The Three Wise Men return by camel to La Laguna

The reunion of La Laguna with the camels took place after 4:20 p.m. Melchior Caspar and Balthazar They left the town hall and climbed on some animals that were waiting in a space next to the Plaza del Adelantado. They then began the journey through Nava y Grimón street, the most popularly known as water street. Shouts from the little ones, excited faces, some last-minute request… Emotional moment at the Virgen Poderosa Home, a residence for the elderly, in which its users greeted the Kings from the balconies and some went out the door with cards in hand.

It so happens that the presence of camels has been in recent years, and particularly in La Laguna, reason for controversy. That is why in recent times the City Council has changed its opinion on several occasions about the presence of these animals and, when it ended up accepting the request of the Historical Center Neighborhood Association, it did not clearly spread that the Kings would go on camels. However, that was not an obstacle for a considerable influx of spectators. Paradoxically, this occurs with the presence in the government of Unidas se Puede, the same party that last term –from the opposition– cried out against the use of camels during the parade. Things of politics… or of the magic of the Kings.

Previously, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar had already had a job. Around 11:30 a.m. they arrived at the Town Hall. The mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, thanked them for “the love they have always shown for La Laguna, the enthusiasm and joy they bring to all the families of our city.” As it could not be otherwise in the case of such distinguished visitors, they were in the Plenary Hall to sign the city’s Golden Book. Then they received the children, who were able to deliver their letters and formulate their requests. Melchor expressed, on behalf of the three monarchs, his wishes for peace for the world, and he was very excited to be able to be back in the City of the Advanced.

“It’s always an illusion. It is for children but also for one, who in the end is also as if he had a child inside». said Saúl Díaz, who attended the morning event with his son and some relatives with other children. “Since he got up this morning, he has made me crazy that we came early and from 10:00 we left the house to be here,” said the mother of another of the hundreds of children who waited for the arrival of the Magi from the East at the Consistory. .

Melchor asks for benevolence

The Three Wise Men finished receiving the children around 2:00 p.m. and rested until 4:00 p.m., after which they headed for the Plaza del Cristo. There the Adoration to the Child Jesus of the Afflicted took place. Once it finished, Melchor attended to the minors who approached him. Specifically, he asked for a little benevolence in light of the busy night ahead of him and his companions. “Maybe some toy goes without the wrapping paper… It’s because they told us at the last minute,” he said in a somewhat macaronic Spanish.

After 6:15 p.m., the parade began from the surroundings of the Plaza del Cristo. It was opened by Lenita Lindell’s ballet, followed by the Valle de Guerra Music Band and a train with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Following were several cars with great classics from the Disney factory: Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, Pluto and Goofy, and Beauty and the Beast. It was enough for the parade to take a few steps for the nerves that the little ones harbored to become shouts and a party. The Fanfare of Los Silos, Winnie de Pooh, four characters from The Simpsons and three from The Smurfs were still in a procession that began to advance along Calle del Agua. Behind came Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. Then things got more serious; The first of the Magi was approaching: Melchor.

From there began a second section with nine characters from the Paw Patrol, the Little Mermaid car, Ursula and the Sebastian Crab, the Acquamarina ballet and another vehicle with music. New ration of cartoon characters: Cinderella, Jasmine, Esmeralda, Pocahontas… And the San Miguel Music Band. Tweety and Silvestre, Monster Hight, Pocoyo, Doraemon, Peppa Pig and SpongeBob were behind, just before King Gaspar’s retinue of pages.

massive influx

The cavalcade repeated the usual route (Herradores went up and La Carrera went down) and took place, according to data from the Local Police, with the presence of around 25,000 spectators. These had more proposals in the parade with which to have fun. And it is that the list of more or less known characters did not end in the previous ones. This became a kind of Trivial for some parents, who had the approval when it came to distinguishing the most popular Disney figures but who experienced greater difficulties with more modern ones. Specifically, the delegation later featured the Tasmanian Devil, the Minions, the Aguere Scout Group, the Ataman Scout, a truck from the Effico lighting company and Doc McStuffins. The music at that point was put on by a batucada. Four elves with a coal cart, Spiderman and Captain America preceded Baltasar’s float, perhaps the most generous –at least in the early stages of the parade– with the distribution of candies.

Postal staff, volunteer firefighters and the La Laguna Local Police also joined in a show that, according to data from the latter body provided by the Laguna City Council, took place without incident. The Consistory highlighted that a noise-free area was established in the procession, specifically in the section from the National Police station to the Laguna Gran Hotel, so that people with autism could enjoy the parade normally. The noise came at the end, after 8:30 p.m., with a prolonged fireworks display that, at least in recent editions, had not been held.