All children get hugely excited about the night of the Three Kings and in Finestrat this
excitement is heightened even more by the legendary tradition observed in Finestrat, in
the Marina Baixa. Here, Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar come in person to hand out
gifts to all the local children. It's not exactly certain when Their Majesties from the
Orient brought in this magical exception, but the town's grown-ups can also remember
them visiting, so it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that they've been doing it for at least
75 years.
With the arrival of tourism and the urban growth taking place in nearby La Cala, the
Three Kings decided that the children living in the town centre wouldn't be the only
ones getting their presents from Their Majesties. They decided to work a little harder to
make sure children in the seaside part of town could feel equally lucky. So, the evening
of 5 January is a very special time, because the Three Kings Parade finishes with a big
celebration, in which each child is called by name to come and meet their favourite
King and collect their own gift, the very one they had asked for in their letter.
Through the decades, the Three Kings have arrived in Finestrat in many ways, although
they most often come on horseback followed by carriages bearing their pages and the
gifts. No matter how many years go by, the excitement and nerves felt by the children is
just the same. The gifts have evolved over almost a century of tradition but the
anticipation in their eyes hasn't changed a bit.
This year, on 5 January, the Three Kings of Orient will be arriving on horseback once
again. At around six o'clock in the evening, families will be waiting to welcome them.
Starting from the town centre, they'll ride up Avenida de Benidorm, then take Carrer
Nou and arrive in Plaça del Poble. They'll also arrive in La Cala on horseback before
making their way down Avenida Marina Baixa towards Plaça de l’Àmfora. Then, they'll
sit on their thrones and start handing out gifts. Once again, dreams will turn into reality.
Importing other northern European cultures has meant that everyone can have double
the excitement, with Santa Claus coming to see boys and girls every year at Christmas
time. Plus, tourism has turned Finestrat into a mini Tower of Babel, a mix of dozens of
cultures, with half the town's inhabitants now coming from countries like Britain,
Russia, Morocco and Argentina, to mention just a few. We don't have the magical
powers to know what Finestrat society will look like 75 years from now, but it's safe to
say that Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar will still be giving out presents to local
children, who will be waiting eagerly for their arrival.