Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day), also known as the Epiphany, is a Catholic holiday celebrated on Janaury 6th that commemorates the coming of the three kings - also known as the wise men - to visit the baby Jesus. According to the book of Matthew in the Bible, the three wise men, named Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar, followed a star to Bethlehem to worship and give gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.
In Mexico, in the days leading up to Día de los Reyes, children write letters to their favorite wise man asking for gifts, much like children in the United States and Canada write letters to Santa Claus. And like Santa Claus, the wise men will often be seen in department stores and malls.
On Three Kings Day Eve (the 5th), figurines of the three wise men are added to the family’s nativity scene. Children polish their shoes and leave them out before they go to bed. They may also leave some food for the wise men, and some hay and water for their camels. The next morning, children wake up and open the gifts that the wise men left in their shoes during the night.
Later that day, families gather for Merienda de Reyes, a light afternoon meal that features tamales, hot chocolate, and most importantly, the Rosca de Reyes, a sweet ring-shaped cake topped with candied fruit and figs. The Rosca de Reyes is cut into pieces and whoever gets the piece that contains a small plastic figure of the baby Jesus (which symbolizes Joseph and Mary’s search for a safe place for Jesus to be born) must host another party on February 2nd, or Candlemas.
