Three Kings Eve

The Spanish holiday season has officially ended since Sunday was Dia de los Reyes Magos - Three Kings Day. Three Kings happens 12 days after Christmas (partridge in a pear tree...) and is the holiday when Spanish children receive gifts. But rather than a jolly fat man in a red suit, children wait for the Three Kings on their camels (which actually makes more sense, right?) to bring toys. 

On Three Kings Eve each town has a parade, where men dressed as (terrible stereotypes of) Middle Eastern kings of yore throw ridiculous amounts of candy to the crowds. 

We missed the parade in Puerto on Saturday night, but we went out later for tapas and got to enjoy the excitement and bustle in the downtown streets, which were still decked out in festive lights. 

The streets were covered in candy - our shoes were sticking to the floor.

The tapas (and vino) were delicious, as usual!

After a couple tapas hops, we decided it was time for cocktails, and hit one of our faves (we can never remember its name, so we call it "The Barrel Bar", because there are a bunch of barrels in front and we're really clever). And guess who we ran into...

The Three Half a Dozen Kings! Obviously gearing up for their camel rides to all the good children's casas. That's how the song goes, si? "We three kings of Orient are, bearing booze we traverse afar."

It was a memorable and slightly ridiculous way to end our second holiday season in España. 

On Sunday, Three Kings Day, we relaxed and spent some time at the beach with the dogs. Now, we've taken down the tree and put away the decorations. It's 2013! 

Okay, it has been for a week, but things in Andalucia happen at a slower pace (perfect for us procrastinators). So, even though everyone else has already made resolutions for the new year, there's still plenty of time for that in España! 

Zambomba (Christmas flamenco)

from Meghann: 

Although we missed out on seeing a live nativity, we did get to go to another uniquely Spanish Christmas event - a zambomba. Zambombas take place throughout the month of December, until Christmas Eve. The word comes from the name of a handmade instrument (a sort of drum with a stick through the top, that produces a unique noise) that was traditionally played during these events. Some zambombas still feature the instrument, but now the word can mean any gathering for playing music, dancing, singing, telling stories and jokes, or any combination of all of these things. They can be public or private, big or small, at a bar, restaurant, someone's home, or just in the street. It is like the flamenco version of Christmas caroling - and oh so Spanish. 

We heard about this zambomba from a friend of a friend (that seems to be how things work in España). It was the weekend before Christmas at a little bar called La Garrocha, which is very close to our casa. This was a small zambomba, attracting a group of people from the neighborhood. 

You can see a picture of a zambomba on this flyer, even though there wasn't one being played. There was plenty of singing, guitar playing, and the box, which is essential in flamenco.

And of course, hand-clapping. Every Spanish person can clap, from the smallest child to the oldest abuela. Not your average, put two hands together and make a noise clapping, but perfectly timed, rhythmic, syncopated clapping. It must be in their blood, it seems to come so naturally to them. The Spanish make it look effortless while the rest of us stare at the hands of the person next to us trying to make it happen. Or maybe that's just me.

While we sat in the winter sunshine and enjoyed the show, there were rounds of cerveza, glasses of sherry, and dishes of food - a traditional bean stew and ajo caliente. Ajo caliente literally means "hot garlic" and is bread mashed with tomato and garlic, served warm. Simple and delicioso!

At different times, we were invited to join in the singing. And there was a lively joke at the end, which we couldn't understand much of, but it had everyone around us laughing. Something about an English, French, and a Spanish bird...

Sometimes there are those moments when it hits us square in the face that we are in España. This was definitely one of them.

12 grapes, cava, and collards

from Meghann:

We had planned to go to Lisbon, then thought about Sevilla, and ended up ringing in the new year in Jerez de la Frontera, a larger town about 15 minutes from Puerto. Last year we didn't know what to expect on New Year's Eve, but this year we were prepared. An amiga of an amigo made dinner reservations for our little group at a restaurant next to the bull ring. Very Spanish and decorated floor to ceiling with bullfighting posters, paintings, and memorabilia. 

Dinner was long and filled with lots of traditional food and, of course, plenty of wine. Just a few minutes before midnight we paid our bill and were shuffled out of the main dining room. Somehow we ended up in a private dining room. As the clock struck midnight we ate our 12 grapes (one at each chime of the clock, for prosperity in the new year) then washed them down with some cava. We may have met a matador...only in España.

Of course, since it was only midnight, and most Spanish people were just finishing up with their big family dinners, there was still plenty of celebrating ahead. We hit the town (and didn't hit our bed until 5) but I don't have many pictures of that part of the evening. Probably better that way...

It's still Christmas season in España (Three Kings Day isn't until January 6th) and the streets were decked out in lights. It was a great night to be out, celebrating the new year, our last full year in España,  in such a Spanish way.

Of course, the next day, we kept it American, and had the New Year's Day southern staples of black-eyed peas and collard greens.

What are your New Year traditions? We figure between the grapes, cava, peas, and collards, 2013 should be especially wonderful.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!