In France, we eat the galette. In Spain, for Epiphany, we attend the traditional procession of the Three Wise Men. Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar arrive by boat to the Spanish cities and walk the streets distributing sweets to the children. Thousands of spectators gathered this Thursday in the streets of Madrid and Barcelona to attend the Three Kings Parade, shows that are being enjoyed for the first time without restrictions since the Covid-19 epidemic.
This year’s parade, marked by the theme of peace, allowed spectators to admire, among other things, a giant mechanical elephant, live camels, acrobats, dancers and orchestras, before the final fireworks.
The presence of disputed animals
However, this tradition is also questioned on the other side of the Pyrenees. The debate is in full swing in the Spanish press, particularly around the issue of animal abuse.
“The animals that participate in these events can suffer significant stress because they parade through crowded, noisy and brightly lit streets,” the newspaper La Vanguardia explains in particular, while the parades are sometimes accompanied by horses, camels and even elephants.
The Franz Weber Foundation, which works to protect nature, has launched a campaign to call for a ban on the presence of animals in these parades. “The use of animals during parades is an anachronistic complement and this is demonstrated by many municipalities that renounce it,” explains its spokesman, Rubén Pérez, to our colleagues at franceinfo.
An issue that is also being debated within the Spanish political class, while a bill on animal protection is being prepared, promoted by the left-wing coalition in power.
Some municipalities have also taken the lead this year: in 2022, Valencia had used a mechanized camel, like Madrid’s mechanized elephant.
frequent black faces
In addition to the controversy surrounding the presence of animals, the procession of the Three Kings is also highly disputed due to the frequent makeup. In many of these parades, white men cover their skin with black makeup to embody Balthazar, as in Alicante, Alcoy or Seville.
A practice widely denounced by associations that fight against racism. One of them, Afrofeminas, has launched an online petition to “convert” the Alcoy parade into a “racism-free” party, according to the media. The sixth.
“It is urgent to rethink and update the appearance of the Three Wise Men precisely so that the festival is a deeply contemporary cultural act, free from all criticism,” the association writes.
Source: BFM TV
