Three Kings

Three Kings Day helps keep Hispanic culture alive. Churches, bakeries gear up for traditional Hispanic holiday

The holiday — celebrated widely in the Hispanic culture — is as much a part of Christian heritage as Christmas.

Three Kings Day commemorates the Magi — by tradition, wise men Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar — following a bright star to Bethlehem and presenting gifts to the newborn Jesus.

"They did visit Jesus Christ when he was born and gave him presents," said Gonzalez, 30, of Rochester. "That's what we believe in."

She brought her two sons, 6-year-old Krasny and 5-year-old Sergio, to the St. Michael Church Fellowship Hall on Saturday afternoon to take part in a communitywide Three Kings Day celebration.

The event — organized by Latinas Unidas, Girl Scouts, St. Michael and the North Clinton Avenue Business Association — featured Latin music and sing-alongs, storytelling, crafts and a traditional meal of rice with pigeon beans, roast pork and cake.

It also included a visit by "three kings" who handed out gifts to the children.

Wearing purple, red and blue robes and donning crowns, the kings were played by Rochester Police Chief Robert Duffy, former Monroe County Executive Thomas Frey and business association President Albert Algarin.

Despite the snow falling outside, about 100 parents and children participated. The holiday is Jan. 6, but the event was celebrated Saturday so children could attend.

The observance of Three Kings Day is important because it is a celebration of the Hispanic culture, said Daisy Rivera-Algarin, chairwoman of Latinas Unidas.

"We felt it was important to continue the traditions of our motherland," she said.

All over the USA while most of USA unwinds from holiday celebrations, Hispanic communities are preparing to commemorate one of the biggest gift-giving, church-going and traditional meal holidays of the year.

''El Dia De Reyes Magos,'' or Three Kings Day, falls on January 6. For immigrants from Mexico, in particular, this is the holiday that children race out of bed to open gifts and family cooks prepare lavish holiday spreads.

Also known as Epiphany, the day commemorates the biblical story of the Magi, or wise men, who arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newly born Jesus.

At St. William Catholic Community Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee, the sermon's message will be ''what gift can we bring this year to the Christ child,'' said the Rev. Paul Portland, the priest leading the Mass.

The service also will include a traditional re-enactment of the biblical story of the Magi.

Led by two little girls dressed as angels, Joseph and Mary and a baby doll Jesus will begin the service by walking to the front of the altar. Later, the three wise men in costume will present the trio with gifts.

At the end of the service, the children in the congregation will be handed bags of sweets as they leave the service.

It's a traditional Dia de Reyes service minus the live horses bearing three wise men that Portland has witnessed in Mexican churches.

Portland expects 250 to 300 people at the Spanish-language service he will conduct tomorrow, about the same turnout as every Sunday in the small church that seats 150. There are chairs in the hallways and a big screen television to broadcast the sermon to those unable to fit in the sanctuary.

Afterward, families celebrate by eating a traditional oval-shaped bread called ''Rosca de Reyes,'' or the ''three kings cake.'' The tradition is similar to the Mardi Gras tradition of serving ''king cake.''

January 6 is the busiest day of the year for bakeries catering to the Hispanic population, said Patricia Paiva, owner of Aurora Bakery on Nolensville Pike.

''Last year people were running each other down in my lobby to get the last ones,'' she said.

The oval sweet egg bread is covered with red and green cherries, guava, cream cheese, icing and dried fruit, she said. According to tradition, Paiva hides small plastic babies in the bread to represent Jesus. Whoever gets the slices with the babies in them then has to throw a party February 2 to celebrate the ''Fiesta de la Candelaria,'' or Candlemas. Candlemas commemorates the 40th day after the birth of Jesus and is celebrated in some churches by blessing candles used in Mass.

''People usually transition their holidays to the weekends when they come here, but this is the one big day that people celebrate even when it's on a Tuesday,'' Paiva said.