Happy Three Kings Day!

wow, how time flies. This time last year - Peter and I were in Guatemala visiting Anna with the other mom's who were in the middle of adopting their little angels. We celebrated Three Kings Day with Edwin (our lawyer) and his wife Jacqueline and family. Peter had soo much fun playing with the other kids and feeding all of the family pets. So, to keep with the Guatemalan Tradition - we too celebrated Three Kings Day here in New York. We made the bread - and it came out great! (see pics and story below).

What is Three Kings Day.....

This is a Christian holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Three Kings who followed a bright star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ Child.

In the story of the Bible the Three Kings, named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, brought gifts to the new baby. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Three kings Day is also known as The Epiphany. In Spanish and in South America it is referred to as El Dia de los Reyes.

When is Three Kings Day Celebrated?

Three kings day is celebrated on January 6th. This is twelve days after Christmas, which represents the twelve days of Christmas.

Why on January 6th?

The Western Christian Church adopted December 25th as the day of the Feast of Christ's Birth. This change was how the twelve days of Christmas arose. The Eastern Christian Church recognizes January 6th as the celebration of the nativity. The physical birth of Jesus was kept on January 6th in Bethlehem.

What happens during the celebration of Three Kings Day?

On the twelve days before the Three Kings Day, the children dress up in kings outfits and the custom of star singers takes place. Children go from door to door holding a star and dressed like kings, singing carols and telling the biblical story of the Three Kings. The children receive sweets, treats, and money for this. They keep the treats, yet the money traditionally went to the unemployed craftsmen, yet today the money goes to the charities of the churches.

In some places there is a parade in which they celebrate three kings day, this occurs on January 6th and the proceeds still go to charities of the church. The parade takes the tradition of the star singers, yet some counties still celebrate both.

The night Before

On the might before three kings day, traditionally, there are prayers, blessed dried herbs would be burnt, and the aroma would fill the house with wonderful smells. Doorways are sprinkled with holy water and in some homes the head of the house would write with chalk above the doors C + M + B (the three kings names) and the year.

Children would put their shoes out and wake up early the next morning in hopes of finding gifts in their shoes. The aspect of shoes is similar to the American tradition of leaving cookies for Santa.

On Three Kings Day

On Three Kings Day the children open their presents and in some families, those who have tress, the Christmas tree is taken down. *

A popular tradition on Three Kings Day is serving the Rosca de Reyes - crown shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruits to resemble jewels. Before baking, one or more tiny figures of babies - to symbolize the Baby Jesus - are hidden in the dough. Serving the Rosca de Reyes is a festive occasion celebrated with large groups of people, family and friends, gather to partake in the sweet bread. Each person cuts his or her own slice including the children.

As tradition goes, whoever gets a piece of the Rosca de Reyes containing a baby is obliged to host another party on or before February 2nd. This date is called El Dia de la Candelaria (or Candlemas), and this traditional Christian celebration, also known as the Presentation of the Christ Child, marks the official end of the Christmas Season.

Many families go to church on this day and prepare a large dinner before.

Who celebrates The Three Kings Day?

This is a tradition in many families and homes across Latin America. The traditions and celebrations vary throughout the cultures and communities, yet the story and the purpose stays the same throughout every culture.

* January 6th is also known as "Little Christmas" where all the Christmas Decorations would be taken down on this day. When I (mommy) grew up we celebrated Little Christmas and we never took down any Christmas decorations until January 6th.


What a fun day we had..............

Today Chef Peter made the Three Kings Day Bread and he did a wonderful job. We made it by stratch and Peter managed to make a mess of himself and the kitchen. This is a tradition that we will continue to have in our home - because we had so much fun and Anna had fun eating the bread. Next year Anna will be old enough to help with the baking.