5th January 2013 will be known as The Kings’ Night in Barcelona and it will be the biggest parade celebration in all of Spain. Also known as ‘Twelfth Night Procession’, the parade is called ‘La Cabalgata de Reyes Magos’ in Spanish while in Catalan, it is referred to as ‘la Cavalcada de Reis Mags d'Orient’. The extent of these celebrations is so huge that more than 500,000 come out to witness them in Barcelona where various local Christmas Kings have their parades in different districts of the city.
Through the center of Barcelona, the parade consists of a convoy of eleven floats or carrozas stretching to one kilometer slowly moves along a five-kilometer route as people celebrate. The whole parade takes about three hours and the entire spectacular show is put together by professionals in the world of dance, music and circus. Most of the people participating in the parade belong to the famous art schools from all over the country.
In 2013 King’s Parade, there will be approximately 1200 participants, 26 comparas or dance routines and eleven floats. In addition to this, there will be three new floats including La Carrossa Barcelona or The Barcelona Float, Carrossa de Joguines which is the new toy float of King Melchoir and Carrossa del Carbó which is the new Coal Float depicting the coal being dug by miners and which will be given to the people who have not been good instead of presents.
Schedule of the Three Kings’ Parade 2013
At 4.30PM on Thursday 5 January 2013, The Three Kings will be received on the dock Moll de La Fusta at the Rambla de Mar by royal pages and retinue. At 5.00PM, the Three Kings will come aboard the Santa Eulàlia which is the maritime museum's schooner in Barcelona, in order to greet the waiting children. After this, they will leave to start the parade on Av. Marques De l’Argentera Street near Parc de la Ciutatdella.
At 6.30PM, the parade will officially start and then will proceed to Via Laietana, it will cross Plaça Urquinaona and Carrer Fontanella. It will also cross Plaça de Catalunya, Carrer Pelai and Plaça de la Universitat. It will go down Ronda de Sant Antoni, Carrer de Sepúlveda and will end at Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina at approximately 9.30PM.
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