THE THREE KINGS

by **Elba** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:26 am

I don´t know what are the custumms of countries at Asia, Africa and Europe, but at Latin America this night, the night of jenuary 5, has a special meaning for children.
Acording to the holly history, until the night Jesus was born three kings got to Jerusalem with presents for the new king. An angel tell them, in their dreams, that the most important king of the world would be borning in that town and they must to go to see him. They must to go in the direction of a big star to find the new king.
In a memory of that fact, here at México and in another countries of Latinamerica every jenuary 5 children writte a letter to the three kings ans ask for toys. they put the letter in the christmas tree or in one of their shoes or in a globe that they throw to the sky. The next day they runn in order to looking for the presents. Of course the parents are the kings but boys don´t know.
The night of jenuary 5 is a custum to buy a Rosca de Reyes" like a big donut. It has in the interior of the bread the figure of a boy, or more than one, 3, 6, etc. The rosc is for the family and friends, every person must to cut a piece, if someone get the boy, that person mut to invite to the rest of the people to eat "tamales", traditional mexican dish, the night of February 2, the day of the party of Candelaria Virgen.
Today at the office I got a boy, but some others coworkers get one too, then we are going to share the cost of the tamales.
What is the custumm at your country...?

by **Dixie** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:02 pm

Same here! Everybody gets presents on the night of January 5th. I got an mp3 player and a digital camera

plus a good amount of euros :lol:

by **Lalee** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 2:21 am

Dixie wrote:Same here! Everybody gets presents on the night of January 5th. I got an mp3 player and a digital camera plus a good amount of euros

Wow! The presents you've got are so cool! Who gave them to you? Relatives or friends?

by **Shazzam** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:14 am

I have never heard of this before. I have heard of Chinese New Year celebrations, but this one is really unusual. It is like having two christmases!

We only have Christmas day. We celebrate New Year of course but not with gifts.

I must admit I'm a little

about the dates. Why January and then February. What is their significance :?:

by **Elba** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:24 pm

It is usppossed that the three kings got to Belén 13 days after Jesus was born.
February because it is suppossed that february y is when Joseph and María presented Jesus in the Church.
About the Rosc,Why people must to find a boy. It is because after Jesus was born Herodes the kin was looking for him in order to kill him, then when people cut a piece of rosc is like if they were one of the soldiers of Herodes and must to find the boy. Remember Shazzam that for mexicans is part of their culture try, all the time, to celebrate dates. We celebrates all, for that reazon mexicans like parties too much, and we only need a excuse to celebrate a party.
For us to find the boy in the rosc is like find Jesus and then it means good luck for us.