The bible doesn't actually say how many wise men there were nor does it give their names or their method of travel although it is assumed that they travelled by camel.
According to legend the names of three were Melchoir, King of Arabia, who brought gold; Gaspar, King of Tarsus, who brought myrrh; and Balthasar, King of Ethiopia, who brought frankincense. These three names did not appear in Christian literature until 500AD.

On the eve of Epiphany (5th January) Children leave their shoes on the windowsills and fill them with straw for the horses of the Wise Men. Their favourite is Balthazar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts.

Epiphany is celebrated in every town/village in Spain. The three kings arrive accompanied by a parade, or cabalgata, and shower the crowds with sweets and little toys before going to the town square and to give the children their gifts.

If you want your child to receive a gift from the Kings talk to your local fiesta committee to find out when you need to give them your wrapped and labelled present and whether you are required to make a monetary donation towards the fiesta.

The Rosca de Reyes is the ring shaped pastry you will see in the shops during December. It tastes similar to a hot cross bun mixture and contains a plastic toy which, if you are lucky enough to find it, is said to bless you with good luck for the new year.

Every year on 20 January, the people of San Sebastián (the capital city of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country) celebrate a festival known as the "Tamborrada".

For 24 hours, the entire city is awash with the sound of drums. The adults, dressed as cooks and soldiers, march around the city. The origin of this custom is said to be that Spanish tradesmen, including cooks, mocked the occupying French army during the Napoleonic wars, by mimicking their daily procession from Monte Urgull to the water-pump at San Telmo. Later, the procession was developed when Vicente "Txiki" Buenechea donated barrels to be used as drums for the procession

The festivities take place in the week preceeding Lent, finishing on Ash Wednesday. There are parades with impressive floats and some of the brightest costumes you will ever see, the biggest taking place on Tuesday night with some 40 floats and more than 2,000 participants.

This is the day that the Catholic faith celebrates San Jose (Joseph).  Although the carpenter had nothing to do with the paternity of Jesus, the Catholic Church sainted him because he had raised Jesus as his own with the result that 19th March is Father’s Day in Spanish cultures.  Dia del Padre is celebrated in the Valencian community with Fallas being constructed and burnt at midnight. 

The fallas came about because carpenters would make tall candle stands to give them enough light to work through the winters nights.  Since Dia del Padre coincided with the coming of Spring and the brighter nights the carpenters no longer needed these stands making a bonfire with them and all the wood shavings to celebrate the fiesta.  One day someone added a “guy” type likeness of his neighbour to the bonfire as a joke. Soon people were adding models of politicians and famous characters.  In time the bonfires were abandoned and only the fallas remained.  Fallas manufacturing is now a multi-million Euro industry.

Las fallas are made of papier-mache on a wooden carcass. It is then sanded and painted.
Las Fallas literally means “the fires” in Valenciano.  The most impressive examples can be seen in Valencia and more locally in Denia.

(El Rallye Internacional de Coches de Época Barcelona-Sitges)

Since 1959 vintage cars have gathered in Barcelona at the end of March for one of the best displays of privately owned pre-1924 cars in the world.  The beautifully maintained relics of a bygone age can be seen the day before the rally at Barcelona's Parc de la Ciutadella.

The rally itself starts at the Plaça de Sant Jaume in Barcelona and finishes some 45km later in the Port d'Aiguadolç in Sitges. It has taken place every year since 1959 and crowds from all over Europe line the streets to cheer them on. The first prize is awarded not to the fastest car to complete the course but for the best maintained vehicle plus points for the most authentic costumes for the driver and passenger.

For more details please visit www.rallyesitges.com

Semana Santa - Easter
Semana Santa is celebrated all over Spain from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, though some smaller towns only have processions on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

The traditions of Semana Santa go back to the 16th century, when the Catholic Church decided to present the Passion of Christ to the population in an easily understandable way: they made huge wooden figures of Saints and those figures were carried through the streets in processions.

In some towns the “trono” (religious float) is preceded by Nazarenos in long robes and pointed hoods.  Behind them are Penitents, with crosses on their shoulders then the trono itself  carried by Costaleros, each of whom has to carry a weight of up to 100kg. 

Seville is the predominant site of the celebration but a little closer to home in Gandía on the Eve of Holy Friday, or Viernes Santo, people from all over Spain, come to see the procession of the "Christ of the Flagellation" (or flogging). There are other diverse acts that are worth experiencing, all of them culminating on Easter Sunday with the procession of the "Glorious Encounter."

Two weeks after Semana Santa Seville holds the Feria de Abril.  Originally just a cattle-market, but through the years it turned into one of the best flamenco fiestas in Spain

St. George is the patron saint of several places including Catalunya and England. The popular story is that he lived around the fourth century and saved the daughter of a local ruler by slaying the dragon that was holding her captive. At the point where the dying beast's blood soaked into the soil, a bush of red roses miraculously sprang up.

St George’s Day is like Valentine's Day to those living in Barcelona. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts - men give roses and women give a book.

Although roses have long been associated with this day, the giving of books is a more recent addition. In 1923, a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to honour the deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on April 23, 1616.

Even if you don't have a "novio" (boyfriend) to smooch on a park bench with there are still plenty of things to see and do.

This is a national holiday celebrated throughout Spain to honour the workers.

Although Mother's Day is an international celebration few countries celebrate it on the same day, here in Spain it is the 1st Sunday of May.

Traditionally, children in Spain spend days drawing a card and practising a poem as a surprise for their mothers. Shops also sell chocolates, flowers and other Mother's Day presents, but many children make their own presents to show their mothers how much they appreciate everything they do for them. It is treated more like a family birthday. Everyone in the family gathers for a special meal either at home or in a restaurant. Sometimes the best way to celebrate Mother's Day is to spend some time just with her.

The ancient greeks were the first to celebrate mothers day to honour Gea the mother of the gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.

Since 1620 Castrillo de Murcia has celebrated Corpus Christi at the end of May with a bizarre event that sees grown men leaping over helpless babies.  Infants born within the last 12 months are selected to lie in the street while men dressed as the devil (El Colacho), carrying whips and sometimes truncheons, jump over them. It is believed that as the incarnate devils jump they take with them all their evil and the children are cleansed.

The Catholic festival of Corpus Christi is celebrated all over Spain with processions, mystery plays and a wide variety of popular celebrations, but this one has to be the strangest. The shadowy brotherhood of Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva - the people responsible for organising the celebrations - also chase and terrorise anybody and everybody in the town at regular intervals throughout the day.  

Every year during the 2nd/3rd weeks of June the Moors land on L'Ampolla beach ready to do battle with the Christians.  The costumes in the parades are breathtaking so don't forget your camera.

In the city of Alicante the celebrations take place from 20th to 29th June with large figures, similar to Las Fallas in Valencia, being found in all the main squares. They are burnt at midnight on the 24th. 

Benissa celebrates it's Moors & Christian fiesta towards the end of June every year.

This famous "wine battle" takes place at the end of June on the day of San Pedro in the Riscos de Bilibio. Here, celebrants use bota bags to squirt wine at each other. Later, and sometimes before, they will drink the famous Rioja wine. Tens of thousands of litres of the stuff are used as ammunition in a frantic battle with no obvious sides, and no winners or losers. The object is to spray everyone else with wine using a leather drinking bottle or any other vessel you can get your hands on.

Every year in the Catalonian town of Igualada (50km inland of Barcelona), 40 hot air balloons from around the world take to the skies for the biggest balloon festival in Spain and one of the largest in Europe.  

Approximately 25,000 spectators come to watch as the balloons inflate and eventually fill the sky with an array of colours. 

This event is free to watch and while you are there you can visit the numerous market stalls and take the opportunity to sample some local cuisine.

The Mystery of Elche is a religious lyrical drama of European mediaeval theatre which has been held in the Basilica of Santa Maria on the 14th and 15th August every year since the Middle Ages. The play, which is chanted, relates the last days of the Virgin Mary's life, her death, her ascension to heaven and her coronation as the Queen of creation.   

The actual history of the play is uncertain but the story goes that in the 12th century a soldier riding along the beach found an arc containing the image of the Virgin Mary and the Consueta (the book of play) floating in the waves.  He noticed that the arc was marked “for Elche” so he arranged for it to be delivered to the city. 

More information including an audio/visual representation of the history and scenes from the mystery itself can be seen all year round at the Museo de la Festa near the Santa Maria Basilica.

Tickets for both the dress rehearsals and official performances of the Mystery Play can be acquired from the end of July onwards in Casa de la Festa (c/ Major de la Vila, nº 27, tel. 965 45 61 12)

For more than 60 years the small town of Buñol (30km West of Valencia) has celebrated this famous and slightly insane one hour battle on the last Wednesday of August. Around 40,000 people take part in this vehement but friendly riot in which they use 110 tons of mature tomatoes as projectiles. 

Apparently it all started in 1945 when the town square was crowded with young people to witness a "Gigantes y Cabezudos" parade (giant carnival figures with a grotesque head). Some of them decided to join in with the band that was leading the parade and to do so they pushed the ones who were wearing the giant disguises. One of the participants fell down and when he stood up he started hitting everyone around him. Soon everybody got caught up in the fight. Some young people involved took the tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stall and started throwing them at each other until the police broke it up. The following year the youths turned up again for a repeat performance and have been doing so ever since.

The rules are simple: only mature tomatoes may be thrown and they must be squished in the hand before throwing them and you must not rip other peoples clothes.

Jerez de la Frontera in the province of Cádiz celebrates its wine harvest on the weekend closest to 8th September.  During this time the town comes alive with parties, flamenco dances, bullfights and even motorbike races.

The name of the famous fortified wine, sherry, which originated here, is a corruption of the city's Arabic name, which is pronounced Sherish.

Every year during the week leading up to 12th October, Zaragoza comes alive with music, parades, flowers and theatre in this internationally recognised fiesta as the history and culture of Spain is remembered. 

The music is not bound by one particular kind and you will hear reggae, jazz, pop, rock, and folk to name but a few. Spontaneous flamenco dancing is common along with a distinctive form of dancing that you're unlikely to have come across before, the Jota. This dance can be traced back to the 1600s although it has changed somewhat from its original form.

This national holiday started out as Dia de Colom (Columbus' Day) celebrating Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. 

Some people oppose Columbus Day, claiming his achievements are not worthy of a holiday, saying that historically, Columbus was not the first to discover America, nor was he the first European to land on America. That honour apparently goes to the Viking Leif Ericson, who landed in present day Newfoundland.

There is also controversy surrounding the treatment of the native people of the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. The glorification of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America is due to Washington Irving’s dramatic and embellished biography of Columbus. The holiday has been rejected by some people who view it as a celebration of the conquest and genocide by the Spaniards. In 1958 Spain changed the holiday to Hispanic Day. 

Traditionally, this is a day to honour one’s ancestors. It’s based on the belief that there is interaction between the living world and the world of spirits. On Día de los Muertos, the spirits of the dead, are said to come back for family reunions. Many celebrate by setting up ofrendas (altars) in their homes to honour the memory of loved ones and to welcome their visiting souls. Others visit their loved one’s grave and decorate it with flowers, candles and food. The holiday is celebrated with family and community gatherings, music, and feasting, and the festivity acknowledges death as an integral part of life.

This is a national bank holiday celebrating Spain's transition to democracy after a national referendum held on 6th December 1978.

This celebrates the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (she who was born without sin). Exactly 9 months later on 8th September Spain celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin

In a few cities including Granada the celebration of Hogueras (bonfires) takes place. This date marks the winter solstice and where it is celebrated involves people jumping through fires to protect themselves against illness.

Christmas Eve is known as “Nochebuena” (the Good Night). Often, as the stars start to appear, tiny oil lamps are lit and at midnight the church bells ring calling the families to "La Misa Del Gallo" (The Mass of the Rooster). The most beautiful of these services is held at the monastery of Montserrat, high in the mountain near Barcelona, which is highlighted by a boy's choir described as performing the Mass in "one pure voice."

Christmas dinner is eaten after midnight. It is a family feast, and often highlighted with "Pavo Trufado de Navidad" (Christmas turkey with truffles). After the meal, family members gather around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols and hymns. An old Spanish verse says... "Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no es noche de dormir" (This is the goodnight, therefore it is not meant for sleep.)

Christmas is a deeply religious holiday in Spain. The country's patron saint is the Virgin Mary and the Christmas season officially begins on 8th December with the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Most homes have a wooden Nativity Scene (Belén) and during the weeks before Christmas, the families gather around it to sing and dance.  They especially honour the cow at Christmas because it is thought that when Mary gave birth to Jesus the cow breathed on him to keep him warm.

You can visit the Nativity Museum in Alicante all year round

This is the day of Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents) and is the equivalent of April Fools' Day when people play practical jokes on one another. Often the national media will include a nonsense story in their broadcasts.

The town of Ibi just inland of Alicante celebrates its ‘Els Enfarinats’ fiesta on this day every year.  A group of local residents take power from the local government in a fake battle where tomatoes, eggs, flowers and fire crackers are thrown in this tradition which is more than 200 years old.  The town centre becomes a large cloud of flour as the fight continues in the church square.

Anyone caught not obeying the "laws" of the fiesta government are covered with flour and have to pay a fine which goes to charity.

On New Year’s Eve, it is the tradition to wear red underwear but they have to be bought for you by someone else. Most towns organise street parties with entertainment and firework displays. Although not many go as far as the little town of La Font de le Figuera inland of Valencia. For the last 30 years children and adults alike have run through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento wearing nothing (or very little) expect for those red undies. 

At the stroke of midnight it is tradition to eat 12 grapes - one on each stroke of the clock to bring good luck for the New Year.