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Kings Day in Valencia
(Los Reyes)

Magical... Kings Day in Spain

Kings Day in Valencia is the traditional day for children to receive Christmas presents, so instead of Santa Claus or St Nicholas, Spanish children look forward to 6 January.

This is the day of Epiphany and Twelfth Night, when the Three Kings brought gifts of Frankinsense, Gold and Myrrh to the baby Jesus. Some children do receive a small present on Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) but the main presents are given on el dia de Los Reyes.

On the eve of Kings Day (5 January), parades of floats wind their way through the streets of Valencia and vast amounts of sweets are distributed to the children. The parade ends with a concert with popular Spanish singers and the children receive small gifts from 'Los Reyes Magos'.

Before going to bed on the 5 January children leave their shoes by the door with food and drink for the Kings. In the morning they gleefully awake to find their shoes full of presents from the Three Kings.

Una Rosca de Reyes is a special pastry made for Kings Day and pastelerias (cake shops) throughout Spain are full of them. As well as candied fruits and cream, the pastry may also contain a coin. If you find it, you'll be lucky for the rest of the year.

Roscon de Reyes - Kings Cake

Three King’s cake is eaten the night before Reyes or in the morning.

Roscon Recipe for Kings Day in Valencia Spain

Ingredients

1lb strong white flour + 1 packet easy bake yeast

3ozs butter + 3ozs sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange and lemon rind

2 eggs (and one white of egg for glazing) + flaked almonds and glace fruit for decoration.

Method

Mix flour, salt, packet of easy bake yeast and grated orange and lemon rind together.
Cream butter and sugar together and add to flour mixture and shape into a ball.
Cover with a cloth or lightly greased cling film and leave to rise (approx 1 ½ hours)
Knock back dough on a lightly floured surface and kneed for 10 mins (add coin in foil or bean).
Roll dough into long strip about 5inches wide and then roll over lengthwise to form a sausage shape.
Join edges to form a circle and place seam side down on lightly greased baking tray.
Cover with cling film and leave to double in size for approx 1 hour.
Press glace fruit into dough and sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 30mins until golden.

TIP! - Kings Day is a great celebration for both children and adults because this day coincides with Los Rebajas, the start of the January sales!

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