How does Día de Reyes work in Spain on 6 January?

Reyes: how 6 January works

1. la carta Write the letter During December children write to the Kings asking for toys — and saying whether they have behaved.
2. la cabalgata Watch the parade, 5 January The Kings arrive in every city with floats, camels and thousands of sweets, caught with bags and upside-down umbrellas.
3. los zapatos Leave the shoes out By the window or the tree, with water and turrón for the Kings and the camels.
4. el carbón Wake to presents — and coal Children who misbehaved get coal, but it is made of sugar, and in reality everybody gets it.
5. el roscón Breakfast on roscón de Reyes A ring of sweet bread with candied fruit. Find the figure and you are king for the day; find the bean and you pay for the roscón.

• The Kings are Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar; on the afternoon of 5 January they arrive in every city in a cabalgata.
• Inside the roscón are a little figure and a bean: whoever finds the figure is king for the day; whoever finds the bean pays.
• In recent decades Father Christmas has arrived in Spain too, and many families split the presents between the two dates.

Se llaman Melchor, Gaspar y Baltasar, y son ellos los que traen los regalos.

They are called Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, and it is they who bring the presents.

Dentro hay dos sorpresas: una figurita y un haba. Quien encuentra la figura es el rey del día; quien encuentra el haba paga el roscón.

Inside there are two surprises: a little figure and a bean. Whoever finds the figure is king for the day; whoever finds the bean pays for the roscón.