Happy Day of Kings!

by Abha Malpani on

In most Hispanic countries, the day the Three Wise Men visited Jesus (Epiphany) holds more significance than Christmas Day. On the night of January 5, children write to their favorite king (rather than to Santa) for what they want and leave their shoes outside, filled with straw for the Wise Men’s camels to eat; today is when they open their gifts.

Yesterday evening, the streets of Madrid’s center were packed with people waiting excitedly from 2pm to see the Parade of the Kings that began around 6pm. Today as families spend time together, there is a tradition of eating “Roscon of the Kings” which is a large loaf of bread in the shape of a king’s crown, coated with nuts and dried-fruit and filled with cream or chocolate. A gold coin is hidden inside, and it is believed that the person who gets it will have good luck throughout the year.

To reassert the importance of this day over December 25, recently in Madrid there was an anti-Santa campaign to spotlight the existing capitalism around the concept of Father Christmas. It highlighted his unacceptable behavior that included: doping his reindeer, racism, exploiting his elves, relations with the Romanian mafia and general susceptibility to commercialization. There was a demonstration outside the Finnish Embassy demanding the closure of Santa’s toy factory — a cause of contamination in the Scandinavian country.

Based in Madrid, a website has been created for the cause that includes an anti-Santa pro-Kings rap by campaigners dressed as the Three Kings which you can see here; it ends with a stage killing of Santa Claus.

Christmas in Madrid, where’s your wig?

by Abha Malpani on

One of the strangest things people do in Madrid for Christmas is wear crazy wigs around the city. What’s stranger is that nobody really knows why!

For the last 30 years or more, Plaza Mayor has been home to a Christmas market with over a 100 stalls that sell all sorts of things: miniature statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary; novelty gift-wrapping material; carnival accessories like tinsel wigs, rainbow wigs, Afro wigs, assorted head-boppers, mad glasses with flashing lights or with eyes springing out — the list is endless. I think the carnival stuff, although sold pre-Christmas and worn throughout the festival, is mainly for New Year’s Eve.

Go there after 6pm pre or post Christmas and Plaza Mayor is a jolly circus of people of all sexualities and walks of life frolicking around the area being merry, encompassing and radiating the joy of Christmas in the capital. There is a great video that captures this spirit, you can check it out here.

Needless to say, there is Christmas activity all over the city, but Paseo Castellana, which is the business high-street of Madrid is one of special interest. It’s decorated with lights and huge sparkling Christmas trees, all so magnificent that there is a special bus that takes you along the route just to see them all. Also this year, 60 international artists have sculpted structures from ice that represent Madrid like the Puerta de Alcala, or the Santiago Bernabeu football stadium.

It’s cold here but not excruciating so everyone’s on the streets in holiday mode — it’s a great time to be in Madrid.

Merry Christmas!

Don’t miss the sky this Christmas!

by Abha Malpani on

I’ve always loved watching the sky, looking out for constellations, spotting the North Star and looking for Mars. Having lived in Dubai for a while, I had the opportunity to see amazingly clear and starry skies — ones only possible to see in the desert.

On that note, in case you haven’t caught the news already: today and tomorrow, the Moon and Mars will be the brightest and closest ever to the Earth.

The moon will be the highest-ever and 98% full, and Mars will be aligned with the Sun and the Earth so you will be able to see its full-face lit-up. They say it’s the first time in 47-years that we are able to see this and it’s unlikely to happen again until 2023.

Also, if you go out right after sunset tomorrow night, you are bound to see satellites and some shooting stars. So if you were wondering how to spend a perfect evening this Christmas Eve, you might want to get your binoculars out and add this to your list.

Happy Holidays!

Czech Christmas, Part IV: Seeing the golden pig

by Iva Skoch on

Just when you thought Czech Christmas was weird enough, I have another peculiar Christmas tradition for you.

For the whole day on Christmas Eve, Czech people are supposed to avoid eating anything in order to see the vision of the “golden pig” on the wall. I don’t really know why anyone sane would fast for that reason, but people do it all the time. I have done it in the past and I am here to tell you: there ain’t no golden pig. Not if you don’t take psychedelics at the same time, at least.

I know you are probably thinking this is altogether a tragic tradition. People fast all day and then–hurray–they get to eat …carp!

Traveling for Christmas

by Catherine Bodry on

When I was a kid, Christmas at my house was a stereotypically American affair. There was the build-up — Christmas lists, calendars with chocolate that helped you count down the days, tree-cutting and decorating, and, best of all, piles and piles of presents. It was always magical and fun.

But a friend of mine had parents who wanted her to experience Christmas away from the commericalism of the US, so one year they took her to Bolivia for the holidays. There, she witnessed poverty on a massive scale and left the country with a better sense of how much of the rest of world celebrates Christmas — simply.

Maybe I’m idealizing her experience a bit, but I do love the idea of enjoying the holidays away from the US consumer mania. And I think that introducing children to other cultures during Christmas is a great idea. I’m sure they’d get a lot more out of the experience than they would working at a soup kitchen — although I’m all for working at a soup kitchen. And hopefully they’d come to appreicate their iPods and Nikes in a way they wouldn’t have before the trip. What do you think?