It's traditional to eat a special cake called 'Rosca de Reyes' (Three Kings Cake). There are similar traditions in Mexico where Epiphany is known as 'El Dia de los Reyes' (the day of The Three Kings). It has a toy crown cooked inside it and is decorated on top with a gold paper crown.
In France you might eat a 'Galette des Rois', a type of flat almond cake. In Catalonia it's known as a Tortell or Gâteau des Rois and is stuffed with marzipan. There is normally a figure of a king (if you find that you can wear the crown) and a dried bean (if you find that you're meant to pay for the cake!). They are normally filled with cream or chocolate and are decorated with a paper crown. In Spain on Epiphany morning you might go to the local bakers and buy a special cake/pastry called a 'Roscón' (meaning a ring shaped roll).
In Spain, Epiphany is an important festival, where it's also known as 'The festival of the three Magic Kings' - 'Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages', and is when Spanish and some other Catholic children receive their presents - as they are delivered by the Three Kings! It can sometimes take days or even weeks for the priest to visit all the houses and bless them. After the service, the water is also used by a priest to bless the houses of people in the church. People are often baptised on the Feast of the Holy Theophany. The blessed water is used in church services during the rest of the year. During the services to celebrate Epiphany, on the eve of the feast and on the feast day, water is blessed (some churches only bless water at one service). In Orthodox churches, Epiphany is also known as 'The Feast of the Holy Theophany' and it is as important as Christmas. Some Churches celebrate use Epiphany to celebrate and remember both the visit of the Wise Men and Jesus's Baptism! Epiphany is mainly celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Epiphany means 'revelation' and both the visit of the Wise Men and his Baptism are important times when Jesus was 'revealed' to be very important. The number three comes from the three gifts the Wise Men / Magi brought with them.Įpiphany is also when some Churches remember when Jesus was Baptised, when he was about 30, and started to teach people about God. The Bible doesn't say how many Wise Men there were or that they were kings. They throw sweets and other small gifts to the expectant crowd and are accompanied by music and other performing acts.Epiphany, the Feast of The Wise Men The Adoration of the Magi by Giotto, via Wikimedia CommonsĮpiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas on 6th January (or January 19th for some Orthodox Church who have Christmas on 7th January) and is the time when Christians remember the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) who visited Jesus. From their arrival point, the Kings form a procession through the city, often up to several kilometres. Nevertheless, the principle is the same: the three kings come bearing gifts and their arrival is greeted by thousands of excited children. In Madrid they usually arrive by horse, in Valencia they arrive by boat and in smaller towns they often arrive by train. Unlike the three kings from the Bible, who arrived on camel, in Spain they use alternative methods.
The day before the Dia de Los Reyes, just after darkness has fallen, the Kings (Reyes Magos) arrive in each town and city to mark the start of the festivities. The day is nearly as important in Spanish culture as Christmas, especially for children as it is on the Dia de los Reyes that presents are exchanged in Spain. Celebrated on the 6th January, it is of course a festival marking the three kings that brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The Dia de Los Reyes is an important festival in Spain.
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