Tag Archives: Three Kings Day

Jan2

King’s Day……Dia de Reyes

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King’s Day……Dia de Reyes

A 4.7 earthquake in San Francisco. A vehicle exploding in Las Vegas. A terrorist killing and injuring many after recklessly plowing into a crowd of revelers. And it’s only January 2nd! And that’s only in the USA! Crazy things have been happening all over the world.

Here in Aguascalientes it’s peaceful. The only loud noise was the fireworks in the sky at midnight on New Years Eve. And life is pretty much back to normal as the holidays are almost over. Yes, almost over. The kids are still out of school until after King’s Day.

King’s Day? What is that? The first thing to know is that King’s Day is celebrated on January 6th. It is also known as Three Kings Day or Epiphany.

This is a Christian holiday commemorating the day the Three Wisemen arrived to present their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. These were expensive gifts given predominantly to royalty. It also emphasizes the importance of the birth of baby Jesus.

Here in Mexico, King’s Day is known as Dia de Reyes. Traditionally, this is the day when children receive gifts and treats. Another tradition is the Rosca de Reyes, a special wreath-shaped bread adorned with fruit and nut decorations. Inside are hidden baby Jesus figurines. Whoever finds the figurine brings the tamales for the party on Candlemas, February 2.

Another tradition in Mexico is that all Christmas decorations remain on display until Dia de Reyes.

So amid all the chaos in the world today, King’s Day is definitely a much needed cause for celebration in 2025.

Jan7

Rosca de Reyes

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Rosca de Reyes

One of my favorite pastimes back in Canada was baking. I delighted in trying new recipes and always had a freezer filled with a variety of squares and cookies. I also miss my breadmaker where I made amazing rosemary bread and pizza dough. Here in Mexico I find baking a challenge as many of the ingredients are not available here in Mexico. There are also numerous items on the shelves here that I am not at all familiar with.

I have taken a few Mexican cooking classes here in Mazatlan. I have become good friends with Sofia, a young woman in her twenties, who teaches these classes and I help her translate the recipes from Spanish into English. This afternoon we met with a panadera (a baker) who shared with us the art of making Rosca de Reyes, a traditional sweet bread associated with Dia de Reyes ( Three Kings Day) here in Mexico. Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. It is also known as Epiphany and commemorates the day that the three wise men visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Rosca de Reyes is in the shape of a wreath which symbolizes a crown. The candied fruit are the jewels on the crown. Inside the bread is hidden a small figurine of the baby Jesus. When the bread is served, each guest cuts a slice. Whoever finds the baby Jesus is the host of a party on February 2nd and must supply the tamales. This person is also the honorary godparent of the baby Jesus and must take a doll to the church to be blessed on that day, also known as Dia de la Candelaria or Candlemas. When I lived in Tlaquepaque, the godparents also gave out baskets of candy to people as they made their way down the street to the church. And of course there was loud music as well.

Rosca de Reyes takes a while to prepare as the dough requires two risings. The intricate decoration on the top is comprised of a sugar paste, ribbons of candied fruit, nuts, prunes, dates and figs. Some bakers also prepare a filling of coconut, nuts, raisins, candied fruit, cinnamon and sugar.

Tomorrow morning we will actually prepare this delicious bread in a class. And as a bonus, it will be accompanied by hot chocolate as is customary here in Mexico. Yum yum!!!!!