dilluns, 5 de gener del 2009

Christmas at Catalonia: Kings' Eve

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?


Mattew 2, 1-2


On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.


Mattew 2, 12


Perhaps not too aware of their real meaning, just knowing that they saw them this afternoon on the parade, but tonight from 5 to January 6, children in Catalonia will be kinder than normal, they'll go to bed early to allow Their Majesties of the East to fill their shoes with toys. And as soon as the sun rises they'll awake to see if the Kings have met or not with all their requests at the letter that they released to the Royal Page some days before.

This custom spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula (except the Basque Country and Portugal) and Latin America (although there are countries like Colombia, where is the Niño Dios who give the gifts), made Christmas' gifts to come in early January instead of the end of December (at least in the homes more attached to the tradition) causing sort of offense between those children who had the whole Christmas to play with their toys and others that could hardly enjoy them a day before going back to school.

Therefore, just recalling how magic was this night for me (even long after I knew who really were the people that brought the gifts) I want to share this with you all to remember how I went to bed early without complaint, ignored the steps to be secretive-wannabe in Hall and, the following day, without a moment to lounge, I ran to the dining room to desperately unwrap the packages under my shoe, and then went to my parents' bed so that they may see also their gifts.

So I dismiss this holidays with a Christmas carol that rightly refers to this tradition in particular. A song of Manel, music hit of last year within and outside of Catalonia, where they imagine a Kings' Eve when the camels must do everything the kings have been asleep at their humps.



Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click To Play
Un camell d'Orient, Manel
File thanks to Amics RAC1
from the de la interview to Manel at El món a RAC1 tuesday, December 16th 2008.



Merry Christmas and happy new year. :'-)


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