Santa Claus vs the Three Kings
Contrary to popular belief, the twelve days of Christmas are not the days leading up to Christmas. Rather, they are the 12 days leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. The Epiphany, meaning manifestation, celebrates the revealing of the Jewish God and the coming Christian religion to the non-Jewish world. On this day, three astrologers arrived with gifts after following a star that told them that someone very important had been born.
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Contrary to popular belief, the twelve days of Christmas are not the days leading up to Christmas. Rather, they are the 12 days leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. The Epiphany, meaning manifestation, celebrates the revealing of the Jewish God and the coming Christian religion to the non-Jewish world. On this day, three astrologers arrived with gifts after following a star that told them that someone very important had been born.
On this very holy celebration of the Christian faith, there's always some discussion over whether or not the image of Santa Claus (Papá Noel) is Christian or Pagan. Many fear that the ambiguous origins of the jolly fat man carry people away from the religious celebration. The misconception that the 12 days come before the day of Christmas is only a hint that people are being swept away from the Christian tradition. Another hint is that people don't realize that every image in the popular song, "The 12 Days of Christmas", has a specific theological reference. For immigrants, this is often the time to ponder their new holiday symbols of snow, elves and reindeer as well as their traditional holiday symbols taken straight from the Bible.
In Latin America, and in other parts of the world, instead of exchanging gifts on December 25th, they are exchanged on January 6th. On the night before the Epiphany (Víspera de Reyes), children collect grass and put it in a box. The box and some water are placed underneath their bed so that when the three kings arrive to leave their gifts, their camels can refresh themselves. Sometimes the children are asked to fill boxes for the adult relatives just in case the Three Kings visit them as well. That night, the family gathers for dinner after a day of enjoying the gifts left for them. In many Latin American nations, the Feast of Epiphany is a national holiday. In some countries, people rush to get married while others reenact the journey the Magi took. Many places like Spanish Harlem hold parades where camels and donkeys march with various characters from the Bible. In other places you will find that the heads of state dress like the kings and hand out gifts or take part in
Many religious immigrants see the Three Kings as a more pure representation of the faith and season than Santa Claus. To many, Santa Claus is an absurdity. Imagine being in Puerto Rico 100 years ago when the US military government encouraged the families on the tropical island to celebrate snowmen and a fat man who slides down chimneys and exits of the fireplace to give you gifts. This, instead of the Magi who are in the Bible. On the other hand, many have seemed to embrace Santa Claus. Over the century some Puerto Ricans have come to seek out the United States winter traditions. This year, a Puerto Rican firm imported snow from Canada so that Puerto Rican children can enjoy "the whole American winter - the Christmas carols, the snow, Santa Claus coming down the chimney." For fifteen minutes, they can play in snow they've never seen before. More and more, Puerto Ricans are spending money to have Christmas trees imported from the US and Canada.
Whether the family is in the United States from Latin America, or in Puerto Rico being doused with US culture, there comes a time when the call to assimilation demands a choice between Papá Noel and Los Tres Reyes Magos. Luckily, in a manner typical of Latinos in the US, instead of casting off the Three Kings, many are celebrating both.
What a great way to stretch out the Christmas season. If you've never celebrated Three Kings, you can always split the presents up between two days so that the children have a surprise in the old year and the New Year. You can revisit the story of the nativity and perhaps serve the traditional Rosca de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Cake), in which each guest his own piece of cake and may find a clay doll of the baby Jesus. In Mexico, if you find the doll in your cake you are the King or Queen of the Feast and must host a party for Candlemas on February 2nd. In some countries, Three King Day also marks the beginning of the Carnaval and Mardi Gras season. These celebrations follow the church calendar, so if you plan your year right, you can celebrate from one Christmas to the next.
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