As the Christmas season comes to a close, many Latin Americans celebrate one more holiday on January 6th: Three Kings Day. It marks the occasion on which, according to the Gospel of Matthew, baby Jesus received gifts from a group of kings who had followed a star in search of him. Recognizing the offerings of these kings - Melchior, Caspar, and Baltazar - grew to be an important way for Spanish Christians to worship. Their celebratory traditions surrounding the day were ultimately spread across the globe during the colonial era. Different countries have put their own twists on these traditions, adding and changing them to fit their own unique cultures. That said, below are a few common customs that mark the occasion.
Gift Giving - Santa's not the only one who gives out presents! In many Latin American countries, gifts are traditionally given to children by the three kings along their journey. In some cases, children leave out hay for the camels to eat before they go to sleep on January 5th, placing some in their shoes or shoe boxes overnight. No matter where it's left, when kids wake up, the hay is gone - and it's replaced with gifts! That said, it is not uncommon for kids to be visited by the kings and St. Nick. The more presents the merrier!
Rosca de Reyes - Sometimes called Roscón de Reyes, this traditional bread is enjoyed throughout Spain and Latin America on Three Kings Day. The sweet treat is shaped and decorated like a crown, and filled with nuts and fruits like fig and cherry. That's not all it's filled with, though - small figures of babies are also hidden inside! In many countries, finding a piece of bread that holds a baby is good luck. That said, some cultures say whoever finds the baby has to host a party on or before the Christian holiday Candlemas on February 2nd. The host of this party typically serves tamales - a delicious way to keep the festivities going.
Parades and Festivals - Many communities across Latin America and the United States come together for public celebrations of Three Kings Day. In Puerto Rico, the town of Juana Díaz holds a giant Three Kings Day festival. It started in 1884, and has grown to be the largest of its kind on the island. In New York City, El Museo del Barrio has been hosting an elaborate Three Kings Day parade for almost 50 years, bringing costumes and giant puppets of the kings to Harlem. And in Miami, La Parada de los Reyes Magos marches down Calle Ocho, featuring live camels and local bands - sometimes over a mile's worth. These gatherings often happen the day before Three Kings Day, tiring kids out so that they can sleep soundly as they await their gifts.
Do you celebrate Three Kings Day? If not, would you like to learn more? Browse the Three Kings Day books available with your library card here.
Amanda Ospina is a Children's Librarian Trainee at the Riverfront Library. She has fond memories of leaving out cookies for Santa in December and hay for the kings' camels in January. Her favorite holiday season books are The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray, Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett, and The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia M. Scarry.
Information in this post was sourced from El Museo del Barrio and WLRN Public Radio and Television. The image in this post was sourced from Freepik.