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| www.clker.com |
Día de los Reyes, or Day of the Kings, is celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries on January 6, the twelfth night of Christmas. It is actually a continuation of the Navidad celebration in that it honors the three wise men that visited the baby Jesus. These men saw a star in the sky that lead them to the baby Jesus. They traveled from afar to bring gifts to the child they believed would be king. The wise men went to see King Harod after their visit. Mary and Joseph fled with the baby to hide him in Egypt and to fulfill the prophecy that a great king would come out of Egypt to save the people of Israel. In the United States this day is called Epiphany and is celebrated in Christian churches on the Sunday closest January 6.
| theatlantic.com |
For those of you that think that Christmas is not complete until gifts are given, this is the day that you have been waiting for. During the holiday season children write letters to the wise men to let them know what presents they would like. The letter is attached to a balloon that carries the letter into the sky. The week before Día de los Reyes, the wise men visit town. Children gather in the center of the town to see the wise men and to get their picture taken with them. Usually the central park in town is filled with people and vendors. Before they go to bed on the night before Día de los Reyes, they leave their shoes outside filled with hay to feed the animals. They also leave milk and cookies for the wise men, who leave presents in their shoes.
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In Mexico families gather on Día de los Reyes to eat a meal of tamales and hot chocolate. The meal is followed by Rosca de Reyes, the King's cake. The cake is round like a crown and usually filled with fruit that resemble jewels. Other descriptions of the cake say that it is shaped like a wreath. A small plastic baby is baked into the cake. The baby symbolizes the way in which Jesus was hidden from King Harod. The person who finds the baby in their piece must host the next gathering in February.
http://www.inside-mexico.com/featurereyes.htm
http://www.mexonline.com/history-lostresreyes.htm
