Three Kings' Day Celebration: History And Traditions Behind 'El Día De Los Reyes'
The earliest reference to the feast in the Eastern Church is a remark by in , I, xxi, 45: And there are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day… And the followers of hold the day of his baptism as a festival, spending the night before in readings. The custom was for women to gather on this day for a special meal, but on the occasion of Epiphany accompanied by wine, to honor the Miracle at the. The thus provides a formula with appropriate chant in the tone of the for proclaiming on Epiphany, wherever it is customary to do so, the dates in the calendar for the celebration of , , , , , and the First Sunday of that will mark the following liturgical year. Heritage echoes down through Christmases: Chorus of cherished rituals arises from immigrants to the Carolinas. On the Sunday that is closest to January 6, we celebrate the visit of the wise men to Jesus. In Romania and Moldova, Epiphany, is called Boboteaza.
The Royal Hours are followed by the which combines with the. This concept is certainly not strictly Christian, but has roots in ancient worship. In 2000, the , of the , introduced into its liturgy an optional Epiphany season by approving the series of services as an alternative to those in the , which remains the Church's normative liturgy and in which no such liturgical season appears. This tradition dated from a time when calendars were not readily available, and the church needed to publicize the date of , since many celebrations of the depend on it. As in other countries, the person who receives the piece or bun containing the trinket or whole almond becomes the king or queen for a day. The one who gets it is king or queen for the day, signified by wearing the paper crown that decorates the cake.
In some regions of Macedonia West it is the biggest festival of the year. Archived from on December 19, 2014. Here the star, called Steaua, today resembles a stained-glass lantern and features an Orthodox icon at its center, a tradition pointing to the blending of both East and West which characterizes the two nations on the river. The Wise Men pass out sweets, children process in wear, carols are sung, and living nativity scenes are enacted, all similar to celebrations in Italy or Spain, pointing to the country's Catholic heritage. Mexican families also commemorate the date by eating. As indicated in Herrick's poem, quoted above, in the mid seventeenth century Christmas decorations were expected to stay in place until Candlemas 2 February , and this remained the norm until the nineteenth century. Archived from on November 27, 2011.
Celebrating El Dia De Los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings' Day) at Church
If you will be visiting Mexico at this time of year and would like to participate, pack a few toys that don't need batteries or books in your suitcase to donate. After that time however, the traditional date of January 6 was restored and has since been observed once again as a national public holiday. Gingras New York: , p. For Western Christians, the feast primarily commemorates the coming of the Magi, with only a minor reference to the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at the Wedding at Cana. Terribly withered they are by that time. A small white figurine representing Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake, commemorating the hiding of Jesus from Herod. The kings ride upon horses or elaborate floats and throw goodies down to the children lining the streets.
As with customs in other countries, the fruitcake toss is a sort of festive symbolic leave-taking of the Christmas holidays until next year, but with humorous twist, since fruitcake is considered with a certain degree of derision in most of the United States, and is the source of many jokes. This holiday, which falls on January 6th, is celebrated as the day when the three wise men, also called the three kings, first saw baby Jesus and gave him gifts. This celebration started to include all the processes of incarnation of Jesus, from his birth on Christmas until his baptism in the river Jordan. Please visit for park hours. On a smaller scale, similar events would take place in the parishes throughout the nation. They may also receive gifts from children, grandchildren or other family members on this day.
The proclamation may be sung or proclaimed at the by a , , or either after the reading of the or after the. People will not only bless themselves and their homes by sprinkling with holy water, but will also drink it. A priest carries this to a body of water where it stays overnight, with the celebrated in the early morning. The dancers, who are usually men but may be dressed as women, manipulate sticks or staves in imitation swords in two opposing lines. The was originally assigned to the same date as the birth because was misread to mean that Jesus was exactly 30 when he was baptized. In the Greek practice, he does this by casting a cross into the water. In the northern half of France and Belgium the cake is called a , and is a round, flat, and golden cake made with flake pastry and often filled with , fruit, or chocolate.
¡Ya Vienen Los Reyes Magos! The Three Wise Men Are Coming!
Tarpon Springs has given itself the nickname Epiphany City. In these old-calendar churches Epiphany falls at present on Gregorian January 19 — which is January 6 in the Julian calendar. Legend has it that explorer Francisco Pizarro named it so because he discovered the ideal site for the city on January 6th. A small figurine representing Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake, commemorating the hiding of Jesus from Herod. It is a time for sanctification, which in Greece means expiation, purification of the people and protection against the influence of demons. On the night of January 5th, children leave one of their shoes outside the door along with grass and water for the camels. Some Protestant churches, such as the Anglican and Lutheran churches, will follow practises similar to the Catholic Church.
Celebrating Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings' Day): Our Traditions
If the Feast of the Theophany falls on a Sunday or Monday, the Royal Hours are chanted on the previous Friday, and on the Paramony the Vesperal is celebrated and the fasting is lessened to some degree. In the , January 6 is celebrated as the Nativity and Theophany of Christ. After presenting their gifts and reverencing the altar and Nativity scene, the kings take special seats of honour and assist at the High Mass. At this time, celebration of the two events was beginning to be observed on separate occasions, at least in. Your use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our , , , and awareness of the. The procession ends at the local church built in 1581, and in its central window a large white star hangs, and coloured banners stream out across the square from those around it. In the past bright stars of fabric were sewn onto the background of dark colored quilts, representing the night sky.
