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Local News
The holiday is celebrated every Jan. 6 in Mexico, Spain and parts of a Europe. But while it is observed by some Hispanics in Yuma and around the United States, it has less religious significance here, said Father Eduardo Lopez of Immaculate Conception Church in Yuma. A couple of days before the celebration, children write letters to the wise men, asking for the presents they would like to receive. "It has been instilled in us, Mexicans, that it is not so much Santa Claus but Baby Jesus who is born, and because these three characters bring gifts to baby Jesus ... it is a very Mexican tradition to see these three characters bring gifts," Lopez said. "If baby Jesus did not bring you a gift during Christmas, then one hopes to have it through the wise men." The night before Three Kings Day, families that celebrate the holiday place figurines of the wise men in a nativity scene in or outside their homes, and grass or hay and a bucket of water are left outside for their camels. Children place shoes on their doorsteps or on their windowsills so that the wise men will leave gifts for them inside the shoes, Lopez said.
Children who didn't get the gifts they hoped for on Christmas often rise earlier than normal on Jan. 6 in newfound anticipation of finally getting the presents they wanted, he said. Meanwhile, adults prepare for the Merienda de Reyes, an early evening dinner that friends and families share to celebrate the Epiphany, or the moment of sudden realization and insight that Jesus' birth brought. The meal features tamales, a drink called atole and Rosca de Reyes (Kings' Crown), a crown-shaped sweet bread with small figures of babies baked inside. In Mexico, anyone who gets a piece with a baby inside has to give another party on or before Candelaria on Feb. 2, when that country's holiday season officially ends. "Many people are afraid of getting the figurine because it will be their turn to have the party," Lopez said. "But if we reflect on this, we shouldn't be afraid of what it represents — to have found Baby Jesus and celebrating for finding it." Families can bake and decorate the bread themselves, but bakeries in and around Yuma sell the bread already made. Lopez, a native of Mexico, said that when he came to Yuma, he was surprised to find that the holiday wasn't widely celebrated in a community with a large Hispanic population near Mexico. He said everyone in his congregation who observes the occasion does so only for purposes of enjoying the bread. "In Yuma, the only thing celebrated on this holiday is the Rosca de Reyes," he said. "The church celebrates the Epiphany." Stefani Guerrero Soucy can be reached at SSoucy@yumasun.com or 539-6857.  |
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