{"id":143001,"date":"2022-12-16T17:31:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T22:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=143001"},"modified":"2024-12-30T13:15:33","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T18:15:33","slug":"three-kings-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/three-kings-day\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Three Kings Day? 4 Ways to Celebrate This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people take down their Christmas decor on Boxing Day\u2014but the Christmas season isn\u2019t over quite yet! If you\u2019re familiar with \u201cThe Twelve Days of Christmas\u201d\u00a0song, you might be surprised to learn that the 12 days actually start on Christmas Day, meaning Christmastime actually extends through January 6, which is known as Three Kings Day.<\/p>\n

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the three kings (also known as the three wise men) Melchior, Caspar\u00a0and Balthazar who traveled to Bethlehem to greet baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense\u00a0and myrrh. Although the birth of Jesus is celebrated on Christmas Day, the three kings didn\u2019t actually reach him until 12 days later\u2014which is why Three Kings Day is celebrated on the 12th day of Christmas.<\/p>\n

This is also why it\u2019s tradition to leave your Christmas tree up through January 6\u2014because the Christmas season doesn\u2019t end until after Three Kings Day has been celebrated.<\/p>\n

When is Three Kings Day?<\/h2>\n

Three Kings Day is always on January 6!<\/p>\n

How to celebrate Three Kings Day<\/h2>\n

The holiday is primarily celebrated in Spain and Latin America, but Latino\u00a0communities have shared the tradition all over the world. The holiday is observed with parades and parties as people celebrate the three kings arriving to baby Jesus. Here\u2019s how you can celebrate the holiday this year.<\/p>\n

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  1. Set out snacks. <\/strong>The three kings rode to Bethlehem on camels, so the night before the holiday, children set out grass or other snacks for the camels. If you\u2019re familiar with the tradition of leaving cookies for Santa, this custom is very similar\u2014but instead of leaving cookies and reindeer feed, families prepare snacks for the camels.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    1. Gather with family.<\/strong> For many families, Three Kings Day is as big of a celebration as Christmas Day. It\u2019s customary to gather with friends and family to celebrate, often by opening gifts, playing musicand sharing a large meal together.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      1. Give gifts. <\/strong>Typically, children give and receive gifts on Three Kings Day. In some parts of the world (primarily in Spain), children also leave their shoes by the door so the three kings will come in the night and fill their shoes with small gifts\u2014just like on Saint Nicholas Day!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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        1. Make sweet bread.<\/strong>In Mexico especially, it\u2019s customary to make rosca del reyes, which is a sweet bread that represents the kings\u2019 crowns. It\u2019s typically made into huge long loaves at bakeries, and people come to stand in long lines to grab a slice. Similar to the kingcake tradition at Mardi Gras, there is often a small baby figurine inside one of the slices.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u00a9 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"