La versión español está después de la versión inglés.
ANOTHER HOLIDAY SEASON has come to an end. I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go. It’s exhausting being of good cheer.
Today is Three Kings Day (Epiphany) and, Tuesday, people are mostly back to work (at least those who have to work). It’s common to use shorthand when wishing people a happy holiday. Instead of saying “Happy Three Kings Day,” it’s “Happy Kings.” Likewise, it’s common to hear people say “Happy Year” instead of wasting all that breath on “Happy New Year.”
Last week, I saw another nativity scene (belén) in town, housed at a local Catholic brotherhood that maintains a couple of the important religious statues that are paraded through town during the year. I’ve seen this scene in years past and it doesn’t demonstrate the same refinement, energy, or magic as many others. It does, however, have a replica of the 20th-century church that sits in the center of our neighborhood.
Sunday afternoon, the Three Kings arrived by helicopter — exactly as described in the New Testament — and paraded through the city following festive floats filled with costumed people tossing candy to the crowds. My epiphany this year? I probably won’t bother with Fuengirola’s Three Kings Parade next year. I don’t know who half the cartoon characters even are.
The decorations will soon be gone and we’ll be left with our usual winter flowers in bloom, and orange trees filled with fruit and soon to have flowers that fill the city with their fragrance, and San Geraldo.
Don’t forget to click the pix.
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OTRA TEMPORADA DE fiestas ha llegado a su fin. No puedo decir que lamento ver que se vaya. Es agotador ser de buen ánimo.
Hoy es el Día de los Reyes Magos (Epifanía) y, el martes, la mayoría de las personas han vuelto al trabajo (al menos las que tienen que trabajar). Es común utilizar la taquigrafía cuando se desea felices fiestas a las personas. En lugar de decir “Feliz Día de los Reyes”, es “Feliz Reyes”. Del mismo modo, es común escuchar a la gente decir “Feliz Año” en lugar de gastar todo ese aliento en “Feliz Año Nuevo”.
La semana pasada, vi otro belén ( belén) en el pueblo, alojado en una hermandad católica local que mantiene un par de las importantes estatuas religiosas que se exhiben en el pueblo durante el año. He visto esta escena en años pasados y no demuestra el mismo refinamiento, energía o magia que muchos otros. Sin embargo, tiene una réplica de la iglesia del siglo XX que se encuentra en el centro de nuestro barrio.
El domingo por la tarde, los Reyes Magos llegaron en helicóptero — exactamente como se describe en el Nuevo Testamento — y desfilaron por la ciudad siguiendo carrozas festivas llenas de personas disfrazadas que arrojan dulces a las multitudes. ¿Mi epifanía este año? Probablemente no me moleste con el Desfile de los Reyes Magos de Fuengirola el año que viene. No sé quiénes son la mitad de los personajes de dibujos animados.
Las decoraciones pronto se habrán ido y nos dejaremos con nuestras flores de invierno habituales en flor, y naranjos llenos de fruta y pronto tendremos flores que llenen la ciudad con su fragancia, y San Geraldo.
No olvides hacer clic en los imágenes.
Say it three times fast… or even once slowly:
Real Hermandad Sacramental y Cofradía Nazarenos Jesús Cautivo, Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, y Jesus Resucitado.
Center, Church of the Virgin of Carmen; and at left, our castle when it was Roman.
Centro, Iglesia de la Virgen del Carmen; y izquierda, nuestro castillo cuando era romano.
No one else seemed to find it very exciting either.
Nadie más parecía encontrarlo muy emocionante tampoco.
Outside our public market, right.
Fuera del nuestro mercado público, a la derecha.
SG could be the king in the first pix. so the kings arrive by helicopter instead of camel…interesting! ;-bg
Anne Marie,
You never knew that about the Three Kings? It’s right there in the Bible. I’m sure of it.
Oh, how beautiful everything is where you live! You are so lucky. Happy Kings, Mitchell!
Jennifer,
It IS a beautiful part of the world. I sometimes forget.
Enjoy the citrus bloom – I miss that. Walt Whitman wrote of a friend sending him a branch from a citrus tree that was in bloom one cold winter day.
David,
Sevilla has I think over 1,400 orange trees in the city center. The fragrance was breathtaking. We planted a variety of citrus trees around our hotel in Palm Springs and love to sit out at night taking in the sweetness.
San Geraldo’s beautiful smile and those gorgeous oranges are my favourite photos!
Debra,
Mine too. Thanks!
Yes, those oranges look deliciously pickable!
SG train hopping?
Jim,
Those are bitter oranges. Hilarious to see tourists bite into them. I took the photo of SG the evening we went into Málaga to see the lights.
Qué bonita tradición. En mi familia es la tradición que más celebramos y para mi, la más bonita.
Felices Reyes!
Lía,
Me gusta mucho la celebración, especialmente en Sevilla.
Make sure San Geraldo looks both ways before crossing the railroad tracks.
Kirk,
No worries. I’m the one you have to watch.
I’m with Debra on this one!
Deedles,
What a surprise! (I am, too; especially the SG photo.)
Since I am Polish we celebrated Epiphany. Living in America we had Santa but we left our lights and decorations up so the Three Kings could find their way. Somehow I like that idea So for me it is time to take the decorations down and put the Creches away for another year. My tree is so beautiful this year that I wish I could plant it.
San Geraldo’s photo is wonderful. Since we had two hard freezes my citrus trees do not look as beautiful but I love them all the same.
Happy New Year, parsnip
Parsnip,
Many expats hold onto what they grew up with, which I can understand. As for me, I love observing the Spanish cultural traditions.
Well today is Orthodox Christian Christmas and because the other XMAS 25 Dec is over all the grocery stores have special, like decorated cake previously at $20 now at $6 and tons of bonbons and chocolates reduced by 80% . This is a conspiracy by those Ortho Christians and it should be front page news. Lovely decorations but that church’s name should be abbreviated like the Church of R.H.S.C.N.J.C.N.S.L.D.J.R. which is still long but it could be just Mary and Jesus church.
larrymuffin,
I’m hoping to find a small roscos de reyes on sale today. Never did get one. Craving chocolate, too, and that could be dangerous. That building is a brotherhood and not an actual church. What a name!
Mitchell, do the Spanish-language-speakers shorten it to the English, “Happy kings!”? Or do they use Spanish? (“¡Felices reyes!” o algo así?)
Oh, duh. Title of blog post answers my question –ha! (But, you put it in English in your Spanish version of the blog, so I wasn’t sure !)
Judy,
I can’t believe I put it in English in the Spanish version! I’ll fix that. Thanks. And, yes, the title is the way it’s said.
Is the new header photo is Norway? Almost as beautiful as SG’s smile.
IN Norway
Susan,
Yes. Trondheim. I would love to go back!
Tephen Trondheim?
Deedles:
Sometimes your word play loses even me. I was actually going to look up Tephen Trondheim but I then remembered Thide by Thide by Trondheim, Trondheim on Trondheim, and who could forget Phollies!
Happy Year is French, too: Bonne année ! But I’ve never heard anyone mention the epiphany or the kings in a greeting. You know what they do to kings in France…
Walt the Fourth,
No such thing as “happy kings” in French.
That last sentence: how does one describe the fragrance of San G?
Urspo:
Oh man! I guess I walked into that one. Let’s see… It’s a combination of sweet clover, prairie grass, new mown hay, and testosterone. And a touch of prairie crocus.
Must’ve been a humongous helicopter to transport three Kings and their thrones. They look very youthful considering they’re thousands of years old. Or am I being ignorant to assume it’s the same exact three Kings who road that helicopter? Silly me.
I hope your 2020 has been great thus far, Mitchell. It looks to be.
Robyn,
It was like a clown car. The kings, their thrones, an entire parade including a bunch of John Deere tractors, camels, frankincense, myrrh, and gold!