El Día de los Reyes - The Day of the Kings - The Epiphany

All Spanish classes, PK-2nd, will be remembering 'El Día de los Reyes' this week.  We will begin by talking about the significance of the Three Kings traveling to see the newborn baby Jesus.  We will learn about the gifts that were taken and where they come from.  Students will understand the long trip, taking twelve days, that the Three Kings traveled.  Below explains this glorious Celebration of Thanksgiving.

Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6^th, twelve days after Christmas. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season (the end of the 12 days of Christmas).

 This is a Christian holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the three kings, also known as the three wise men, who followed a bright star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child.

In the story of the Bible the three kings, named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, brought gifts to the new baby. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Three Kings Day is also known as The Epiphany. In Mexico and in South America it is referred to as- El Día de los Reyes and is celebrated by days of activities, including parades and caroling, leading up to the actual day.

The gifts the three kings gave to the baby Jesus are explained next.

Frankincense and myrrh are both aromatic resins that are collected to make perfume and incense.  A resin is simply dried tree sap.  Both of these trees are found in eastern Africa, mostly Somalia and in Southern Arabia.  Myrrh is a reddish-colored resin with an oily consistency and a bitter taste. Frankincense has a yellow color and a sweet taste.

Finally, students will choose or draw an illustration of the Three Kings to color in celebration of this glorious event.