Celebrate Three Kings Day 2025: Blessings, Traditions, and Joy
Beatriz•Dec 19, 2024
As the twinkling lights of Christmas fade, Three Kings Day comes as the final celebration of the season, inviting us to reflect, rejoice, and renew our spirits.
For Christians, this cherished tradition is a sacred moment to reflect on the divine revelation of Jesus to the world. Parades, gift-giving, and the sharing of delicious surprise-filled cakes.
As we celebrate this meaningful day, we are reminded of the power of faith, unity, and the beauty of our shared traditions. Let’s ensure that these traditions endure this Three Kings Day 2025 and keep the spirit alive by exploring more in this article.
What is Three Kings Day?
Three Kings Day, also known as Día de los Reyes or Epiphany, celebrates the time when Three Wise Men, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, visited Jesus Christ as a baby and gave him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It takes place on January 6th of every year.
The date marks the twelfth day of Christmas Day. It is a major event for many cultures, but especially for Hispanic communities. Families gather with food and a lot of joy on this festive and cherished occasion.
When is Three Kings Day 2025?
Three Kings Day in 2025 will be celebrated on Monday, January 6.
Historical Origins and Religious Significance
Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, has its roots in the early Christian traditions, mainly in Eastern Christian practices. It celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the world.
The first known celebration of Epiphany as a special day was around A.D. 361. This day remembers several important events in the life of Jesus: his birth, the visit of the Magi, his baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana.
Three Kings Day is not only a day of commemorating the birth of Jesus but also a day of discovery and adoration. The pursuit to discover Jesus by the Magi shows how committed they were and how much they put into learning about Jesus. Their journey is a powerful example of devotion and the universal call to recognize Christ.
The visit of the Magi, described in Matthew 2:1–12, symbolizes the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah by the Gentiles (non-Jews). Guided by a star, the Magi traveled to Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Each of the gifts has its meaning:
- Gold symbolizes Jesus’ kingship.
- Frankincense indicates his divine nature and the connection to worship.
- Myrrh is associated with burial and thus alludes to the future suffering and death of Jesus.
The story of the Magi has inspired feasts throughout the ages and across many cultures. Many Hispanic countries celebrate Three Kings Day with parades, special foods, and gift exchanges that reinforce family bonds while acknowledging the meaning of Christ’s revelation through the Magi.
Three Kings Day Celebration Around the World
Three Kings Day 2025, or Día de Reyes, will be celebrated on January 6 worldwide, marking the visit of the Magi to Jesus. Let’s explore how different countries celebrate this day.
Three Kings Day in Spain
In Spain, the celebration of Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes Magos) starts on January 5 with parades called Cabalgatas de Reyes. During these parades, the Three Kings, Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, ride around on floats, throwing candies to the crowds.
On the night of January 5, children leave their shoes out, sometimes with food or water for the Kings and their camels. By the morning of January 6, they wake up to find gifts left by the Kings.
Families also enjoy a special pastry called Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake topped with candied fruits. The cake has surprises inside such as a small figurine and a bean. The lucky one who finds the figurine is crowned “king” or “queen” of the day, while the one who gets the bean may be responsible for buying the next year’s roscón.
January 6 is a public holiday and a day for family gatherings that truly puts a glorious end to the Christmas season.
The Three Wise Men appeal to imagination and creativity to make wishes come true Diario de Madrid, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Three Kings Day in Mexico
In Mexico, Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) is a holiday celebrated on January 6. Much like in Spain, Mexican families share a cake called Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread shaped like a crown decorated with candied fruits, which has a figurine of baby Jesus inside. The one who finds the figurine makes tamales for a meal on February 2, called Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria) which includes preparing tamales and hot drinks like atole. Kids get gifts from the Three Kings, usually in their shoes. The day has family gatherings and fun activities, marking the end of the Christmas season.
Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico also celebrates Día de Reyes or Three Kings Day on January 6th. Children place grass in a box under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings. They wake up to gifts in the morning. The day is filled with parades, events, and food. The largest celebration takes place in Juana Díaz, where the Kings arrive on horseback, bringing gifts to children. Families share meals and fun times throughout the island.
Three Kings in France: La Fête des Rois
La Fête des Rois (Epiphany) is celebrated in France on January 6th or the closest Sunday. The most famous tradition is the galette des rois, a cake made of puff pastry and frangipane filling, with a small hidden charm called a fève. Whoever finds this fève is the king or queen of that day and gets to wear a paper crown. Families enjoy the cake altogether, often accompanied by cider or champagne.
Galette des Rois is the traditional food enjoyed during Epiphany in France Image by chandlervid85 on Freepik
Italy’s La Befana Tradition
In Italy, La Befana is celebrated on the night before the Feast of the Epiphany, which falls on January 6th. According to folk tradition, an old woman, often depicted as a witch called La Befana, brings gifts to children the night before the Epiphany. Children take out shoes or hang out their stockings for La Befana. Children who have been good during the year receive sweets, chocolates, or small treats in their shoes, while those who have misbehaved may find an orange or piece of coal made of sugar or candy.
La Befana is an important part of the Epiphany celebrations in Italy, which mark the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.
La Befana of Italy Photo by Jim, the Photographer is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Greece’s Theophany Festivities
In Greece, the religious celebration of Theophany (also known as Epiphany) marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
On the eve of Epiphany, children go from door to door and sing carols (kalanda). Also, “Great Blessing of the Waters” is a highlight of the festivity. A priest blesses a body of water, such as the sea, a river, or a lake by throwing a cross into it. People dive into the water to get the cross, which is thought to bring blessings and good luck for the coming year.
Three Kings Day Celebrations in the United States
Many Hispanic communities celebrate Three Kings Day in the United States with parades featuring the Three Kings. Kids get gifts and enjoy traditional foods like Rosca de Reyes. Events often happen in cities with large Latin populations, like New York and Los Angeles. Families may also join church services and community gatherings to mark the day.
Traditional Customs and Practices During Three Kings Day
There are many traditions enjoyed around the world on Three Kings Day 2025, or Día de Reyes.
Parades and Processions on January 5th or 6th are held in several countries. Actors disguise themselves as the three kings who ride camels or floats and scatter candies or small gifts. This practice is very popular in Spain and Mexico among other Latin American countries. One of the most iconic is the Three Kings Parade in Barcelona, which starts from Ciutadella Park to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.
Gift-Giving Traditions: The tradition of gift-giving is rooted in the story of the Magi, who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. In many cultures, it is a day for giving gifts, mainly to children, as a symbol of generosity and goodwill.
Blessing of Homes: Families bless their houses by writing in chalk “C+M+B” the names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar over the front doors. It stands for “May Christ bless this house” and it’s said to offer protection all year long.
Image by sergeycauselove on Freepik
Traditional Three Kings Day Food
Traditional foods vary from one culture to another on Three Kings Day. The most traditional examples include:
- Rosca de Reyes: Sweet bread, ring-shaped, decorated with candied fruits and nuts to symbolize the precious stones of the Magi. It contains a tiny doll hidden somewhere inside.
- Galette des Rois: A French pastry filled with frangipane, an almond cream, inside puff pastry. There is a bean or small figure inside, and whoever gets this will be king or queen for that day.
- Bolo Rei: This is the Portuguese version of Rosca de Reyes, but containing dry fruits and nuts and aromatized with port wine.
- Dreikönigskuchen (Germany and Switzerland): Sweet yeast dough cake formed into a flower shape; this very often contains a hidden figurine of a king.
- King Cake (United States): This rainbow-colored cake is associated with Mardi Gras and is composed of a mixture of coffee cake and cinnamon roll dough, often filled with fruit and cream cheese.
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FAQs About Three Kings Day
Why Are Three Kings Day Cakes Round with a Hidden Figure Inside?
The round shape of the cake symbolizes God’s eternal nature, with no beginning or end. It also represents the unity of the Christian community or the journey of the Magi to find the newborn Christ. While the hidden figure represents the infant Jesus. In some traditions, the person who finds the figure becomes “king” or “queen” for the day, a way to honor the Magi’s role in celebrating the newborn King.
How Does Three Kings Day Compare to Christmas
While Three Kings Day shares some traditions with Christmas, they are two unique different celebrations.
Similarities: Both celebrate events in Jesus’ life, involve gift-giving, and feature special foods like Rosca de Reyes for Three Kings Day, similar to Christmas meals.
Differences: Christmas is on December 25, while Three Kings Day is on January 6, at the end of the Christmas season. Christmas is both religious and secular, while Three Kings Day is mostly Christian, especially in Hispanic cultures. Traditions vary, such as children in Spain leaving shoes for gifts from the Kings, similar to Christmas stockings for Santa.
Common Myths and Facts About Three Kings Day
Myth: Three Kings Day is only observed in Latin America.
While it is popular in Latin America, Three Kings Day is also observed in Spain, parts of Europe, and among Hispanic communities in the United States.
Myth: The Three Kings arrived on Christmas Day.
According to Christian tradition, the Magi arrived at Jesus’ home twelve days after he had been born, Three Kings Day falls on January 6. The idea that they arrived on Christmas Day is a misconception, but the actual timing is linked to the Epiphany celebration.
Myth: Three Kings Day doesn’t have any religious meaning.
Three Kings Day is a holiday to honor the visit of the Magi to Jesus and is considered a key event in the Nativity story. It is celebrated as part of Epiphany, which marks the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles through the Magi, recognizing him as the Son of God.
Myth: It is a festival where only gifts are exchanged.
While gift-giving is a part of the celebration in some cultures, the holiday is also about other customs and traditions. Customs range from Rosca de Reyes in Mexico to Galette des Rois taken in France; parades and fairs.