January 6th of every year is Día de los Tres Reyes Magos or Three Kings Day, the feast of the Epiphany. It is the Latin version of Christmas that celebrates the 12th day of Christmas when the three kings- Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar traveled on their mules (or camels) to Bethlehem to bring baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.Just like you leave Santa milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, you leave the kings water and grass for their mules the night before they come. You place water in a glass or a bowl, and leave grass in a shoe box and place them next to/under your bed. But that's only one part of the tradition, the next part and probably the most exciting part growing up (of course) was leaving a note for the kings listing three things your little heart desired...you then place that note with the grass and water and close your eyes soooo tight and force yourself, as hard as that is, to go to sleep!!! The next morning you wake up and the note is gone, the grass is disheveled and the glass of water is noticeably empty. That meant the kings had come!!!! Wooohooo! But not only that, they left you gifts, too, just like they left baby Jesus gifts!!! I vividly remember these nights growing up O:)
Three Kings Day is such a unique holiday, and still it is a holiday/tradition that can be easily lost/overshadowed growing up in America with Santa being the main focus come the holiday season. However, to this day, in Hispanic countries throughout the world, as well as in Hispanic homes right here in America, January 6th is actually the day that children receive their Christmas gifts. Fortunately, I have a mother who has never lost sight of the small island that she calls home, the Dominican Republic, and the traditions she grew up with. To be honest, for my mom Three Kings Day is bigger than Christmas because she didn't grow up celebrating Christmas. What I love most about Three Kings Day is that it is such a simple holiday. It's definitely a breath of fresh air and the perfect way to start off the new year-celebrating and honoring our King. Not to mention it provides like a months worth of food! I'm exaggerating, but my mama prepares the biggest feast! We literally eat until we have to unbutton our pants and lean back in our chairs to re-energize. Then we dance the night away to merengue, salsa y bachata. It's been a privilege to celebrate both Christmas and Three Kings Day, and I cannot wait to carry on this tradition and celebrate this holiday with my children! One day (:
Oh, and I'll definitely be leaving some water and grass under my bed tonight! O:)
