Happy Three Kings Day

Get ready for Los Magos to arrive!

January 6th

Why do we celebrate 3 Kings day?

At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts.

Puerto Rican tradition

The Tradition of Three Kings Day
Each January 5th, kids join their parents to cut fresh grass and set it in a shoebox under their beds, under the Christmas tree (just like the cookies for Santa Claus), or in a place that is not easy to miss. They hurry into bed as soon as night falls, and the whimsical anticipation for the arrival of the Magi at dawn sets in.

It is not specified when, but legend has it Los Tres Reyes (the three kings) arrive on their camels sometime after the children fall asleep. And much like the red-suited, white-bearded northern counterpart does a few weeks earlier, they leave presents for the well-behaved kids. But, being a tropical paradise with no camels in sight, the Magi travel on horses. As the wise men leave the presents by the shoebox, the humble carriage snacks on the grass the children kindly laid out for them before magically moving on to the next house. As soon as the rooster sings in the early morning, families across Puerto Rico wake to find presents for them. Just like in the Bible, the Magi's gifts come from a humble and kind heart – which is why in most cases, they're not even wrapped and are just piled up next to the shoeboxes. They open these presents surrounded by family members, and a traditional Three Kings Day celebration begins.