That children write their letter to the Three Wise Men, during the days prior to the night of January 5, is a well-rooted custom in our country; a tradition that today competes with others introduced by foreign influence, especially that of Santa Claus or Santa Claus. In any case, the letter addressed to their Majesties of the East was, and continues to be, the main means used to elevate children's wishes to magical highnesses, as evidenced by those that we present below and whose dating is difficult to pin down. From the date of the documents that precede and follow our letters, we can venture that they were written between 1916 and 1923. The fact that they belong to a noble fund such as that of the county of Almodovar is also a fact of interest, both for the exceptional nature of the requested gifts, which of course were not accessible to the common population, as well as the elegance and psychological maturity that stands out in the texts, especially in terms of mastery of the epistolary genre and the treatment formulas with which children they address their majesties.
It is a documentary set made up of three units, namely:the letters of Rosario , Ines and Perico , whose relationship and identity we do not know at the moment. Rosario is confident that, as always, the kings will bring her what she asks for. We don't know how old he is but he asks for no less than three books, two of which are in French, he also asks for something that today is almost disconcerting "a washbasin" and, finally, he has the Christian virtue of asking for a peseta for the poor; Inés, less elevated than Rosario, expresses her desire to have a doll with her respective accessories, she also shows signs of her generosity by asking for a trumpet and a tricycle for Jaime and “something for Diego”; Finally, there is the letter from Perico, a boy who is intimidated by the idea of requesting his Christmas gifts at his age (twelve):he settles for "five pesetas in compensation" for what he spent. And that's it, because Perico "doesn't dare to be more demanding (sic.)"
Dear kings, I wish that as always they give us what we want:Your M.M. Will you have the goodness to bring me three books from the Rosa Library, one is called Les Bons Infants, another Les Vacances and another whose name I do not remember but which V. Your Majesties know, which I like, and a washbasin that they sell in Medel. A peseta for the poor to make them any clothes.
Goodbye, dear Kings, your humble servant.
Rosary.
Dear Kings:
I wish that your Majesties give us a doll that has three dresses and two hoods; he is made of cardboard like the one my sister has. If they don't give me a sink, then a cart with an awning.
Jaime a tricycle with a horse or a guard trumpet.
Something for Diego.
Goodbye dear Kings, your servant.
Ines.
Dear Kings:
Knowing now that Your Majesties do not usually give anything at twelve years old, although quite daring, I ask you for five pesetas in compensation for what I have spent today, as Your Majesties will know.
I don't dare to be more demanding:
Your Majesties excuse my audacity and your safe servant remains who kisses your feet the humble servant.
Parakeet.
Source:Historical archive of the nobility