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Three Kings Day, a.k.a. The Epiphany, is celebrated on January 6th. Sometimes it is viewed as the last day of the Christmas season which would be the conclusion to the 12 days of Christmas. This is a religious holiday that is widely celebrated in the Latino community especially those of Mexico. The celebration is to commemorate the Biblical story of the Magi (Three Kings) which followed the star to Bethlehem. Once they arrived they gave gifts which were to include gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In Mexico, this is a gift giving time. Traditionally, children will leave there shoes outside the night before the 6th and put hay in them for the camels, in hopes that the Three Kings would leave gifts. The next morning as they would awake, they would find toys and other gifts in their shoes.
Caution: This holiday is very close to the holiday that we celebrate, Christmas. The holiday is not wrong until you begin to take your eyes off of the Lord Jesus. The history of the Three Kings is true. They did come by way of star (Matthew 2:1-2) and they did offer gifts (Matthew 2:11) but the gifts were used as a form of worship. The problem with this holiday is the same problem that we have with Christmas, the focus is taken off of the King Jesus and put onto the aspect of gifts. Any time that we take our focus off of Christ then we begin to stray from the purpose of the holiday which to worship the greatness of God through the birth of His Son Jesus. |
