Dozens of families were treated to a Three Kings Day celebration at a Hunts Point school on Jan. 6, complete with appearances from the Three Wise Men in the form of high schoolers in costume.
The event was a chance for parents to share holiday traditions with younger generations, but many say they were also inspired to adopt new ways to celebrate.
Three Kings Day commemorates the biblical tale of the Three Wise Men, who were said to have traveled to Bethlehem bearing gifts for 12-day-old Jesus. The holiday marks the twelfth and final day of the Christmas season. Also known as Dia De Los Reyes, it is especially significant in many Hispanic cultures.
“I think we’ve lost some of the essence of Three Kings Day and the Christmas season,” Pastor Joselyn Rodriguez, who spoke at the event, said. “Sometimes it is the community’s responsibility to teach kids beyond the 25th, beyond the toys. That’s what we’re doing now.”
Hosted by Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson at P.S. 048, The Joseph R. Drake School, the celebration is part of an annual initiative offering a Three Kings Day event in a different section of the Bronx each year.
“This celebration means so much to our community and our borough,” Gibson said. “We are reminded of what this celebration is about. It’s about family and the community. It’s about making sure that we are all working together.”
The event, held in partnership with a range of organizations, including the Transport Workers Union of America and the United Federation of Teachers, featured presentations sharing the story of the holiday’s roots, and a toy drive.
Parents in attendance recalled celebrating the holiday as children in their home countries, such as the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. They noted similarities between the festivities they participated in as children and how they mark the day with their kids in the United States, but some said traditions have faded.
“When I was young in [the Dominican Republic], we would leave milk and cookies for the Kings, and our parents put toys under our beds,” Clara Gomez said. “Now, in the U.S., I just put gifts under the tree for my child, just like on Christmas.”
Scaling back on those traditional celebrations in favor of a holiday that more resembles an Americanized Christmas is not unique to Gomez.
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 70 percent of first-generation Hispanic adults in the U.S. say their parents often took them to cultural celebrations. However, that number drops in subsequent generations, with fewer than half of second-generation Hispanics saying the same.
“As a first-generation [immigrant], sometimes we don’t carry traditional values,” said Randy Rodriguez, a father of three. “Traditions have been lost, added, and remixed. Being from a diverse borough like the Bronx, you begin to adapt to other cultures. You can embrace diversity in your own holiday.”
While the Three Kings Day celebration helped parents like Rodriguez connect to their roots, it also allowed those without a personal history of the holiday gain knowledge and a new appreciation.
Shantae Langley came to celebrate the holiday for the first time — but she says it won’t be her last.
“My church doesn’t celebrate Three Kings Day, so this is my first experience,” Langley said. “I’m always willing to teach my kids new things. When we get home, I’ll ask them what the best part of Three Kings Day was.”
She plans to blend those traditions into her family’s yearly celebrations to cap off the Christmas season.
