On Mallorca, the highlight of Christmas is still to come. The children in particular are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Three Wise Men. Just as they brought gifts to the newborn according to the Bible, they now bring presents for the children on Epiphany. The evening before, the Holy Kings arrive by boat at the old port of Palma, joyfully greeted by a crowd of spectators. The Cabalgata in La Ciudad is the biggest, but there are similar parades in many towns and villages on Mallorca.
Accompanied by hundreds of dancers, musicians and other performers their Majesties make their way through the old town of Palma with their camels.
The children try to catch the sweets that are thrown from the colorful floats. In return, they leave small treats for the camels at the front door at home, in hope of finding their Christmas presents the next morning.
Another indispensable part of the tradition is the Roscón de Reyes. The yeast wreath garnished with candied fruit contains a special filling, namely a small figure and a bean. The lucky one who finds the figure in their piece of cake receives the paper crown that comes with every Roscón. And will be king of the day. The one who gets the bean, though, has to pay for the cake.
In Palma, the Cabalgata begins with the arrival of The Holy Kings at Moll Vell on Friday, January 5 at about 6 pm. After an official welcome by the local authorities the parade leads towards El Born, Carrer Unió, La Rambla and back via Passeig Mallorca and Jaume III.
It ends on Plaça Cort where Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar greet the audience from the balcony of the town hall.