Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany, is a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6 in Spain and many other Spanish-speaking countries. This date commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar to the birthplace of Jesus, according to Christian tradition. They came slowly, on camels, following the stars. They had been told that the son of God had already been born, and they wanted to give him offerings.

The celebration in Spain is very special and full of traditions rooted in popular culture. The eve of Three Kings Day, the night of January 5, is known as Twelfth Night or the Three Kings Parade. During this night, a spectacular parade takes place in many cities and towns, in which the three Wise Men parade in floats accompanied by musicians, dancers and other characters. It is tradition to place grass for the camels, cookies for the kings, and little shoes under the tree, indicating that a child lives there who wishes to receive gifts for example: sunglasses for children and baby sunglasses, and childrens watches of  Kiddus.

It is common for children to write letters to the Three Wise Men expressing their wishes and place them next to their shoes on the night of January 5, hoping that the Wise Men of the East will read them and leave gifts during the early hours of the morning. Try to write as similar to when you did with the letter from santa claus

Millions of people gather along the parade route to witness the colorful parade and receive sweets and best gifts for christmas for children 10-12 years old that the Three Wise Men throw from the floats.

Meanwhile, in our homes, we can do different crafts with the little ones to prepare ourselves in spirit for this day. Here we are going to leave you some options that you could all do together and spend quality time.

Three Kings Day decoration

The wise men come from far away and need to be able to identify your house. That's why we can decorate it with lights, garlands, flowers and paper figurines. Place gold or silver stars on the windows and walls to symbolize the star that guided the Three Wise Men. Decorate with sparkling lights to add a festive touch and highlight the magic of the occasion. You also have the opportunity to incorporate the figures of the Three Wise Men into your decoration. Whether they are small figurines that decorate tables or shelves. It includes representations of Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar along with their camels (made of plasticine, made by the little ones, would be great). Use traditional colors associated with the holiday, such as gold, red and green, which also lift the mood at home. Add textiles, tablecloths and cushions in these tones to create a festive atmosphere.

Prepare a Delicious Rosca de Reyes

It's not difficult at all! Here is a recipe:

Ingredients:

For the mass:

4 cups of wheat flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 sachet (7 g) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm milk

1/2 cup melted butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of the peel of 1 orange

Zest of the peel of 1 lemon

1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

100 g ground almonds

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

Candied fruits to decorate

For decoration:

1 beaten egg (to glaze)

Powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions:

Preparation of the dough:

● In a small bowl, mix the yeast with the warm milk and a pinch of sugar. Let sit until foamy (approximately 5-10 minutes).

● In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt.

● Add the activated yeast, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange and lemon zest.

● Knead the mixture until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough.

● Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).

Filling Preparation:

● In a bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, sugar, melted butter, egg, and almond extract.

Assemble the Thread:

● Divide the dough into two equal parts.

● Stretch each part into a large rectangle.

● Place the filling on one of the rectangles, leaving a free edge.

● Cover with the other rectangle and seal the edges.

Form the Thread:

● Form a cylinder with the filled dough and join the ends to form a thread.

● Place the donut on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

● Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Decorate and Bake:

● Preheat the oven to 180°C.

● Brush the donut with beaten egg.

● Decorate with candied fruits.

● Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

● Let cool before cutting.

Optional:

● You can sprinkle icing sugar over the bagel before serving.

Gifts of the Three Wise Men

Making homemade gifts to celebrate Three Kings Day adds a special and personalized touch to the holiday. Although the little ones have surely left a little letter ready, here we tell you some more options. Use your free time to write handmade greeting cards with personalized messages. Prepare cookies decorated with icing and shapes related to kings (there are cookie molds with shapes of kings and camels). Write and illustrate a small personalized book for each person, related to their tastes and interests. At Kiddus.com you will be able to find nice gifts for the little ones, such as tents, glasses and their first watches.

Christmas movie night

Although there are few Three Kings movies, we can remember some of the Christmas ones and watch them again. It's a good time to relax, pour ourselves a cup of hot chocolate and spend the eve (January 5) together.

Write a letter to the Three Wise Men

The most traditional thing in Kings is to write the letter. For the little ones it is essential that they put what they want; how they have behaved during the year; what they would like to improve; a happy moment (kings love to read happy moments of the little ones).

Read stories of the Three Wise Men

Although the Bible is the basis, there are many stories of the Three Wise Men. You can easily find these on the internet or in bookstores:

1. The true story of the Three Wise Men
2. Artaban, the fourth wise man: The best stories of the wise men
3. A beautiful play about the birth of the baby Jesus
4. Biblical story of the Birth of the baby Jesus
5. The Three Wise Men in a play
6. Babushka: Tales of the Three Wise Men for children
7. The story of the Befana and the Three Wise Men
8. The gift of the Three Wise Men: A story of the Three Wise Men for teenagers and adults
9. Chestnuts, a Christmas story about kindness and its rewards
10. The bonus: Tales of the Three Wise Men with values

Play with the story of the Three Wise Men

While the Bible is a good guide, it is not the only one. They all create new scenes, moments, dialogues that the kings could have with each other. What if they get lost in the desert and Melchior wants to order an Uber?; or they are not sure about their offerings and ask the desert animals to help them look for nice offerings. You can also change their gender and have magic queens.

Activities with traditional music

We all know what a guitar and a drum sound like, but we know little about African music. If we have the opportunity, let's search on the internet for the typical instruments of the Kings region, and learn their names and sounds. Then we can search for songs and learn them, since most have sounds based on drums and wind instruments that we can replicate at home.

Three Wise Men Crafts

Clay, tempera, mud, colors, papers. With all these elements, we are going to create crafts. We have the opportunity to create something that lasts forever. From making camels with sticks and dough, Paper Kings, and landscapes with sand and leaves, we can do many crafts together. If you are very interested in crafts, try reading the article: easy and beautiful christmas crafts at Home and have a little fun with such a variety of ideas.

Costume party

Who said we can only dress up once a year? We can prepare a desert-themed costume party to welcome the Three Wise Men. From dressing up as Three Wise Men, camels, cacti, farmers and more, we can change roles throughout the night. With some old sheets or towels, we will create the headdresses of the three kings. Then we only have to decorate ourselves with what we have at home.

Bag of candy for the Three Wise Men

All together we can put together bags of candy for the kings. Each wise man likes something different. Melchior prefers hard candy, licorice, with fruity and chewy tastes. Baltazar, on the other hand, is a crazy lover of chocolate and dulce de leche type candy; the fillings are his favorites. Gaspar, for his part, likes popsicles, chup chups and those that make small explosions in the mouth. Leave their bags ready, sometimes they only take a few things and leave the rest for the little ones to eat.

Treasure hunt

In the exciting search for the Three Wise Men's treasure, the little ones must embark on a journey full of enigmas and clues carefully hidden throughout the house or garden. Each clue that parents, uncles, grandparents and friends must create (they can use gold sparkles and stars to mark the path, made with cardboard or candles) will guide them to the next link in the chain of mysteries. Following the trail of magical footprints (with cardboard or marking the footprints in the grass), explorers will immerse themselves in the story of Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar, unraveling riddles that revealed the final location of the treasure.

Conclusion

Three Kings' Day activities with the little ones create magical and memorable moments, weaving charming memories around the celebration. From making homemade gifts and holiday decorating to an exciting treasure hunt for the Three Wise Men, these experiences not only encourage creativity and collaboration, but also convey meaningful values. The Christmas movie night and the preparation of delicious roscones strengthen family christmas ties, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Ultimately, these activities not only celebrate tradition, but also fuel the excitement, generosity, and spirit of the holidays, leaving the little ones with lasting memories and a special appreciation for this holiday.