¡Feliz Día de los Reyes!

The majority of the world has long said goodbye to the Christmas season (no doubt Walmart already has its Valentine's Day products on display), but here in Spain the Christmas spirit is still going strong.  'Why?' you ask:  because today is Kings' Day or, in official terms, el día de los Reyes Magos.  It's a day that remembers the arrival of the Biblical Wise Men to Bethlehem to present the baby Jesus with gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh, and for Spanish boys and girls it's more important than Christmas because last night their Majesties, the Kings, left gifts for them to open up this morning!

In anticipation for this morning, Córdoba (like nearly every other town here) hosted its annual parade, which boasted floats from which select boys and girls threw candies, small stuffed animals, and occasionally DVDs to the bystanders crowded along the parade route.  The climax was the arrival of the final three floats which carried the kings:  Melchor (who represents Europe), Gaspar (representing Asia), and Baltasar (who represents Africa).  As first year missionaries, we were obligated to go out and participate, and now we're trying to figure out what to do with our pile of candy.

From our perspective, we really appreciate this cultural holiday since it's based on the Biblical story and seems to create a natural link between there and here.  You might even think that this would give Spanish families more reason to emulate the Magi in their worship of Jesus, but it turns out that they are mostly consumed with iPods, PS3's, clothes and whatever else they've given or received this Kings' Day.  As with Christmas in the States, it seems that materialism has crowded out the heart of this holiday.