The Fira de Reis is a traditional market that fills Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes each January with activity, colour and the scent of turrón (nougat). With more than 170 stalls, it brings together handmade toys, nativity figures and seasonal sweets such as roscón (a ring-shaped cake eaten at Epiphany, often filled with cream). Wandering through the fair, you find a familiar, festive atmosphere where the everyday sits alongside a sense of anticipation. Among the chatter and cups of hot chocolate, it’s easy to come across a small find that brightens the winter days.
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Among the food stalls, barquillos (wafer rolls) and turrones (nougat) sit alongside more unusual flavours that continue to draw interest each year.
Letter boxes for children to post their notes to the Reyes Magos (the Three Wise Men) are often set up, sometimes accompanied by a visit from a “Paje Real” (a royal page who collects the letters on behalf of the Kings).