It ain't over 'til it's over

The good people of Andalucía, by their own admission, possess an extraordinary talent for elongating things. From inconsequential telephone conversations to meeting up for a supposedly quick lunch; from the annual town fair, to saying goodbye to each other in any context whatsoever, there exists in these parts an innate ability to stretch stuff out to within an inch of its life. Christmas is no exception.

To be fair, celebrating the Three Kings bearing gifts on 6th January is a tradition which dates back to the Middle Ages and, as a time for giving presents to children, to the nineteenth century, so it's not as if the occasion has been tagged on to the festivities as an afterthought. Nevertheless, it can still come as something of a shock to the system to any new arrivals to find that, just as they're imagining everything is about to wind down, the holiday spirit rekindles with a vengeance and enjoys a mighty second wind. So, if you're a recent newcomer to the festivities here you can postpone the futility of joining the gym or giving up smoking/drinking/eating to excess for the time being because Christmas is by no means finished. Here's what you need to know.

On the evening of the 5th of January, the Cabalgata parades will take place in cities, towns and villages throughout Spain. This is a joyous custom which involves the Three Kings sitting a-top thrones on slow-moving floats, throwing handfuls of sweets to wide-eyed children lining the streets below. It's a wonder to behold. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for wide-eyed adults catching as many goodies as they can in upturned umbrellas. This is a rather peculiar sight I've never quite grown accustomed to over the years despite my best efforts.

Anyway, later on, back at home, the children will leave out food and drink for the camels and kings (including a nice drop of malt whisky if dad has his way) and will duly receive their presents overnight, hoping to avoid the lumps of coal reserved for the naughty ones. (One recent survey concluded that over two thirds of Spanish children still prefer to receive their gifts from the Three Kings rather than from that jolly old arriviste, Father Christmas. Well, good.)

The next day, the sixth of January, is a public holiday and a chance for the little ones to enjoy their toys before heading back to school. It's also when the whole family tucks into the traditional Roscón de Reyes which is a humungous doughnut-shaped sweet bread affair filled with even sweeter cream and topped with sugared fruits designed to resemble jewels. It contains a small plastic king or queen which, when found, allows the fortunate recipient to be waited upon hand-and-foot by everyone else in the household throughout the day. With any luck these antics will distract all concerned from any lingering worries they may have about the immediate onset of type-2 diabetes.

And then we can relax, the joyful mayhem really is all over for another year. Well, unless you count the sales.

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