Tomorrow, Spain will celebrate the Fiesta de SS. MM. Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings from the Orient), another public holiday and the last one of this festive season. Reyes (or Reis) is probably the single most important day in the Spanish calendar. The trick to it all is that it will all start today or rather, tonight, when at around 18h00 the three kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar and their very helpful pagessos (helpers) will arrive either by boat (in Palma and in the island’s puertos), by donkey, by four-wheel-drive, by tractor or on horseback to deliver the presents to Mallorca’s youngsters (times may vary locally).

Tonight, in Palma there will be a Cabalgata (procession of carriages) starting from the Moll Vell (opposite the Llonja), meandering through the old town, up the Born, past the Rambla, down Passeig de Mallorca and along Jaume III, to the town hall (see map). Apart from the kings and the helpers, there will be giants, some Ball de Bot, plenty of Xeremiers, lots of music and drums, and tons of caramelos (sweets).

Tomorrow, Sus Majestades will make another appearance, this time in church where they will meet the newborn baby Jesus, before they do another convoy through the town or village. All major Spanish TV channels will broadcast most of the proceedings live and in full HD for the benefit of all the couch potatoes out there.

My photo does not show the kings but their helpers, outside city hall in Palma, about a week ago. The kings had not arrived yet; they will only come tonight.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 29th, 2010. The time was 12:58:35. The map was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es and the Ajuntament de Palma. The video was also borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of YouTube and mallorcaquality. Thank you very much and

muchas gracias.