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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.
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