Jan. 5th Is The Night! Los Reyes Magos, The Three Kings Are Coming To Town 

By Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media

The holiday season may be over for 2025 in Denver, across a U.S. and a lot of the rest of the world. But hold on, not so fast. just when you thought the holidays and all the spending that comes with it is over, comes one more very important event on the Christmas calendar that commemorates the coming of Jesus Christ. It is the time of Epiphany, also known as the Day of Holy Kings (Día de los Santos Reyes) also referred to as the Three Wise Men. It is celebrated on January 6 in remembrance of the biblical story of the three kings’ visit to Jesus.

On January 5th on the eve of the coming of Los Reyes Magos, The Three Kings or Three Wise Men, Mexican children and countless of others throughout Latin America will leave a pair of shoes outside their bedrooms so that the Three Kings will leave gifts the kids have requested.

Sophia cuts into a “Rosca de Reyes” pastry hoping or dreading to get the slice that contains the plastic replica of baby Jesus, Photo by Latin Life America

Similar to Santa Claus, lookalikes have been in out in most every mall, plaza and street taking photos and collecting letters of desired gifts. Post offices are open throughout the weekend accepting last minute letters, while stores are staying open late as parents scramble to help the Wise Men meet the demand.

The custom is that the children write a letter to ask Melchor , Gaspar and Baltazar asking for toys they would like to receive. On the eve of the of January 6th they leave their shoes with a little straw to feed the animals that they would bring to the Holy Kings. The next morning, the straw disappears, instead the footwear is filled with the toys. Just like Christmas morning, children get up very early to enjoy the surprise of the gifts.

Families also eat the traditional “Rosca de Reyes” pastry bread on January 6th.It is customary to invite a group of friends, and each one must take the knife to cut his portion. Photo by Latin Life Denver Media.

Inside the bread there is one or several small dolls (plastic representations of the Child Jesus) and the person who finds it is obliged to offer a party, tamales or atole, on February 2, Day of the Virgin of Candelaria.

As the story goes, guided by a shining star, the Three Kings of the Orient , regally attired and mounted on a camel, a horse and an elephant, undertook the journey to adore the Child Jesus. They came from different parts of the world: one was black, another white and the third with Arab features.
They brought gifts for the newborn: gold for being a king, myrth for being a man and incense for being God, which they spread before the Redeemer. The Kings symbolize the first Gentiles converted to Christianity.

The celebration of January 6 goes back to the first years of evangelization in the New World and continues to this day. According to Mexican tradition, it is they who bring gifts to children. Streets in major cities across Mexico are packed with food stalls, gifts, and outdoor parties.  Day of the Holy Kings is a religious observance and not a federal public holiday in Mexico. Access to streets in some cities and towns may be difficult for vehicles due to Epiphany related festivities on January 6.