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Thousands of teenagers dressed up as royal pages and put on blackface as part of a Three Kings parade in Spain.​

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The procession, which dates back to the 19th century and commemorates the arrival of the magi Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar at Jesus' birthplace, took place in the Spanish town of Alcoy, in Alicante province.​

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As part of the parade people paint their faces black with large red lips before marching through the streets and handing out sweets and presents to local children.​

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Parades held in cities and villages elsewhere in Spain on 5 January feature three men dressed up as kings. Balthazar is historically depicted as being black.​

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Images and footage from the Alcoy event, thought to be the country's longest-running, reignited a debate on social media.​

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