Three Kings Day
As we wrap up our TransLingua Holiday series, we want to wish everyone who celebrates a joyous Three Kings Day!
Also known as the Feast of the Epiphany, this is a celebration of the Three Wise Men, also known as the Magi, who – according to legend – travelled from the East to present baby Jesus with three symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. This day is celebrated in different ways all over the world.
In Spain, January 6th the Día de los Reyes Magos is a vibrant and joyous fiesta celebrated by families across the entire Iberian Peninsula. The legendary three kings are revered in parades and deliver gifts to households across Spain on the night of January 5th. Spanish children go to bed early leaving their best pair of shoes, sparkling clean, outside their doors to be filled with gifts. The day after, the 6th, is a day for spending time with loved ones and sharing gifts.
La Befana is a traditional Italian figure who visits children on Epiphany Eve, January 5th, to deliver gifts. La Befana is a mysterious, old woman or witch-like character who rides a broomstick. La Befana fills stockings or shoes left out by children with gifts like sweets, candies, or toys for the good children, and coal or straw for the naughty ones.
The French enjoy the galette des rois – a delicious puff pastry tart with almond filling - during the entire month of January. A bead is hidden in the tart and the lucky one to find it in their piece of tart gets to be king or queen and must bring a galette to the next gathering!
Here at TransLingua, we are ringing in the New Year in our own multicultural way: we postponed our Secret Santa gift exchange to January 6th and are enjoying a nice slice of galette des rois today… can’t wait to find out who will be king or queen this year!
