Ibi takes the Three Kings more seriously than most towns. Since 5 January 1975 it has had a monument to them, often described as the only one in the world, in the square and barrio that carry their name. On the 4th the children hand in their letters, on the evening of the 5th the Cabalgata goes through the streets, and on the morning of the 6th the presents appear.
Which means that, in many homes, a pile of presents has to stay out of sight for days, sometimes weeks, in a house full of curious children.
First, the safety rule
Whatever you fit, a child must never be able to lock themselves into a room or a wardrobe they cannot get out of. Any lock on an inside door should open from the inside without a key, or be on a door a child cannot get behind. If it ever goes wrong, read this first.
What works
- A cam lock on a cupboard or wardrobe door. Small, discreet, fitted through the door panel, and it opens with a key from outside only. Good for a wardrobe that is all shelves.
- A keyed lock on a box-room door, with a thumb-turn or a free handle on the inside, so the room cannot become a trap. The key stays with an adult, not in the door.
- A lockable trunk or chest in a parents’ room, for families who would rather not fit anything to a door at all.
What tends not to
- A bathroom-style privacy latch: most can be opened from outside with a coin, and children learn that fast.
- A key left in the lock, or hung on a hook beside it.
- A high bolt on a door that faces the hallway: it shows exactly where the presents are.
When to arrange it
Fitting a lock to an inside door is planned work, not a call-out, and December is busy. Book it in November, when the lock change and fitting visits are easiest to schedule.
And for the week before, when the town fills with flour on the 28th, there is a guide about what that flour does to the lock on your front door.