Brief history on El Dia De Los Reyes (The Three Kings Day):
The twelve days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany also called “The Adoration of the Magi” or “The Manifestation of God.” Celebrated on January 6, it is known as the day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi): Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. According to an old legend based on a Bible story, these three kings saw, on the night when Christ was born, a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christ child and presented it with gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Is that even possible — A Latina not celebrating El Dia De Los Reyes (The Three Kings Day)? To tell you the truth, I found out about Three Kings Day when I was in 5th grade. Since my family never celebrated Three Kings Day, I came to find out about it from a close friend at school. She mentioned to me how she decorated a basket with grass and the next day she woke up to candy and gifts found underneath her bed.
I was puzzled because I had no idea as to what she was talking about. She then proceeded to tell me about the Three Kings Day and I just felt like I was missing out on the best thing ever. So later that day I asked my parents about it and they both said that it was just a fairy tale, which no one would ever come to our apartment bearing gifts and candy after Santa’s visit. And so I believed it. I was disappointed but I got over it.
So now that I’m an adult, I think back and wonder why in the world would my parents tell me it was just an old fairy tale and just start celebrating something new with my sister and me? Needless to say, we never celebrated Three Kings Day and a year later, my parents got divorced.
So, since I never celebrated Dia De Los Reyes when I was a child, I don’t celebrate it at all with my kids.
Do you celebrate El Dia De Los Reyes with your children? If so, please share it in a comment. I would LOVE to know what you do.
No, you’re not the only one. The only time we’ve ever
celebrate this in our house is when someone’s gift comes in late.
Or when we’re too lazy to take down our decorations, we’ll say
we’re waiting for 3 kings day…I love how your parents said that i
was a fairy tale and that no one would be coming after Santa Claus
did, as if Santa himself is not a fairy tale….And I hope you have
no children reading this. Yikes!
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Yea I know! LOL Well they were going thru problems so I guess that’s why they said it was a fairy tale. Oh well.
LOL.. Yea, I know. But you get the “jist” of the ol’ Santa tale. 😉
I know of people who celebrate it and they love it. My parents are Hispanic (from Panama) and we pretty much celebrated nothing. LOL. Now, I’m making my own traditions with my son.
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I love celebrations so starting a new tradition with your son is absolutely the best thing! Hope he enjoys it.
Never celebrated it. My mom’s from PR where it’s HUGE, but none of the other Latin American cultures I know really make such a big deal about it like Puerto Ricans. Maybe it’s just me. I’m kind of glad the whole holiday season is over.
I’m thinking I may try next Xmas. We’ll see how it goes. I’m glad the holidays are over too. 😉
We don’t either. We never did when we were little either. Some of my family in Costa Rica does but my parents never did when they moved to the States.
It’s funny how some do and some don’t. Maybe I’ll try next Christmas. We’ll see. 😉
Hi Lisa!
I actually did celebrate it as a child and today was the first celebration of the the three kings at my house. Who doesnt love surprises?? But I did speak to my kiddo about what it all means.
She loved it…
Rachel
Rachel recently posted..Our First Three Kings Day- Dia De Los Reyes
Maybe I can do the same for next Xmas. Change is good. 🙂
Hi, I’m Mexican-Italian and as a child there wasnt much consistancy in regards to the Three Kings. When i had my daughter, who by the way is half African American, I put alot of my latin traditions to the side ( i am ashamed to admit that…my daughter missed out on so much). However, now I am married to an amazing Puerto Rican man and we definitley celebrate it with our son. My daughter, who is now 18, asks why we didnt do it when she was younger and I expalined, she understood but feels she isn’t missing out because she is able to enjoy it through her little brother, who she enjoys watching his face as he opens his shoe box to see the grass gone and a gift waiting for him.
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Don’t be ashamed, we all learn from our mistakes. That’s great that you are celebrating Three Kings Day now with your son and your daughter is enjoying it thru his eyes. That si really sweet. Thx for commenting 🙂
I am not a Latina but I am compelled to comment on how parents burst children’s imagination…. i wish my parents delayed 3 years telling me Santa’s a faux.
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I waited to tell my kids about Santa when they were 8-9 years old. It’s good to believe in your heart.
I am not a Latina but I am compelled to comment on how parents burst children’s imagination…. i wish my parents delayed 3 years telling me Santa’s a faux.
Some parents don’t even tell them that Santa is real at all and I can see why they would tell them. It can get a little too much.
Get out of my BRAIN!!!
I just finished writing a post about my memories…I celebrated Los Reyes for 5 years and I feel so guilty for not sharing that beautiful tradition with my kids.
I think that we should get together later this year and talk aboiut how we can promote this holiday and restore it to it’s original glory.
George “Urban Jibaro” Torres recently posted..Remembering Three Kings Day!
My family always “celebrated” by taking the tree down after the 6th! lol No extra gifts or nothing!
3 years in the Army, which means the same amount of time out of the island. Play Christmas music in the house, decorate with Santa but have the 3 kings always present in our decoration. Inaddition do my best to keep Christmas on the house as our tradition with the “Octavas” and “Octavitas” after the 3 kings.
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