Three Kings Day -Dia de Reyes-
Defining Puerto Rican Culture
by Don Jibaro Orlando
In the early 1950s, I didn't know about Santa Clós in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, the town where I grew up. We had THREE KINGS!!! I would leave a shoebox by my bedside every Jan. 5, filled with grass. According to tradition, three kings would come to my house in the middle of the night and leave presents in it. As many of the other Boricua kids, I believed the camels would actually eat the grass.

There was much anxiety in the "barrio" the night of the 5th... and needless to say, we went to bed with much anticipation. What if I left my toes uncovered, too close to the edge of the bed and the camels chewed on them, or... what if they pooped on my floor… inside the box? Or worse... what if the Three Kings missed my house altogether? Ay, Bendito! The HORROR!!!

I, for one, never thought that the observance of Los Tres Reyes Magos, or three "magician" kings, would end. Even though I moved to the United States when I was 24, Santa Claus NEVER replaced the Three Kings. Even as the years have gone by, now that I am fifty plus years older, and somewhat immersed in the American culture, I have taught my children the wonderful tradition of Los Tres Reyes Magos.

So... allow me give you a bit of background on this so important very part of PuertoRicana...

Yes, there are twelve days of Christmas and they begin on Christmas Day and end on January 6. The twelve days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany also called "The Adoration of the Magi" or "The Manifestation of God." Celebrated on January 6, it is known as the day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi): Gaspar, Melchor and Baltazar. According to a Bible story, these three kings saw, on the night when Christ was born, a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christchild and presented Him with gold, frankincense and myrrh.

    
The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word Magi is a Latinization of the plural of the Greek word magos (μαγος pl. μαγοι), itself from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e. the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born, The term refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars, and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practices and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic.

January 6, the last day of Christmas, comes with its own traditions, rituals and symbols. Carolers are going from house to house; in many homes the Christmas tree is taken down and in some areas is burned in a big bonfire. For the children this is an especially joyous occasion because, associated with taking down the tree goes the "plündern" (raiding) of the tree. The sweets, chocolate ornaments wrapped in foil or cookies, which have replaced the sugar plums, are the raiders' rewards.

The history of Christmas, (the festival of the nativity of Jesus Christ,) is intertwined with that of the Epiphany. The commemoration of the Baptism (also called the Day of Lights, i.e. the Illumination of Jesus) was also known as the birthday of Jesus, because he was believed to have been born then of the Virgin or reborn in baptism. In some records Christmas and Epiphany were referred to as the first and second nativity; the second being Christ's manifestation to the world.

“I never became so Americanized that I forgot where I came from,” I told a friend recently. “Inasmuch as my peers did not celebrate the same holiday (they did the "Santa" thing), it was not for me to abandon such a rich and rewarding custom.” I believe that as Puerto Ricans… "ausentes" living away from the Island, it is imperative that we revive the Three Kings holiday and other Puerto Rican traditions with our families. It’s just part of our roots.

California Ricans in L.A. play the 3 Kings
 

DIG THIS.... besides the ancient lyre, the cuatro
was the only instrument that has 10 strings.
"Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the
psaltery and an instrument of ten strings." (Psalms 33:2))

Dios los bendiga!