Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) is always celebrated 12 days after Christmas on January 6. This religious holiday is widely celebrated in the Hispanic community, especially by Mexican-Americans. In the United States, Three Kings Day is popular on the East Coast, particularly in New York and Florida, and in other areas with large Hispanic populations.

Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes), also known as the Epiphany, is a Christian celebration that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. According to the Biblical story, the Three Kings (or Wise Men or Magi) – named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar – presented the Baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Traditionally in Mexico, Three Kings Day was the gift-giving time. Today, many Mexican-American families concentrate their gift-giving around the Christmas holiday, but some still give gifts for both Christmas and Three Kings Day.

A popular tradition practiced on Three Kings Day is serving the Rosca de Reyes – a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruits to resemble jewels. Before baking, one or more tiny figures of babies – to symbolize the Baby Jesus – are hidden in the dough. Serving the Rosca de Reyes is a festive occasion, and groups of people, such as families or work groups, gather to partake in the sweet bread. Each person cuts his or her own slice, and as tradition goes, whoever gets a piece containing a baby is obliged to host another party on or before February 2. This date is called El Día de la Candelaria (Day of the Candle).

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