Three Kings Day & Rosca de Reyes

Epiphany or Three Kings Day

Spending a large portion of my life in Canada, celebrating Three Kings Day is truly unfamiliar to me. Growing up, the only day around Christmas that was celebrated, was well Christmas day! Christmas eve was a night of feasting and boxing day was a day to shop, but Christmas day was the special day.

Here in Mexico and in other countries that are heavily Catholic and religious, it is Epiphany or Three Kings Day that is the celebrated special day. For on this day, 12 days after Christmas, the three kings first saw the baby Jesus and brought him gifts. It is on this day that little children here receive their presents!

Rosca de Reyes

My walk this morning took me to the large Chedraui in the colonias. Upon entering there is a massive display of ring shaped fancy bread. As I walked around the shop, I noticed that almost every local customer had these balancing on their carts. There is the medium sized bread pictured below and beside it large size which are about 18″ by 24″, truly BIG fancy loaves of bread!

Rosca de Reyes is a round or oval ring of bread eaten on Three Kings Day. The ring signifies the infinite love of God and the fruits that decorate it are the gifts from the three kings. The best part, it has a special surprise hidden inside! In times past, it was a little porcelain figure of the baby Jesus, these days most likely a plastic figure or a bean. Who ever is the lucky recipient of this prize has to cook tamales for every one on February 2nd.

Here is a recipe if you ever want to create your own.

These breads are so important in Mexico. They have been around since the Spanish conquest. When I went to pay for my purchases, almost every local in line had one of these Rosca’s and I could see people balancing them in their arms walking down the streets. For today is a special day, its Epiphany. The town is fuller today. There is more traffic, the streets are busier, more people are out and about. There is a festive atmosphere here today.