The Cavalcade of Kings always passes through the Sant Antoni district of Barcelona. They used to come from Plaça Universitat and take Sepúlveda. Since there are works on Via Laietana, take Passeig Colom, Paral·lel, Ronda Sant Pau, Urgell and return to Sepúlveda. It is the biggest cavalcade in the city, the most crowded, with more floats, more participants, music, choreography, light effects, wrapped packages... And the Kings of the Orient, of course. But their Majesties, if you look carefully, you can see that they wear make-up, with wigs, that their clothes are loose and the next day some chronicler describes the resemblance of Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar to a politician, a singer or some other famous one.
Yesterday at a quarter to eight I went down to the roundabout to watch the cavalcade pass. In the midst of the lights and the music that accompanies the floats, I was caught by some ecstatic girls dancing and effusively greeting Kings and pages. Must it be them? In the third row was a gentleman with a mustache and a hat, with a little girl around his neck so he could see everything. It seems to me that it must be him. A young couple with three gaping creatures. So are they, for sure. A grandmother collecting candies, a father who has lowered the stairs of the house so that the baby can climb up, an aunt with her nephews following the rhythm of the music, some boys in tracksuits.
Yes they were. All together they were the Handsome Kings disguised as ordinary people. They all had a special light in their eyes, they were residents of the Sant Antoni neighborhood who have participated in the oenagé De Veí a Veí initiative. With a small financial contribution, you can sponsor the letter of a child to whom the Reis Macos have delivered the toy they asked for, as well as sweets, school supplies and other toys provided by local organisations. Every year they come back, the Reis Macos, the real ones.
