Not long after New Year’s, a common holiday called Dia de los Santos Reyes, or Epiphany, is celebrated all across the Americas and Europe. It is celebrated on Jan. 6, marking the end of Christmas festivities. This holiday honors the Three Wise Men who gave gifts to baby Jesus.

Freshman Jenialys Rodriguez explained what she and her family eat on Dia de los Santo Reyes.

“Usually, my mom would make rice, also called arroz con gandule,” Rodriguez said. “We would also eat pernil and have candy afterward.”

Freshman Petrona Mateo Miguel discussed that food is a main part of Dia de los Santos Reyes, with each family having a specific meal on that day.

“On this day we eat Rosca de Reyes,” Mateo Miguel said. “This is a sweet bread that will usually have a little baby inside.”

French teacher Shane LeFaure described how his family would typically have a meal at home, and then, they eat the cake with a cup of hot chocolate.

“The French King’s Cake is made out of frangipane or a puff pastry,” LeFaure said. “Which is much different than the Spanish or Mexican version of the King’s Cake.”

Dia de los Santos Reyes is more focused on being around family and celebrating the Three Wise Men giving presents to Jesus than dressing up. 

“We don’t wear anything specific on this day,” Rodriguez said. “But, we try to wear something nice.” 

Even though on Dia de los Santos Reyes people don’t usually wear anything specific, three colors represent El Dia de los Santos Reyes. These colors are gold, green and purple. Gold represents power. Green represents faith, and purple represents justice.

“We don’t wear anything special,” Mateo Miguel said. “But, if we did, it would be colors that have a good meaning behind it.”

LeFaure explains that he and his family would traditionally wear normal everyday clothes on Epiphany, another celebration of the Three Wise Men. 

“Now, I celebrate Epiphany with my students and two boys,” LeFaure said. “We wear our French club T-shirts or French Club sweaters.”

Some of the popular traditions to do on Dia de los Santos Reyes are gift-giving, eating large feasts and eating the King’s Cake.

“We would usually gather around the table,” Rodriguez said. “We would then celebrate as a family.”

Families usually get together on this day and celebrate by doing some of the traditions such as laying a shoe outside, preparing shoeboxes with grass, or making food.

“A tradition we do during this day is making tamales,” Mateo Miguel said. “This happens if you get the baby inside of the bread.”

One of the most important parts of Epiphany is tradition. Since this is a Christian and Catholic religion, this holiday is rooted in various customs and practices.

“The tradition is for family and friends to get together, eat dinner together, and then celebrate this day as the end of Christmas,” LeFaure said. “It is a time to reflect on the past year and Christmas activities and beginning a new year of celebration with family and friends.”

One of the main things that they do on Dia de los Santos Reyes is celebrate it with cherished loved ones.

“We celebrate Dia de los Santos Reyes together as a family,” Mateo Miguel said. “Then, we cut open the Rosca de Reyes.”

LeFaure explained how he and his family would buy a King’s Cake with a porcelain figure or a baby Jesus inside. The person who received the porcelain figure or baby Jesus would have to throw the Candlemas party and become the King or Queen for the day.

“I traditionally like to celebrate Epiphany with my students and two boys,” LeFaure said. “I typically buy a King Cake and then let kids be the king or queen for the day.”

Epiphany has been a holiday among Christians since 361 A.D. After Jesus Christ was born, three kings named Melchor, Baltazar and Gaspar came to see him and gave him important gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These three kings came to honor Jesus Christ and could be the reason why Joseph, Mary and Jesus were able to escape Israel long enough until King Harold died. King Harold slaughtered babies under the age of two in Bethlehem.

“This is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ, the evil ruling of kings and queens, the Good News of our Savior and all Goodness that Jesus Christ brought during his life and thereafter,” LeFaure said. “The importance of family and friends, amongst many other reasons.”

Overall, Dia de los Santos Reyes is a way to commemorate the memory of the three kings who gave gifts to baby Jesus.

“The reason why it’s so important is because ever since I was a kid, I have been excited about it and my dad would always tell me that I would get double the presents,” Rodriguez said. “Even though I enjoyed getting gifts, most importantly, my dad helped me understand something that impacted my childhood. It also helped me connect to my religion, Christianity.”

It’s a holiday that revolves around celebrating one’s religion and celebrating with loved ones.

Dia de los Santos Reyes is important to me because it’s part of my culture,” Mateo Miguel said. “My family and it’s a day for admiration for the three wise men.”

It marks the end of the Christmas season in many countries and cultures. The word Epiphany itself means the manifestation of a supernatural being, which Jesus Christ was, and was the reason why the three wise men brought gifts to him.

“Epiphany is important because it brings family, friends, and others together to form community, well-being and health,” LeFaure said. “It is a festival in many communities around the world and marks the importance of our newborn king who saved us from so many things.”