waving at the crowds. They wore very colorful royal costumes with elaborate crowns and Covid masks of course. From there, they were escorted up the walkway to individual Mini Cooper Convertibles that were waiting for them. Obviously these modern Kings chose boats and cute Mini Coopers over stinky camels to make their journey. Word spread quickly that the Kings had landed and were about to make their way into the crowd.The children started enthusiastically chanting the King’s names as though they were rock stars. School kids attending classes in our building hung out of the windows and threw confetti.

Melchor

The procession passed us slowly with the announcer welcoming each one by name, “Melchor (from the Middle East), Gaspar (from Asia) and Baltasar (from Africa).”  Within a couple of blocks, the King’s stopped briefly at the Plaza de Don Pelayo, the square and monument dedicated to the first real King of Asturias. There they passed the microphone thanking the children for coming to see them and telling them how great they looked. They promised to leave a gift for each one of them in the children’s shoes the next morning. The kids, all smiles, cheered enthusiastically!

Gaspar

As the Kings continued the procession, the crowds in our neighborhood started to disperse and we finally headed towards the grocery store. Now we were both smiling too, caught up in the unexpected festivites. Our first stop was at a fancy bakery, Praline (pronounced Praw lee neh) where I hoped to buy a roscón de Reyes, a traditional King’s Day cake that looks like a jeweled crown with brightly colored candied fruits decorating the top of it. Our Spanish teacher, Cristina, bought hers there so naturally we wanted to do the same. Unfortunately though, we were too late for one of the coveted cream-filled crowns.

We continued our journey, noticing the frenzy of activity around us, not unlike you might see on Christmas Eve day in the U.S. as people tried to finish last-minute gift shopping. With no gifts to buy, no one left to entertain and only a few items to pick up at the grocery store, Rocky and I felt quite relaxed.

For as long as I can remember, my minister dad has given me a hard time for taking the Christmas tree and all the decorations down on New Year’s Day. My need for cleanliness and order to start the new year always outweighed my desire to stretch the Christmas holidays until the Epiphany on Janurary 6th.

Baltasar

This year felt entirely different though. In Spain, almost the whole country celebrates King’s Day, it seems. Not only did we also leave our tree and our few decorations up, we’ve enjoyed a more intentional approach to the season. Sadly, my dad has missed celebrating both Christmas and Epiphany this season because he has been in the hospital in Kansas City.

My epiphany, my realization, on this Epiphany is that anything that prolongs a state of joy and wonder is worth celebrating. Going forward, I won’t hurry to clean up after Christmas but will enjoy the festivities as long as possible. Rocky will love that too, because he would listen to Christmas music year round if I would let him.

Arriving at the grocery store yesterday, Wilma and I waited at an outdoor cafe while Rocky went in to grab a few items. In spite of the rain, the cafe was packed with parents having coffee and kids enjoying churros and chocolate, the gooey hot chocolate smeared all over their happy hands and faces.

I found a slightly wet table with a large umbrella covering it, and ordered a cafe con leche and a chocolate croissant. Wilma sheltered under the table hoping to stay somewhat dry and to hunt for any scraps that had fallen on the ground. With so many families out, the people and dog watching was especially fun for Wilma and I.

On our way home, I decided to try one more bakery for the illusive roscón de Reyes. There was a line out the door and down the block of La Playa Bakery, so Rocky and Wilma went on home and I took my place behind at least 15 other people. I wondered if there would be any left by the time I got to the counter but decided to take a chance.

There is something exciting about embracing new traditions, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. I chatted with other people waiting in line to see why they had chosen this place over another, hoping for encouragement when the line did not seem to be moving. Most said the bakery had a great reputation or that they had purchased them there every year. A couple others said, like me, they picked it because of the long line, assuming whatever they were selling must be delicious.

After waiting more than 45 minutes, I got close enough to the bakery window to read a small sign that said they would close at 1:30 pm regardless of how many people were waiting in line. It was 1:25 pm. The long-awaited roscón de Reyes would have to wait till next year, I thought.  And then, a moment later,  I was inside the bakery with the counter in view. Four people were in front of me but only three roscón de Reyes were left on the shelf.

Resigned to celebrating King’s Day without the special cake, I watched as one by one the roscón disappeared.  Just as I was turning to leave, a third employee emerged from the back room where the pastries were being baked, holding two more golden crowns. I felt like I won a King’s Day lottery as the cashier carefully wrapped the roscón in white paper and handed it to me like a prize. Exiting the bakery, I could feel the warmth of the freshly baked treat and smell it’s delicious aroma through the bag. I could not wait to get it home to try a piece. I probably could have auctioned that cake off to the highest bidder with so many people still in line but I headed home with my package.

As I write this, it is King’s Day morning. There was nothing but a dirty sock in my shoe when I woke up, but I’m OK with that. I’m imagining all the children we saw yesterday finding their gifts and enjoying the rest of the weekend with their families. Rocky and I ate some of the roscón de Reyes for dessert yesterday and will finish it off today, I’m sure. If fruit cake and brioche had a baby, it would be a roscón. Ours had almond paste inside as well. Some have cream centers more like a giant vanilla or chocolate cream puff. Maybe we can get one of those next year!

Tradition states that whoever discovers a prize in their piece of cake gets to be King or Queen for the day. Call me Your Highness because I bit into a small figurine of a deer wrapped in cellophane. (Clearly no one worries about choking hazards or teeth-busters here in Spain.) Anyone that finds a dry bean in their cake has to buy next year’s roscón de Reyes. So far, we have not found the bean! Now I know that means standing in a very long line so it definitely is the booby prize.

Dad,  I hope it makes you smile to hear that our Christmas tree and decorations are still up. We are carrying on your tradition this year and really wishing you could share it with us! We are praying the Kings bring you a return to health. Felices Dia de los Reyes, Papa. (Happy King’s Day, Papa)

Roscón de Reyes, a cake fit for a King

From the author:

First of all, thank you to Rocky for capturing the wonderful photos of the Kings from our balcony. When we figured out what was happening, he went back to our apartment and set himself up with the best view of the parade.

Want to read more about the King’s Day traditions in Spain? https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spains-fiesta-de-los-reyes/

Travel and adventure are my favorite gifts any time of year. Join us this year as we adventure in France and Spain. More details on the website: http://www.globalyogatrips.com