The night of Three Kings. An endearing Christmas tradition
The night of the Three Kings is a tradition that is very much ours, full of charm. One of the most exciting days of the year has arrived, a perfect time to share, give and receive.
With the Christmas lights still illuminating the streets, in Tenerife we celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings with happy festivities and a long tradition that both children and adults enjoy. Today is an exciting day and children should get into bed soon. But first, the whole family goes out to celebrate the arrival of the Magi.
Here we celebrate in a very special way, because this afternoon, the youngest receive in the football field of Adeje to Its Majesties the Three Kings of the East, arriving at 17.00 hours by helicopter! It is a very vibrant and joyful act of multitudinous reception. And from there, at 7:00 p.m., will start the Great Cavalcade of Kings, which will feature the presence of numerous children’s characters of film and television.
After so much excitement, the children end up exhausted. But there is still one last task to carry out: The Three Kings have a long night ahead, visiting millions of houses and carrying gifts all over the world, so there is something to eat to feast them and some straw and water to feed and give their camels drink.
In the morning, the children discover excited that the Kings have passed through their homes and if they have been good throughout the year, they have the gifts they have requested, next to the Christmas tree.
The magic night closes with another Spanish Christmas tradition: the typical breakfast with ‘Roscón de Reyes’, a circular cake decorated with fruits that symbolize the precious stones that adorned the elaborate clothing of the Royal Trio.
The History of the Three Kings
The celebration has its origin in the New Testament, where it’s said that the Kings Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar traveled during the night from the most remote ends of the earth to bring gifts to Jesus, whom they recognized as the Son of God. Apart from the majesty, the Three Kings are described as wise, whose wisdom comes precisely from the recognition of the divinity of Jesus. They arrived from three different places following the light of the star of Bethlehem, which, they say, was hung several days on the manger where the Virgin Mary gave birth.
In 1885, the Government of Spain convened a parade to honor this special festivity. While the traditional scriptures say that they gave myrrh, gold and incense to the Child Jesus, in these times the Kings are more inclined to bring candy and more practical gifts. However, it remains an emotional tradition and is the longest horse ride in Spain.
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