Whats Los Reyes Magos?
Its the Three King's Day. Basically in my culture/religion its the day the three kings that followed the star to Jesus arrive baring gifts. Its celebrated by giving gifts to children, games, and the family gathering to cut a large bread shaped in a circle, called Rosca de Reyes, with baby figurines hidden inside. If the piece you cut happens to have a baby, you have to host the rest of the players for a tamale party (traditional food but my family always changed up the menu based on who got the little babies.)
Its supposed to be a blessing and honor but everyone is always panicking about getting it so its feels a lot like Russian Roulette when picking where to cut. Kids play too and if they get the baby their parents have host. The party is on February 2nd which is meant to give them time to make tamales and official closes out the holiday season (My Christmas decorations go up two weeks before Thanksgiving and dont come down until the Los Reyes Magos day. We are the only house on my street with Christmas lights still lit lol)
Children especially love it since its like second gifts after Christmas and every year my famiky has three of the smallest kids dress up as the kings (including the girls). They like wearing the costume for the night and often times the adults play along to thier little demands. Last year one of the "kings" demanded we all spin in circles whenever he shouted the word "Sandia! (Watermelon) and couldn't stop giggling when almost all the adults yelled "Sí, mi rey! (Yes, my king). He was 2 so it was worth it to see various adults whine about thier knees and backs but still stop to do a little spin.
I also always buy the little ones gift bags and hide them around the house of who's doing the bread circle, so they can find the king's gifts. Thats not a tradition to the culture/religion its just something my older cousins randomly started back when i was a kid and I continued it for the next generation. I have a lot of cousins (My mom has 12 siblings and my dad has 11) so there are always little kids running about during our celebrations.
Its a lot of fun and I adore it but its also a lot of work.
