I was known for climbing on everything & my mom caught me trying to climb up to see in the boxes & she said “si vez lo que esta ahi adentro se acaba la Magia” (If you see what’s in there the Magic will end)…I wasn’t a stupid child so I knew what she meant. I’m a VERY curious person & I remember seeing these boxes on the top of my tiny closet way up high & it bothered me for days. Then when I was like 9yrs old & we lived in Jersey we couldn’t do the whole grass in the box because there wasn’t any grass to cut behind our building but that’s around the age I found out the “true Magic”. I even remember there was a time where they even left a trail of grass leading to our front door & it ended there!!! It was something I would always look forward to. I remember the MESS the camels would make while eating the grass. But the best thing I remember is that behind our building they had a nice spot where grass would grow real tall & my dad would take me there behind our building so we can cut the grass. We used to live en El Mirador in San Juan & it was a bad place back then, shots fired 24/7 & dead bodies appeared almost every day & it was a drug point. I was lucky to be born in Puerto Rico & live there until I was 8yrs old. Have you ever celebrated El Día de Los Tres Reyes? Do you think you might next year? Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings’ Day) is a fun holiday and one I plan to continue celebrating each year so my kids can create their own memories and embrace this Latino tradition. That is the meaning behind all this and why we celebrate the holiday. Don’t forget to explain that Los Tres Reyes left a gift for him/her the same way they brought gifts for baby Jesus when he was born.The next morning, your child will be delighted to find the gift and candy that the Three Kings left behind!.In the middle of the night, after your child is sleeping, throw out the grass and replace it with candy.The basket then goes under the bed (or next to it if it doesn’t fit).This is analogous to setting out milk & cookies for Santa or carrots for his reindeer. Then, the night before Three Kings’ Day, on La Vispera de Reyes – have your child collect some grass from your yard and put it in the basket.

So, in the past, we’ve also used regular wrapping paper. The basket is normally decorated with bows made out of wax paper, but we’ve had trouble finding such paper. Here are the baskets my kids will be using this weekend, made by their abuela: First, you will need either a plain shoebox or a basket made from a shoebox.Traditions for Celebrating Three Kings’ Day (El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos) I can only tell you how we personally celebrated Los Tres Reyes in Puerto Rico and what I am passing down to my children so they can learn about the tradition. So, how do we celebrate Three Kings’ Day? I believe that each Latino culture has their own special way of celebrating Three Kings’ Day. I will probably apologize again today and we’ll laugh it off. I know that I apologized to my mom at one point or another, maybe even multiple times. When I was old enough and learned that my parents were the ones that actually provided the gifts and that it wasn’t actually Los Reyes, I felt horrible. But, I can still remember my mami‘s face right before she scolded me. And I said, in my little whiny voice too, “ Esto no es lo que yo queria!” (This isn’t what I wanted!) I was of course quickly reprimanded and told to appreciate what the kings had brought me because other kids may not have gotten anything. What I know is that it wasn’t the motorcycle I wanted. When I opened my gift, it was a Barbie scooter instead, or maybe it was a moped. I can remember that I wanted one of those Barbie motorcycles I think they were a hot item back then. There was one particular year that I remember vividly because I did something that I regret to this day. I remember making my basket with my family, filling it with grass on La Víspera de Reyes (the Eve of Three Kings’ Day), and being excited the next morning when I found the grass had been replaced with candy and the kings had also left me a gift. It’s nice for me to share this tradition with her and remember my own childhood memories of celebrating El Día de Los Reyes. And, though it’s a normal work day and baby girl is at preschool today, she did get her gift this morning and participated in the traditional Three Kings’ Day celebration. Last year, after not celebrating, I resolved to celebrate Three Kings’ Day this year. Happy Three Kings’ Day! Feliz Día de los Tres Reyes Magos! Editor’s Note: This post was first published on January 6, 2010.

Dia de reyes