On this, the 12th day of Christmas, while most of the Christian world has already begun packing up the ornaments, throwing out the tree, and finding a place for all of their gifts, Spaniards are continuing the celebration. All the stores are closed, and at least here in Valencia it is another clear, beautiful and unusually quiet Saturday.

Today also marks the rapidly approaching "beginning of the end" of AC 32.

In Spain, 6 January is Dia de los Tres Reyes -- Three Kings Day -- the long awaited day on which the three kings bring their gifts. On 5 January, children go to a parade where they see the three tings arrive in their city, and take the opportunity to ask them for gifts. Later, before going to bed, children leave their shoes out in a visible spot in the house or on their balcony. They go to bed hoping that when they wake up they will find gifts left by Mechior, Gaspar, and Balthasar.

For breakfast or after lunch, families often have the typical dessert of the day, the Roscón de los Reyes, a large ring shaped cake that is decorated with candied fruits, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the three kings. Somewhere inside the cake there is a surprise, and the person to find it will be crowned King or Queen of the house for the remainder of the day. [Source: Escuela Internacional]

For those of us involved in AC 32 today has other significance: on 6 April, three months from today, Act 13 will be over; and a short month after that, on 6 May 2007, the LVC Rounds Robin will be over and seven of the eleven Challengers go home. More on the Challenger Commission site.