HISTORIC CELEBRATION: DÍA de REYES (DAY OF THE KINGS)

For Christians, the Twelve Days of Christmas are now past and it is time to celebrate Epiphany, the day the Three Wise Men are said to have arrived to worship the Christ Child. In Hispanic countries, this is known as Día de Reyes, the Day of the Kings. The night before, figures of the Kings are added to Nativity scenes and children put out old shoes so that they can be filled with presents. On the day itself, families enjoy a special meal that includes corn, tamales, and Rosca de Reyes,a candy-decorated oval sweetbread containing a figure of Baby Jesus.

Preschoolers would doubtless enjoy watching a DVD of the 2009 Dora The Explorer movie, Dora Celebrates Three Kings Day, and though it’s now quite hard to find, the 1987 movie, The Three Kings, with Jack Warden would be a good choice for older children.

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