Embracing Tradition: Three Kings Day is a Celebration of Generosity and Family

New Year’s Day marks the end of the holiday season for most people, but not for those celebrating Three Kings’ Day, or Dia de Los Reyes, as it is known in Spanish-speaking countries. Observed on January 6, the Christian feast day commemorates the day when the three wise men — Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar — arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the newborn Jesus.

When people celebrate Three Kings Day, they are commemorating the biblical story of the magis’ journey to honor the infant Jesus. The gifts they presented — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — symbolize wealth, divinity, and mortality. Many modern celebrations reflect the religious origins of the holiday but also the spirit of giving and generosity.