From: beascoea@colossus.cs.rpi.edu (Alex Beascoechea)
Subject: Re: Ref: nomes
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 15:09:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.142547.19081@osf.org> montero@gyoza.osf.org (Carlos E. Montero Luque) writes:
>In article <9212102317.AA90934@cpuserver.acsc.com> <GEN4015@HUSKY1.STMARYS.CA> writes:
>>
>>Gracias Carlos!  Your re-iteration of the purpose of the discussion group
>>brought many things to light for me!  I have tuned in daily (and dilligently)
>>for about 4 weeks now, but haven't until now made any attempt to e-mail
>>myself.  It is obvious that there are some long-standing members and it is
>>enlightening to be able to read their conversations, but your message made
>>me feel welcome to join in (at least from time to time -- probably more
>>as I gain more confidence to use what Castellano that I know!)
>
>Absolutely! We are glad to see all kinds of people in this group. Bienvenida!
>
>>
>>Y, ahora, una pregunta: ?Hay alguien que podria explicarme los costumbres
>>espanoles de Navidad?  Creo que he oido que no hay ningun "Santa Claus"
>>en Espana y "St. Nick" tampoco.  ?Como son sus costumbres?...
>
>In Spain, there is no Santa Claus. Actually, I'm lying. Santa has been making
>inroads in the last few years, and it is not uncommon now to exchange gifts
>in Christmas Day, although I don't believe it is a completely generalized
>custom. But that does not mean we do not get presents. Instead, we have the
>three wise men. On the feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6) children (and others)
>wake up to find their presents somewhere in the house, normally the living
>room. Plus candy in the shoes. Of course, for the naughty ones, there is only
>coal, but as we used to say in my family, at the price coal had, that was not
>such a bad deal... In any case, the Epiphany is the famous twelfth day of
>Christmas. The day before that, the Three Wise Men parade all over town in
>their camels (if there are enough funds for it :-). But I must admit, I have
>not seen them coming down in parachute like Santa does here...
>
>I'm sure others can add to this. It's been a while for me...
>
>Carlos
>
>
>-- 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Carlos E. Montero-Luque - Motif Validation	 Open Software Foundation
>montero@osf.org					 Cambridge, MA
>						 (617) 621 8858


It seems you have not seen a modern "Reyes" parade for a while. Every year
they come the most unexpected ways. For example in Bilbao they come in
a small (towing?) ship going up the river. And I think I have seen the
parachute stuff in TV too!!! 
(But I admmit that americans have more ... "fantasy" for this kind of stuff).

Now in the Basque Country the Wyse Men are suffering big competition coming 
from the Olentxero (Uhmm perhaps is with z not x), that is the equivalent
to Papa Noel but in the form of peasant (kids love it).

Perhaps someone can explain the different versions thoughout Spain..

-- 
----------------- Alex Beascoechea -----------------
alex@ecse.rpi.edu beascoea@cs.rpi.edu beasca@rpi.e
----------------------------------------------------

From: antoni@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Antoni Drudis)
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:44:52 GMT
Subject: ALDEEU (yet more info on ALDEEU)
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino