Three Kings in Madrid

If you happen to be in Madrid for Three Kings celebration on January 6, you're in for a treat.  Not only is this the real Christmas celebration for Madrilenos, but there is lots to do, staring with the Three Kings parade on January 5 the day before.  (Note: If you are traveling in Madrid during this time, there will be bars and restaurants open on the 5th and 6th, but you may want to make reservations ahead if you've got a favorite place in mind).

While this blog is supposed to be about food and wine, we couldn't help but note the truly silly cultural antics of Spaniards at parades, namely carrying ladders to watch the festivities.  In 2012, the parade lasted about two hours long, starting with huge animal floats, followed by jugglers, girls spinning on a trapeze, floats with people tossing hurling candy in the air, and of course, ending with the finale -- the arrival of the Three Kings.  This was an especially sweet moment, with most children truly in awe of the Three Kings' arrival.  If you decide to go to the parade, get there early (with your ladder!).

Families arrive at the parade route several hours before the 6:30 pm start time with ladders in hand.

Note the ladders lining the parade route

On the morning of January 6th, the food item to get is roscón de reyes, or the Kings' Ring (for the record, ours would have gone better with coffee than juice pictured below).  In Spain, roscón de reyes comes in several varieties. Our local bakery had several cream fillings you could get layered in between the sweet cake topped with candied fruit and sugar.  If you decide to venture out for your own cake, our recommendation would be to go to the bakery early before 10 AM to get the best selection!

Much like the tradition of King's cake at  Mardi Gras in Louisiana, there is  a wrapped toy and a wrapped fava bean inside the cake.  In Spain, if you find the toy like this little Santa figure (above), then you are "king" or "queen" of the festivities, and if you find the fava bean, then you buy the cake next year.  Throughout December, some version of this cake was available at most coffee shops, but the cream version was a fun treat to end our long holiday season.  Now, time for the January sales or rebajas...