Three Kings Day?
Why celebrate it?
again….
Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season (the end of the 12 days of Christmas).
Also known as The Epiphany, Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) is a Christian celebration that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. According to the Biblical story, the Three Kings – named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar – presented the Baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Three Kings Day was the gift-giving time, rather than Christmas day. Just as it is common for children to leave cookies for Santa in the U.S., in some regions, it was customary for children to leave their shoes out on the night of January 5, often filling them with hay for the camels, in hopes that the Three Kings would be generous. Children would awake on January 6 to find their shoes filled with toys and gifts.
Also traditional is for families to gather together and share the Rosca de Reyes. The Rosca de Reyes is a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with pieces of orange and lime. It is filled with nuts, figs, and cherries. Hot chocolate is traditionally served with the Rosca de Reyes.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:15 am
Three Kings Day isn’t huge in America, but it’s all the rage in Latin American countries. That’s the day when presents are given out, because its the day that the Three Kings are believed to have arrived in Bethlehem and given their presents to Baby Jesus.
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September 2nd, 2009 at 8:35 am
If i’m not mistake you are refering to January 6 right. This day is not popular at all in the U.S. However in other countries specially Mexico and latin america as well as in italy and spain, this is a huge day for familes to gather and celebrate.
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September 2nd, 2009 at 8:51 am
That is only celebrated in central and southern Mexico. In nortthern Mexico Santa Claus makes more of an impact, because it is closer to the USA, the greatest xmas marketer in the world.
In central and southern mexico children get gifts not from Santa but from the Christ Child himself on xmas eve, and this is followed by gifts from the three wise men on january 6, to be followed by tamales on February 2, candlemas from the old latin pagan religions that were taken over by the catholics. It is a tradition in MEXICO, and of course for whoever chooses to celebrate it wherever they are.
Who is to question which holidays should be celebrated? each is steeped in tradition and beliefs.
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September 2nd, 2009 at 9:08 am
again….
Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season (the end of the 12 days of Christmas).
Also known as The Epiphany, Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) is a Christian celebration that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. According to the Biblical story, the Three Kings – named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar – presented the Baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Three Kings Day was the gift-giving time, rather than Christmas day. Just as it is common for children to leave cookies for Santa in the U.S., in some regions, it was customary for children to leave their shoes out on the night of January 5, often filling them with hay for the camels, in hopes that the Three Kings would be generous. Children would awake on January 6 to find their shoes filled with toys and gifts.
Also traditional is for families to gather together and share the Rosca de Reyes. The Rosca de Reyes is a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with pieces of orange and lime. It is filled with nuts, figs, and cherries. Hot chocolate is traditionally served with the Rosca de Reyes.
References :
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
The above are all correct, it is Epiphany, when the wise men followed the Star and found the Christ child. It represents to us today the discovery of the power of Christ.
It what every Christian discovers and embraces on an individual basis, what every Christian since the shepards and the wise men first beheld him has discovered. It is Us, transported 2000 years back into time, seeing the Child on the hay, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
We celebrate the first acknowledgement by humans of Jesus as Savior, just as the angel fortold.
I mentioned epiphany once to a friend, she is very religious, a Christian of a fundamentalist religion, and I was puzzled by the fact that she did not know what I was talking about, and another friend who happens to be Southern Baptist brushed it off as not being very important. Hmmm. It is a part of the Christmas story, His birth, I do not understand their thinking, but there it is.
I am shocked that corporate America has not jumped on the day, and made it more commercial. Give it time, they will.
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