Feliz Reyes

The Spanish are famously known as a stubborn people... And I'd have to say that Christmas is a perfect example of this persistence. The Christmas season that typically lasts 4 weeks in the United States, from the excited preparation after Thanksgiving Day to the last piece of wrapping paper picked up on Christmas Day, takes on a whole new meaning in Spain. We've now been in the Christmas Season for a full 6 weeks, with the culminating event happening this morning, El Dia de Los Reyes Magos, or the Three Kings Day. As I've mentioned before, The Three Kings bring the gifts to the children in Spain; they come the night of the 5th and we open presents on the morning of the 6th (I was MISTAKEN in previous blogs, I apologize!) so the Christmas magic is just coming to a close in Majadahonda, Spain.

There is, of course, a giant celebration to welcome the Three Kings, just like there's a giant celebration for everything. Yesterday, I woke up at 10 am (early by Spanish standards) and caught the bus and metro into Madrid to meet up with my friends Devon and Emma and head to Colemnar Viejo, a smallish town about 45 minutes outside of the city. We spent the early part of the day blowing up some thousand balloons and in the dreary, freezing weather, mounted onto the back of a truck (a float) and drove through the town in a giant festival of people dressed as anything and everything... From Disney characters to futuristic silver-painted Hippies with peace signs all over their float to a jungle-like Nativity scene with tropical plants, flowers, fake waterfalls, and the Baby Jesus all thrown onto the back of one pick-up. We threw candy at the thrilled kids (and sometimes overly-excited older people as well? ...) with open umbrellas and plastic bags to catch. It was utterly freezing outside but we didn't care, with thousands of balloons and candies and smiling faces, there was plenty of warmth to go around. We finished off the night with Rotary dining on the famous Spanish Hot Chocolate and Churros and then some exchange student friends, both new and old, headed into one of our favorite Thai food restaurants that's pretty cheap and delicious for dinner before rolling into bed at around midnight.

I haven't been woken up early for presents since Max and Lila were little (which seems like longer and longer ago each time that I think about it). This morning Jacobo came bounding into my room and asked if we could open presents. He's incredibly patient and mature for his age so he waited a full 3 hours since he got up at 8 am for the rest of the family to roll out of bed. 11 am is still pretty early for Spanish teenagers on weekends or holidays so we were all groggy-eyed and stretching as we headed out into the living room. Each person had a little pile of gifts from the Kings with a sign next to their name. I recieved some lovely presents and my family was thrilled at theirs, Jacobo giving me the traditional beso on my cheek and a bright-eyed "Feliz Reyes!!!!" as he had been wide awake for a full three hours at that point. We waited for the incredibly famous Spanish Christmas lottery that people wait in lines for hours and hours for and every household participates in, rich or poor, suspicious or not. We then set right to it taking down Christmas decorations and folding up the tree and setting the table for lunch, which I'm about to go enjoy right now. I'll be snapping back into reality in the very near future with school beginning on January 11. My birthday is tomorrow, and with how well I'm treated for every other significant event here in Spain, I know it'll be a good one :)

Feliz Navidad, Feliz 2010, Feliz Reyes, y Feliz Cumple a mi

Really packs a wallop, huh? :) xxoo Besitos Sami