Tercer part de la fascinant trilologia sobre nadals i altres festes a Anglaterra o Catalunya.
Ahir, dia 31, era el dia del “Home dels nassos”, un costum
que jo només coneixia a Catalunya – fins ahir, quan 3 persones diferents del
nort d’Anglaterra em van dir que els seus iaios o pares també els contava l’historia
fa anys. Hmmm, haurem d’investigar.
Bé, ja us vaig dir en el post anterior, passat l’u de gener,
els anglesos tornen a la normalidad. A la feina i a l’escola. No hi ha
celebració el dia 6 de gener, però si que deuen haver serveis religioses ja que
la llegenda ens diu que és el dia que els reis mags van arribar a Belen. La
tradició dicta que no s’ha de desmuntar l’arbre ni treure els decorats de nadal
fins aquest dia – però la majoria de gent ho fa el mateix dia que tornen a
treballar o a classe.
...
So, part 3
of the fascinating “Christmas and other traditions in Catalonia and England” series
of blogposts. In the previous “New year” post, I forgot to mention the story of
“the nose man” – on the 31st of December, Catalan kids are told to
look out for a man who “has as many noses as days in this year” .... get it?!
Here he is – but you can also see him (or her) by looking in a mirror. I
thought this was a specific Catalan thing but Lo and Behold, yesterday (through
the magic of internet social networks) three different people from the north of
England said that their parents or grandparents had told them the same story!
So, if
there are any “international” followers reading this:
1.
Do
you tell this story to kids in your country/region?
2.
And
specifically for any English folk – is it just a northern thing? Was it a
typical tale in the past (question for the older readers!) which has now been
forgotten or pushed aside by the magic of electronic games and the cynicism of
the 21st century?
Right, having
made it past New Year, Catalans now get ready for the next big event – the 5th/6th
January. As the Bible and Charlton Heston explain, the Three Wise Men arrived
in Bethlehem with their gifts on the night of the 5th January. So,
Catalans and Spaniards usually take this as their Big Present-giving Day. Many
kids get their presents from the Wise Men, and not Father Christmas. 20 years
ago, 100% of gifts came this way, but now (thanks to Hollywood and shops out to
make more money) traditions have “evolved” and many kids get presents on both
the 25th December and the 5th January.
On the
evening of the 5th, the Wise Men (know literally here as the “Three
Magic Kings”) roll up and parade through town on camels (or tractor-pulled
floats, depending on their budget), followed by hundreds of masked helpers
playing music, putting on a show (think Disney parade), and carrying gifts. People
actually know the names of the Wise Men – Balthazar, Meclhior and Caspar.
Apparently two are white or Asian, and one black, due to their countries of
origin but I can never remember which is which. Kids throng the streets to see
the parade and then rush home to find that the Wise Men have already been to
their houses and left them gifts – if they’ve been good. If they’ve been
naughty, they get a piece of coal! The Wise Men have a lot of work on and don’t
get to some houses till the early hours of the 6th – for example, in
our house, where our kids find their presents (or coal) on the morning of the 6th.
The 6th January is a public holiday with – you guessed it – a huge
family meal. Following that, things start to open up again in the 7th
and schools on the 8th (allowing the kids an extra day to play – poor
creatures, having waited through all the Christmas holidays, they only get
their presents 2 days before school!).
