Three Kings Day and Martin Luther King Day

THREE KINGS DAY

Last but not least, 

I'll tell you about two other January traditions that my family does.  The first is to celebrate Three Kings Day on January 6th. 

This holiday is actually celebrated by many cultures around the world, but we developed our love for it while living in Mexico, where it is known as Dia de los Reyes. It is the day that Christianity traditionally regards as the day when the three Magi or wisemen finally found the Christ child and visited him.  

Three Kings Day originated in Eastern Christian Churches as early as 300 BC. Today countries like England, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and Bulgaria all celebrate it.    Each country has its own celebrations and traditions, but a popular part of many of their celebrations centers around fruit cake with a hidden object inside.  For example, in England a baked bean is hidden in traditional  fruit cake for children to find.  In Mexico, it is a tiny plastic baby that is hidden in a sweet bread with glaceed fruit. 

What all of the Three Kings Day celebrations have in common though, is the belief that January 6th marks the official end of Christmas. You've all heard of the Twelve Days of Christmas, right? Well, many people believe that these refer to the 12 days leading up to Christmas Day, as is practiced by many in the United States when they give presents on those twelve days prior to December 25th.  But in reality, the Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the 12 days of Christmas, or in other words, the 12 days following Christmas from the 25th of December to the 6th of January.   Christianity originally held that these twelve days constitute the true Christmas holiday. Additionally, the night before January 6th is known as the Twelfth Night- referred to by Shakespeare in his play The Twelfth Night. 

In Mexico, the three wisemen Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar are believed to pass through during the night on their way to Bethlehem, leaving little tokens and gifts in the shoes left by children at the doors or windows of their home. Some children leave grass in their shoes for the wise mens' camels to eat. 

For our Three Kings Day celebration, we like to gather as a family for dinner and festivities. We usually serve up something Mexican and sing some customary songs for this holiday: 

We Three Kings of Orient Are

and

Los Reyes Magos

(The traditional song sung in Latin America. You can find it on itunes if you're interested.)

I served enchiladas this year! I got the recipe from Pinterest and they are delicious! 

2-3 chicken breasts, shredded 

1 {8 oz.} pkg. cream cheese

1 28 oz. can green enchilada sauce {I used Macayos brand]

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups cooked rice 

Tortillas {I like to use the ones you get at Cosco that come uncooked- just be sure you do cook them before making the enchiladas]

1-2 cups shredded monterrey & colby cheese

Cook chicken and shred; boil rice.  Mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, and 2 cups of the enchilada sauce together. Mix in rice and beans to your taste- I use about 1/2 c of each.

Pour half a cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 

Place chicken mixture in each tortilla.

Roll up each of the tortillas and place them in the baking dish seam side down. 

Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce…  

and 1-2 cups of shredded cheese.  The more, the merrier so we piled on the full two cups :)

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

Uncover the enchiladas, turn on the broiler, and broil for about 3-5 minutes uncovered...just long enough to brown the cheese.  Swoon.

Then, I like to bring out the gold, frankincense and myrrh that I bought while living in Jerusalem. I think it is really fascinating for people, children especially, to see what these gifts of the wisemen really are.

FRANKINCENSE

It has a strong fragrance often used as incense and leaves a chalk-like residue.  It is actually hardened resin that has been extracted from the trunk of Boswellia trees and has been used in Egypt and the Near East for over 5,000 years. It is often distilled into an essential oil and traditionally was used to anoint newly born infants. 

MYRRH

Although it looks like a hard stone, like frankincense, myrrh is also a hardened resin that has been extracted from a tree.  Prized for its medicinal properties, it would have been considered a practical gift with many uses. 

"GOLD"

No, I didn't buy any gold bars while I was in Jerusalem, but I did hold onto a stash of sheqels (Israeli currency) that I use to represent gold. 

The ROSCA de REYES

Everyone's favorite part of our evening is when we cut the Rosca de Reyes (Ring of Kings). Representing the crown that the three Wise Men or Kings would have worn, this sweet bread ring hides a tiny baby that is found only by cutting into the cake. 

Mexican tradition holds that the baby represents the Christ child hiding from King Herod when he ordered his soldiers to kill all the infant boys under the age of two. As you might remember from the Biblical account, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt in order to keep Christ safe. The knife that cuts the cake represents the swords that slew the innocent children. 

Whoever finds the baby in their slice of cake is responsible for hosting a party on February 2, Candlemas, which according to Christian tradition is the day the Christ child was presented at the Temple. 

[I apologize my pictures of the cake aren't great, I took them with my phone :) ]

The baby peeking through the cake! We found it!

You can find a Rosca de Reyes at any Mexican bakery during the first week of January.  I'd recommend picking one up next year and introducing this fun tradition to your kids. Watch them squeal with delight as the bread is cut and they look to see if their piece is hiding the baby.  

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Finally, I will quickly tell you about our traditions for Martin Luther King Day. 

First, our mom always talked to us about what this day means and told us about Martin Luther King Jr. She usually read to us all or part of his famous "I have a dream" speech and explained his important role in helping to bring about greater equality. 

"I have a dream that one day... little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

Martin Luther King Jr. 

And then to represent, or in a way, honor this vision of Dr. King Jr., we would make chocolate chip cookies.  My mom explained to us, as we made them, that just like you need all the ingredients to make perfect chocolate chip cookies, you need all people to make a perfect world.  You can't leave anybody out. Each person, each culture, each race has its own unique contributions. And we should not be afraid to join together, mingle together and be one in our purpose, in our vision, and in our . . . ooey-gooey tastiness - oh wait,  that's the cookies talking. 

This year I made Martha Stewart's Chocolate Chip Cookie bars. They were oh so delicious!

Humanity 

by Elma Stuckey

If I am blind and need someone 

to keep me safe from harm, 

it matters not the race to me 

of the one who takes my arm. 

If I am saved from drowning 

As I grasp and grope, 

I will not stop to see the face

Of the one who throws the rope. 

Or if out on some battlefield

I'm falling faint and weak,

The one who gently lifts me up

may any language speak. 

We sip the water clear and cool

no matter the hand that gives it

A life that's lived worthwile and fine

what matters the one who lives it?

Then, we would also talk about other important people that played significant roles in promoting civil rights. We talked about Harriet Tubman, a woman who helped to guide hundreds of slaves to safety and freedom on the underground railroad, and read Eloise Greenfield's poem Harriet Tubman.

". . . Nineteen times she went back South 

To get three hundred others

She ran for her freedom nineteen times 

To save black sisters and brothers. 

Harriet Tubman didn't take no stuff

Wasn't scared of nothing neither

Didn't come in this world to be no slave

And didn't stay one either."

Then we'd talk about Rosa Parks and her incredible bravery in refusing to give up her to seat on the bus to a white man.  We'd talk about Sojourner Truth, a slave escapee who was a remarkable women's rights activist.  And we'd talk about Jackie Robinson and the persecution he had to endure as the first African American to play Major League Baseball. 

Lastly, in honor of Jackie we would always play a family game of baseball out in the yard! 

"And He inviteth them all to come unto Him and partake of His goodness; and He denieth none that come unto Him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and He remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

2 Nephi 26:33

Hope you've had a Happy January!  Thanks for taking a moment to  read about some of our traditions for making this a fun and memorable month!