My parents say they don’t remember ever getting one Christmas gift growing up, but they always got a gift for Reyes.
Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Wise Men Day) is celebrated on January 6th. It’s the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The Reyes brought beautiful, and special gifts to the baby Jesus. This tradition has stayed alive in Argentina and many other Latin American countries. As a kid I loved the holiday because I got another gift less than two weeks after Christmas! Now I love the holiday because I get a whole holiday to celebrate “the reason for the season” I can have my cake, and eat it too. I can participate in all the commercialism and Elf-on-the-Shelf goodness that is Santa Claus and Christmas, and then I get an entire holiday to celebrate Jesus and his birth. You, too, can have it all!
On the night of January 5th you leave your shoes outside with a bowl of water, some bread, and some straw or grass for the camels. In the morning there is a beautiful gift sitting right on top of your shoes, brought to you by the Reyes themselves. The Three Wise Men always bring the most beautiful and extravagant presents. This marks the end of the Holiday season, and the beginning of a new year!
Who’s leaving their shoes out tonight!? I can’t wait to see what the Reyes bring me this year! I am hoping for rain boots, because I am not prepared for El Niño at all.
What I bought for Reyes this year:
Pillow :The quickest way to decorate, throw this pillow onto the couch! Bowl for water : This cute Anthropologie bowl screamed REYES to me. Plate for hay : What better place to put hay for camels, than on a camel plate. Photo booth props : Taking these bad boys out for a spin on January 5th, Nothing says “party” like photo booth props!
The Porteña 