This is fun—it seems every country has a different figure who gives presents around Christmas time.

In Spain, the ones who bring presents are the The Three Kings or Magi: Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. They arrive the night between the 5 and 6 of January because that’s the day the Church commemorates the Kings’ visit to Christ Child (Epiphany in the Western Christian tradition).

The Magi only appear in the Gospel of Matthew, and their number, actual titles and origins are pretty vague. They are said to come ‘from the east’ and are called ‘astrologers’ (after all, they follow a star to get to Bethlehem).

There is also a cake associated with January 6th: roscón de reyes (impossible to translate, but delicious).

Painting: The Magi Journeying by James Tissot (between 1886 and 1894)