Los Reyes Magos Español 1

Melchor El Rey Melchor was the Sultan of Arabia. He was the oldest of the Magi and was a small and gentle man. Melchor had a long white beard and wore elegant crimson robes. His gift was gold which was used by the Hebrews for the Temple and was plentiful in the time of David and Solomon. Gold was not coined until after the reign of King David, was an article of commerce and was sold by weight.

Gaspar El Rey Gaspar was Emperor of the Orient and ruled over all oriental lands. His clothes were gilded in gold. King Gaspar's gift was frankincense, an exceedingly aromatic gum used in the sacred incense for the Temple service. It is distilled from a tree in Arabia. Frankincense was a priceless gift for Kings and symbolized prayer. It was burned in temples to honor God.

Baltazar El Rey Baltazar was a Nubian King and ruler of Ethiopia. Baltazar was dressed in exquisite robes. His gift was myrrh, a precious and aromatic resin that comes from the bark of thorny African trees and symbolized suffering. Myrrh was a precious commodity in the Middle East. It was one of the ingredients of the holy ointment, and of the embalming substance. It is used in medicine and as a perfume.

Cartas In the days preceding Three Kings Day, children write letters to the Magi requesting a toy or gift that they would like. On the night of January 5th, the figures of the Wise Men are placed in the nativity scene. tch?v=-LF5mhojAD8

Zapatos In Mexico, children would traditionally leave out their shoes with a bit of hay in them to feed the animals of the Magi (they are often shown with a camel.) When the children wake up in the morning, their gifts will have appeared in the place of the hay. tch?v=OO3ZkCe-egM

Rosca de reyes The most iconic tradition associated with Three Kings Day is the customary eating of a Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd.