Three Kings Day

What the day is

Three Kings Day is observed on January 6. It is the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi, and it closes the twelve days of Christmas.

Origin and background

The familiar details are largely tradition rather than text. The gospel account does not give a number, does not call them kings, and does not name them. It describes wise men from the east who follow a star and present gold, frankincense and myrrh. The count of three appears to have been inferred from the three gifts, and the names and royal status were added over later centuries.

In Spain, Latin America, the Philippines and Puerto Rico the day carries the weight that Christmas morning carries elsewhere. Children leave out shoes to be filled, along with grass or water for the camels, which is the same bargain as leaving something out for reindeer. Spanish cities hold the Cabalgata, a parade on the eve of the feast in which the Magi arrive and throw sweets to the crowd.

The food is the most widespread custom. A ring-shaped sweet bread is baked with a small figure hidden inside, called rosca de reyes in Mexico and Spain and galette des rois in France. Whoever finds the figure takes on an obligation, commonly hosting the next gathering or, in Mexico, providing tamales in February. The same object crossed to Louisiana as king cake, where it now belongs to Carnival and runs from this day until Mardi Gras.

A quieter European tradition marks the door with chalk, writing the year around three letters that stand both for the traditional names of the Magi and for a Latin blessing on the house.

How to take part

• Bake or buy a rosca and hide the figure. Warn people it is in there.
• Let children put shoes out, and leave something for the camels.
• Take the decorations down, which is what the twelfth day traditionally means.
• Look up the Cabalgata if you have never seen one. The scale is remarkable.
• Give the gift today rather than in December, which is the older arrangement.