Wise Men, Roscas, Tamales and more, the January 6th Celebration in Mexico.
No home, office, school or reunion in Mexico lets January 6th go unnoticed. On this day known as the Day of the Magi or of the Three Wise Men, it is traditional to share a rosca, a large ring shaped pastry with a small doll hidden inside.
The doll represents Baby Jesus, and whoever is fortunate to find it in their slice of rosca acquires the commitment to give a party the following 2nd of February, Candlemas Day, a celebration where tamales and atole, a corn-flour meal and drink, are a must in the menu.
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Rosca de Reyes |
Each of these traditions, which in Mexico go along with our natural inclination for food and the pleasure of sharing, has a religious origin: the birth of the Infant God. the pilgrimage of the Oriental Kings carrying their gifts for the Holy Child, Virgin Mary's forty days of purification, and the presentation in the temple of Baby Jesus, on the second day of February.
Epiphany, or the Twelfth Night, is still celebrated with much strength throughout Mexico, and ends with the feast of the rosca, which -according
to tradition- is eaten dipped in hot chocolate.
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The Three Wise Men |
At dawn, the Three Wise Men
have already brought joy to the children who –also as part of a ritual- had left their shoes at the window sill, hoping to receive presents brought from far away.
Common sense allows one to suppose that in this way the Magi can deduce, by
the size of the shoes, the children's age and the kind of gifts that will make them happy.
Gold, Incense and Myrrh, and many other gifts for the children
The tradition that Santa Claus brings presents to Mexican children is actually very recent and is not the one that prevails in rural areas nor throughout all the social spheres of our cities. Santa Claus might pay a visit, but the Three Kings will never fail to appear at dawn on January 6th, to keep -following their legendary journey carrying their gifts and guided by a shining star, all the way to Bethlehem to worship Baby Jesus- their appointment with all our children.
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Roscas are sold in days prior to the Day of the Magi |
In the preceding days the little ones have come up to Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar who, standing beside their animals made out of cardboard or walking through the streets of the neighborhood, listen to their requests. A tradition that still remains and is worthy of admiration is the way in which the Alameda Park, in the heart of Mexico City, fills up with booths where, one after another, trios of Kings have set up imaginative scenographies which seem very exotic for the City of Palaces. Children go to have their picture taken with The Kings and entrust them their wishes. The Magi of the season sell an illusion of reality and a memoir printed among horses, elephants and camels.
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Tasty "Roscas" for your Three Wise Men Dinner |
The parade of the youngsters and the bright colors of the Magi, kings of dreams, live in the children's imagination during the preceding week. At the foot of the Christmas tree. or with no tree at all, Mexican families set up a Nativity scene where the manger, Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and the donkey and the ox that according to the biblical tradition accompanied them, are never missing. There are those who build true hybrid landscapes, with figures of Arabic origin and little Mexican shepherds. There are those which represent Hell and its red devil; others with hills, rivers and lakes full of fish, where ducks slide along the top of a mirror that looks like the crystalline liquid. The Magi are an indispensable part of the Nativity scene, and more so after Christmas: the Three Wise Men get closer to Bethlehem each day, illuminated by the light of the Eastern Star, for they must deliver The Savior incense, gold and myrrh.
The Wise Men finally arrive
 The Kings have finally arrived on January 6th: when the children wake up, they anxiously open the gifts that commemorate Epiphany, and later that evening everyone gathers to share the rosca. It is then that the Boy Jesus' future godfather is designated.
In olden times –according to Antonio Garcia Cubas in "El libro de mis recuerdos" (The Book of My Memoirs)- godparents were chosen in a raffle. The names of the guests invited to the gathering were written on little pieces of paper and put inside a hat; two papers were picked. with the names of the new couple of godparents. From that day on, they were responsible for dressing and taking care of the Holy Child, and taking Him to church for his presentation and blessing on the same day of Candlemas, the 2nd of February. The ceremonies have changed, but the custom of dressing and presenting the Child in the temple remains infallible. It is the banquet around the crown of bread that still decides who will be the Holy Baby's godparents.
The commemoration starts in the bakeries, where roscas de Reyes of all sizes are placed in the windows: it is flattering to the eye to look at these towers that will shine only one day in the life and the palate of Mexicans. For days all the bakeries are dedicated mainly to the preparation of this pastry made with yeast, eggs, sugar and lard, and decorated with glazed fruit. The Kings' Rosca is one of the many Mexican celebrations where sweets occupy an essential place.
 The ceremony of cutting the rosca appeals to everyone because each person feels the excitement of possibly being the one to bite that little white body hidden in the bread. It is common to hear sighs of relief from those who have been lucky to get a clean slice, and to make fun of the one who shows the object of his or her future commitment between his or her teeth. The rosca dolls were originally made of porcelain, and this special bread was made at home; the little doll, which had been put away wrapped in silk paper for a year, was placed in the dough before it was baked. Today, however, it is uncommon for the rosca to be baked at home, and the dolls used nowadays are worthy symbols of the polyester era.
This tradition is known to be very old. In France, the rosca that was served on the Night of the Kings had a lima bean hidden inside; whoever found it was the king of that night's party and a crown was placed on his or her head.
The custom that came to Mexico from Spain -to be recreated with national overtones- was added to the Catholic rite of dressing Baby Jesus and presenting him in the church, just as Virgin Mary did when, after her quarantine following birth. she went to the temple to purify herself: the white candles were lit for her and for the Child. That is why this day was named Candlemas, in allusion to the candles or tapers that since then are lit every February 2nd.
The Great Tamale Party
It is customary on this date –and the responsibility of the godparents elected on January 6th– to dress the Holy Baby. On the preceding days it is common to see signs on houses that allude to this specialty: We dress "Holy Infants". The Baby's garment can be that of the Holy Child of Atocha, with a staff and seated on a little chair; the o Child of the Doves, with a wide white gown and a dove
in His hands; Saint Francis, with sandals and a brown habit, hugging a small animal; or the Child of the White Lilies, with a white tunic and a staff of white lilies in His hands. After having presented the Child at church, accompanied by those who shared the rosca, it is time to celebrate the occasion with a tamale feast given by the godparents.
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The Three Wise Men are part of the nativity decoration too |
It is difficult to think of a more typical, diverse and entrenched dish in all Mexico than the tamales. A corn dough enlivened by sauces, meats. vegetables. or fruits and nuts –according to the regional tradition–. is placed in the center of a corn husk or banana leaf and cooked by steam. There are those who claim that the tamale is the Pre Hispanic people's mobile and succulent take-out: the national itacate. or food for the road.
 The appeal of the rosca is not so much its taste –as it is rather dry and should therefore be accompanied by hot chocolate, either Spanish style, very thick and sweet, or Mexican style, lighter and spicy-, but its presence in the warmth of the gathering that unites family and friends.
On January 7th the party is over, schools return to their schedules and all that can be seen in trash cans are paper plates and the little dolls that surprised their biter. The celebrations, which started on December 12th, when the Virgin of Guadalupe – the national patron saint- is honored, and continued with the nine classic posadas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, come to a close with the sweet surprise of the Day of the Kings. A rosca and a little doll, testimony to the attachment to Catholic rites promoted by the men of the Church in the times of evangelization, seal the promise of a future gathering.
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