January 6th: Celebrating el Día de Los Reyes Magos

Three Kings' Day is a diverse holiday that many cultures around the world celebrate. In particular, Mexico devotes big festivities to el Día de Los Reyes Magos. The holiday is to celebrate the biblical story of three wise men that brought gifts to Jesus 12 days after his birth, hence why it's celebrated on the 6th. The story is replicated through having gifts from the three kings to open in the morning, similar to Christmas in America. However, it is mainly centered around kids opening gifts rather than adults. Didier Huicochea [11] reflects on his childhood during the holiday. "During the night of January 5th, and the morning of January 6th, I couldn't sleep. I was never able to sleep, I was always awake, wondering 'what are they going to bring me,'" Huicochea said. Another big part of el Día de Los Reyes is being with family. Families and friends will meet up to spend quality time together. Foods such as pozole, tamales, and other commonly eaten holiday season foods are eaten during el Día de Los Reyes. One of the biggest and most unique parts of this holiday is the rosca. It looks like a big donut-shaped bread, similar to a "gusano," according to Abner Chacon [10], along with a few little dolls meant to represent baby Jesus. However, the rosca isn't just a food, it's a game. Each person takes a slice, in hopes that they don't get the doll inside. "Basically you [have] to be very careful to not [get] the kid that is inside the cake…if you get that kid you're going to basically [have] to buy 100 tamales for the rest of the people," said Chacon. Even with the daring side of the rosca, el Día de Los Reyes Magos provides a feeling of comfort to all who participate in its festivities.