Cavalcade of Magi
Encyclopedia
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
cities and also some cities and towns in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
(of which tradition holds there are three: Melchior
Melchior
Melchior is the name given in later legend to one of the Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. It may also refer to:-First name:* Melchior Anderegg , Swiss mountain guide.* Melchior Berri , Swiss architect.* Melchior Broederlam Melchior is the name given in later legend to one of the Magi...
, Gaspar
Gaspar
Gaspar is a given and/or surname of Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, and also Philippines origin that could refer to:-Names:*Roberto Luís Gaspar de Deus Severo, Portuguese footballer commonly known as Beto*Álvaro Gaspar, former Portuguese footballer...
, and Baltasar) ride through the streets, as their page boys throw candies to children.
It is celebrated every January 5 (the day preceding the feast of Epiphany
Epiphany (Christian)
Epiphany, or Theophany, meaning "vision of God",...
) in the evening. When the night comes the children must go to bed early after cleaning their shoes and the following morning they have the gifts of the Magi that they have requested before in a letter. According to this tradition, the children who have behaved badly during the last year receive coal rather than candy, though (as in the case of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
) this is not a frequent occurrence. They might get coal candy, though.
The cavalcade of Madrid is retransmitted live on TVE (the popular public Spanish broadcaster). The cavalcade of Alcoy is the oldest in the world and is a major draw of international tourism for Spain.
See also
- Liturgical dramaLiturgical dramaLiturgical drama or religious drama, in its various Christian contexts, originates from the mass itself, and usually presents a relatively complex ritual that includes theatrical elements...
- Medieval theatreMedieval theatreMedieval theatre refers to the theatre of Europe between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D. and the beginning of the Renaissance in approximately the 15th century A.D...
- Mystery PlayMystery playMystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...
- Star Boys' Singing ProcessionStar Boys' Singing ProcessionThe Star boys' singing procession has children and young people walking about with a movable star on a rod. The singing procession and the folk drama had its roots in an old medieval ecclesiastical play, centred on the Three Magi of the Christmas story in Matthew's , appropriate to Epiphany .The...