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La Caravane des Rois Mages 2026, Perpignan
3rd January - 4th January
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UPDATED 31ST DECEMBER 2025
Les Rois Mages: Three Kings in Perpignan on January 3rd
Forget the post-Christmas blues, the festivities continue on 3rd January, over the weekend of Epiphany (6th January, 12 days after Christmas Day.)
A big part of the Catalan calendar, celebrating the arrival of the Rois mages, the three Wise men, brings parades, and crowds, to towns across the P-O .
In Perpignan, there are two processions leaving from the Place Gambetta at 16h and 18h.
On horse or camel back, the kings, Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar, who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, parade through the streets accompanied by exotic dancers, jugglers, musicians, fiant puppets, fire eaters, a variety of animals….and satsumas and hot chocolate for the kids.
The kings often collect letters from children, containing their wishes (remise des vœux) for loved ones, amidst an oasis of palms, light and interesting animals and characters.
Procession usually also contain ‘gégants‘, enormous painted papier-maché figures, sometimes 14 or 15 ft tall, with traditional clothing and a person inside. They usually appear in couples, often as king and queen, or some important person in the history of the town and differ from commune to commune, each town having its own ‘gégants’.
