When I moved to Hungary and it was time to celebrate New Year holidays there, I was struck by a strange sensation when I celebrated Christmas before the New Year (notice: I am Ukrainian and according to Orthodox calendar New Year is before Christmas). At least, it was unusual to me. For 8 years, my mind has "rearranged" the holidays in places, and now I am surprised at seeing the FB wall on January 6 all in Christmas congratulations.

This year it was my debut stay in Spain for the winter holidays. I saw traditions from the inside and I can not help but share interesting fact about them. But first let me write a small disclaimer: all of the below mentioned information concerns exclusively Menorca, therefore the traditions "on land" may differ significantly or insignificantly from my observations.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a celebration-feast in a close circle, when the table is loaded with different meat, vegetable and sweet dishes. Like at other meetings, Menorquins do not gather for several hours, but for half a day at least. It is interesting that from traditional Christmas dishes I saw soup with some kind of Italian ravioli, baked pork or lamb and turron as a dessert. The last one is a type of a thick bar made from solid meringue with whole or ground almonds. A delicious thing for those who have strong teeth!

A surprising fact for me was that on December 24, people of Menorca spend their dinner, mainly with friends, and only the next day they gather with relatives for lunch.

NEW YEAR

The celebration of the new year is considered to be more a restaurant holiday, with champagne, dances, crackers and fun, as it usually happens in other countries. But here there is a unique tradition: with each stroke of the chimes one must eat one grape. And, there are not 10 grapes, but 12! It's not so simple as it seems. In the new year people enter with their mouthes full of grapes - a funny thing, to be honest.

To make it easier to chew grapes, and in general to organize them for each person, in the supermarkets one can buy special jars with counted 12 grapes, which are without pits, and they are also without peel. This product is solely for the new year celebration.

According to the history, 12 grapes symbolize 12 months and those who can eat them for 10 seconds, will be lucky.

THREE KINGS

This is something new. What kind of kings? How are they related to the new year?

To New Year, in general, they are not related at all, but connection with Christmas is very straightforward. The fact is that the Bible says that in honor of the birth of Jesus, the Magi (they are kings) brought gifts to a child - gold, incense and myrrh. This day is considered a great holiday and is called the Epiphany.

It is on January 5 when the Menorquins give each other presents during dinner. For children, the tradition is slightly different: on the eve of the holiday they write letters asking for toys and, and wake up in the morning of January 6, discovering them in their rooms.

Although now some parents give small gifts to their children for Christmas as well.

Gifts can be packed free of charge directly after their purchase in supermarkets.

On the morning of January 6, a special Easter cake is served for breakfast - with different fillings inside, and before serving, it is decorated with a paper crown that is sold with a cake. On the back of the packing box there is a picture to colour.

I want to stop at the celebration of the Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos) in the city on January 5 before a family dinner. I was fortunate enough to visit the center of Ciutadella at this time. I, honestly, went to the city to take pictures of it in the evening, without people, only with lights, New Year's decorations and a central Christmas tree. The first thing that seemed strange at the entrance to the center was that it was closed; the second was that there were a lot of adults and children on the streets. "Probably, there will be a parade or a festival," I thought. My thoughts were very accurate.

On the peripheral central street people crowded on both sides of the road, as if waiting for something. We met a friend who, with joy on his face, announced that three kings were coming! Oh, these traditions, oh, these costumed celebrations.

The procession was long: several groups consisting of adults and children, dressed in cartoonish and historical heroes, danced on platforms with wheels, loudly screamed and laughed. Among them, it was possible to recognize the three Magi: Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, all of them were "signed".

The kings threw fervently caramels into the crowd, symbolizing the gifts brought, and bustling children (and sometimes adults) collected them in prepared beforehand plastic bags. I stood very close to the royal "cars", and when one of the kings threw caramels, one handful hit my forehead. I admit, it was painful. Next time I will stay away from the kings.

Most of all I was delighted with music bands, one of which beat super joyful rhythms, and the second was an orchestra playing modern hits.

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That evening provided me with a cool mood and opened another tradition of Menorquins!

All the pictures and videos of the post are original.