The story
Three Kings Parade Madrid in Madrid
Madrid's January 5 evening parade welcoming the Three Kings down the Paseo de la Castellana to Plaza de Cibeles, the true climax of the Spanish Christmas season since gifts traditionally arrive with the Kings rather than Santa Claus. Roughly thirty floats, marching bands, and giant puppets build toward the Kings themselves throwing candy into crowds of half a million people.
On the evening of January 5, Madrid turns out in the hundreds of thousands to welcome the Three Kings, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, whose Cabalgata de Reyes procession down the Paseo de la Castellana toward Plaza de Cibeles marks the true climax of the Spanish Christmas season, since in Spain gifts traditionally arrive with the Kings rather than with Santa Claus.