In Spain, Christmas gifts are traditionally given in Spain on Jan 6, the day of Epiphany when Christians recall the visit of the three kings to the baby Jesus, with colourful parades held across the country the night before.
Children are told the gifts have been brought by the three kings, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, who are traditionally depicted as Middle Eastern or black in Christian lore.
As part of the festivities, Madrid’s city hall hired a firm to produce personalised video messages from the three kings which parents in the Chamartin neighbourhood could request for their children.
One version featured a white man wearing dark face paint representing Balthazar who spoke in heavily accented and grammatically incorrect Spanish, sparking accusations of racism.
Between 20 to 30 videos featuring the man in blackface were sent out, Madrid’s deputy mayor, Maria Inmaculada Sanz Otero, told reporters.
“It is obviously not the right person to feature in these videos. It’s a regrettable mistake on the part of the company charged with this activity,” she said before adding that city hall had asked for an explanation from the company that made the videos.
Afrofeminas, an anti-racism group, called the videos “disgusting”.
“It is unforgivable and irresponsible that racism emanates from an institution” such as Madrid city hall, it added in on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Parades held on the eve of the feast of Epiphany have long featured the role of Balthazar played by a white man – often a city councillor – in black make-up, although in recent years opposition has grown to the practice.
Madrid’s former leftist mayor Manuela Carmena ended the practice in the Spanish capital in 2016 and the city now employs a black actor to play the role in its Epiphany parade, which is broadcast live across the country.
In 2019, Barcelona football legend Andres Iniesta apologised after posting a photo on social media with his family beside two people in blackface representing Balthazar and one of his assistants or “pages”.