Three Kings rule in many Hispanic households
January 6, 2009
By Dayna Harpster
Children in Hispanic countries all over the globe woke up this morning wondering if there might be a camel in the living room. Or more importantly, if there were gifts.
But among newer U.S. families with roots in Spain or Latin America, the traditional celebration of Three Kings Day, when the biblical wise men came by camel to children's homes to leave gifts in the night, may be waning.
Today is Epiphany on the Christian calendar, often called the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and, to the Irish, "Little Christmas."
To many Hispanic parents and grandparents, it's also known as El Dia de los Reyes Magos, recognizing the biblical story of Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar, the wise men who came from Persia to worship the baby Jesus. It may be a day for a special lunch and gift exchange.
And to young children and grandchildren, it traditionally has been the morning to see if gifts had replaced the hay or grass left for the kings' camels, like cookies for Santa.
And Santa turns out to be some stiff competition in this country.
The reasons seem to be cultural as well as financial.
"When our children were small, every year on Jan. 5, we would go out to the yard with an empty shoebox, and they would clip some grass so the wise men's camels had something to eat," said Orlando Figueroa, a native of Puerto Rico who has lived in Fort Myers for 11 years.
He and his wife Carmen, now the parents of Orlando, 21, and Maria, 19, hope that when they have children of their own they'll carry on the tradition. "And if they don't, we'll do it," Figueroa said. "It's something we really believe in and like."
Until grandchildren arrive, he said, they celebrate by giving gifts to their son, daughter, nieces and nephews. And if the holiday falls on a weekend, they get together for a celebratory lunch. One recent year, Figueroa hosted a party that included colleagues from the Lee County utilities department.
Victor Valdes, a native of Cuba who has lived in the United States for 30 years, still celebrates Three Kings Day by giving special gifts to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But Valdes, a Golden Gate resident and president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens, said that he and his wife, Isabel, "give the main gifts at Christmas, because we need to go with the culture here. We celebrate Santa Claus because we live in the United States."
Although born in Massachusetts, Lehigh Acres resident Nereida Montanez is eager to recapture the Puerto Rican heritage of her parents on future holidays.
"I remember as a child I used to put grass underneath my bed and waited to see what the kings were going to bring me that morning," Montanez wrote in an e-mail. "I'm married now, and I always tell my husband I intend to teach our children how I was taught. I don't put grass underneath my bed now, but I still give my gifts to my loved ones around me."
Artist Elizabeth Erazo Baez, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, has painted several scenes of the Three Kings. She exhibited her work Sunday in Pompano Beach, at the city's annual Fiesta de Reyes.
The holiday is a memory to which she has taken artistic license. "As a little girl under 10 years old, we did it for a while," said Baez, who quipped, "but it was hard to find grass in New York."
Now that she has children of her own, Baez laments that the expense of having two gift-giving yuletide holidays has prevented her from carrying on the tradition.
But if some retailers have their way, Three Kings Day may be poised for a comeback.
For several years, Hallmark has featured Three Kings Day cards in its Sinceramente line for Hispanic customers. This year, 10 cards were available in its "traditional," "cute" and "juvenile" categories. Printed in Spanish, the cards feature religious references, images and Bible verses - with English translations on the back.
Wal-Mart, which began promoting the tradition in a big way last year, expanded its reach this year. Three kings visited Wal-Marts in the Southwest, and more than 300 stores had displays and products geared to the celebration. Not to be outdone, Kmart is sponsoring the Three Kings parade in Miami on Jan. 13.
Catching the growing Hispanic market is a goal for many businesses. At 44.3 million people, Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States, according to the Census.
Lee County's Hispanic population is estimated at 90,000 of its approximately 616,000 residents.
Source: News-Press
By Dayna Harpster
Children in Hispanic countries all over the globe woke up this morning wondering if there might be a camel in the living room. Or more importantly, if there were gifts.
But among newer U.S. families with roots in Spain or Latin America, the traditional celebration of Three Kings Day, when the biblical wise men came by camel to children's homes to leave gifts in the night, may be waning.
Today is Epiphany on the Christian calendar, often called the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and, to the Irish, "Little Christmas."
To many Hispanic parents and grandparents, it's also known as El Dia de los Reyes Magos, recognizing the biblical story of Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar, the wise men who came from Persia to worship the baby Jesus. It may be a day for a special lunch and gift exchange.
And to young children and grandchildren, it traditionally has been the morning to see if gifts had replaced the hay or grass left for the kings' camels, like cookies for Santa.
And Santa turns out to be some stiff competition in this country.
The reasons seem to be cultural as well as financial.
"When our children were small, every year on Jan. 5, we would go out to the yard with an empty shoebox, and they would clip some grass so the wise men's camels had something to eat," said Orlando Figueroa, a native of Puerto Rico who has lived in Fort Myers for 11 years.
He and his wife Carmen, now the parents of Orlando, 21, and Maria, 19, hope that when they have children of their own they'll carry on the tradition. "And if they don't, we'll do it," Figueroa said. "It's something we really believe in and like."
Until grandchildren arrive, he said, they celebrate by giving gifts to their son, daughter, nieces and nephews. And if the holiday falls on a weekend, they get together for a celebratory lunch. One recent year, Figueroa hosted a party that included colleagues from the Lee County utilities department.
Victor Valdes, a native of Cuba who has lived in the United States for 30 years, still celebrates Three Kings Day by giving special gifts to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But Valdes, a Golden Gate resident and president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens, said that he and his wife, Isabel, "give the main gifts at Christmas, because we need to go with the culture here. We celebrate Santa Claus because we live in the United States."
Although born in Massachusetts, Lehigh Acres resident Nereida Montanez is eager to recapture the Puerto Rican heritage of her parents on future holidays.
"I remember as a child I used to put grass underneath my bed and waited to see what the kings were going to bring me that morning," Montanez wrote in an e-mail. "I'm married now, and I always tell my husband I intend to teach our children how I was taught. I don't put grass underneath my bed now, but I still give my gifts to my loved ones around me."
Artist Elizabeth Erazo Baez, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, has painted several scenes of the Three Kings. She exhibited her work Sunday in Pompano Beach, at the city's annual Fiesta de Reyes.
The holiday is a memory to which she has taken artistic license. "As a little girl under 10 years old, we did it for a while," said Baez, who quipped, "but it was hard to find grass in New York."
Now that she has children of her own, Baez laments that the expense of having two gift-giving yuletide holidays has prevented her from carrying on the tradition.
But if some retailers have their way, Three Kings Day may be poised for a comeback.
For several years, Hallmark has featured Three Kings Day cards in its Sinceramente line for Hispanic customers. This year, 10 cards were available in its "traditional," "cute" and "juvenile" categories. Printed in Spanish, the cards feature religious references, images and Bible verses - with English translations on the back.
Wal-Mart, which began promoting the tradition in a big way last year, expanded its reach this year. Three kings visited Wal-Marts in the Southwest, and more than 300 stores had displays and products geared to the celebration. Not to be outdone, Kmart is sponsoring the Three Kings parade in Miami on Jan. 13.
Catching the growing Hispanic market is a goal for many businesses. At 44.3 million people, Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States, according to the Census.
Lee County's Hispanic population is estimated at 90,000 of its approximately 616,000 residents.
Source: News-Press
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