Also known as Epiphany, Three Kings' Day for Catholics, and particularly Hispanics, celebrates the arrival in Bethlehem of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.
The Three Kings of the East tradition is one of the oldest in Mexico since the time of Spanish colonization and even today many families keep celebrating this special day where children are certainly the main protagonists.
Three Kings Day is celebrated with festive lights in the streets, Nativity scenes, and holiday songs. There is also a joyful parade called the “Cabalgata de Los Reyes Magos,” to symbolize the arrival of the kings. The kings ride upon horses or elaborate floats and throw goodies down to the children lining the streets.
Three Kings Day is a religious Christian and Catholic holiday mostly celebrated in Europe, Latin America, and Spain.
At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents.
ATHENS, Greece — Greeks celebrated Epiphany Friday with blessing of the waters ceremonies across the country. The holiday is known as Three Kings Day for Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox. Greece is predominantly Orthodox.
Each January 5th, kids join their parents to cut fresh grass and set it in a shoebox under their beds, under the Christmas tree (just like the cookies for Santa Claus), or in a place that is not easy to miss.
In Mexico, it is traditional for children to leave their shoes, along with a letter for the Three Kings telling them how good they have been all year and what toys they would like to receive, by the family nativity scene, the Christmas tree or by their beds on January 5.
Children follow the kings through the streets on Epiphany Eve. There are numerous parades across the country, accompanied by bands and people in medieval dress banging drums and dancing puppets and clowns. Sweets would be thrown from the parade and eagerly collected, not just by the youngsters!
What do they do to celebrate this day? On January 5th, in anticipation for the arrival of the Three Kings, Spanish towns and cities across the country put on spectacular parades. This parade is known as the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day parade.
In Mexico, Día de Los Reyes (known elsewhere as Epiphany) is celebrated on January 6 to honor the Three Wise Men. This holiday represents the day the Three Wise Men—Los Tres Reyes Magos, gave gifts to Jesus Christ, and the day closes the Christmas festivities. It's also the day the people of Mexico exchange gifts!
Mexico traditionally closes out its festive season known as 'Guadalupe-Reyes' on January 6th —"Día de Reyes"— Kings' Day. Never a country to shirk its festive responsibilities, Mexico traditionally closes out its Christmas and New Year celebrations on January 6th, Día de Reyes or Three Kings Day.
Christmas is a religious holiday for most Hispanics, a festive occasion to celebrate with family. Throughout the Christmas season Hispanic families tend to mesh the traditions that reflect and preserve their language, values and culture with those from the U.S. – for their own unique take on the holiday.
Nochebuena translates to "the good night" and is celebrated on Christmas Eve. The holiday traces back to Spanish colonialization and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Nochebuena isn't just a Hispanic and Latinx holiday, but it's also celebrated in the Philippines.
Spitting, or rather the spitting sound (ftou ftou ftou, always three times to represent the Holy Trinity) is believed to protect against the curse of the evil eye.
Every year on January 6 is La Fête des Rois – Three King's Day. The Christian holiday of Epiphany marks the day when the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem to meet the baby Jesus. Here in France, the holiday is celebrated nationwide – regardless of religion – with cake.
In Ireland, the Three Kings Day is celebrated on 6th January, called also as the ”Little Christmas” or ”Nollaig Bheag”. This is the day that ends the 12 days Christmas period in Ireland. In this day, people undress the Christmas tree and put the Christmas decoration back to storage, for the next year.
The 6th is another family day, with everyone coming together to watch the kids unwrapping presents, and there's normally another big family meal. The day wouldn't be complete without the traditional Roscón de Reyes, sweet circular bread with sugar and dried fruits on top.
They get up early to find the gifts the Three Kings brought them. Families gather around and share a typical dish called Rosca de Reyes (King's Cake), a round, sweet bread resembling the crown of a king, decorated with dried fruits and nuts symbolizing the Kings' jewels.
Opinion: Día de Reyes is a storied tradition
Jan. 6 is known as the Epiphany, and it concludes the 12 days of Christmas. It's the celebration of baby Jesus' baptism.
Cinco de Mayo, (Spanish: “Fifth of May”) also called Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honour of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III.
Each December 12th, the Mexican Catholic community of Scott County celebrates the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This celebration commemorates the appearance of Mary to the Mexican peasant Juan Diego in 1531. The feast day is an important holiday in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.
Holiday Food #6: Roscón de Reyes
The kings and other participants in the parade throw candies to children. The roscón is a cake made especially for Three Kings Day. It is a round cake with candied fruits. The middle of the cake usually features some sort of cream-based filling.