2027 Three Kings' Day

Three Kings' Day, the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, is when Spanish children traditionally receive their presents, brought overnight by the Magi — Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar — rather than by Santa Claus. Children write letters to the Kings in the weeks before, and on the evening of January 5 cities hold the Cabalgata de Reyes, a parade of floats from which the three Kings and their pages throw sweets to the crowds, with Madrid, Barcelona and Alcoy staging the largest. That night children leave out shoes, along with water and food for the camels, and wake to find gifts. Families then share roscón de reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread topped with candied fruit; whoever finds the hidden figurine is crowned, while whoever gets the bean pays for next year's cake. It is a national public holiday in Spain and the close of the Christmas season, so shops are busy up to January 5. This countdown ticks to midnight Central European Time in Madrid on January 6.