El Día de los Tres Reyes
A Celebration of Community and Continuity
For many Latino families in Iowa, January 6 marks the true close of the Christmas season. Known as El Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day), the holiday commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar, to the infant Jesus. While rooted in Christian tradition, the day is less about theology and more about family, generosity, and shared responsibility.
One of the most recognizable traditions, especially in Mexican households, is the Rosca de Reyes, a large oval-shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruit. Families, friends, and coworkers gather to share the bread, and inside it is hidden a small plastic figure representing the baby Jesus. Whoever finds the figure isn’t “unlucky,” they’re honored with a role. A role that comes with a promise.
On February 2, Día de la Candelaria, the person who found the figure is traditionally responsible for hosting tamales for the group. It is a custom that turns a simple slice of bread into a future gathering that extends the holiday season from Christmas through early February. Food becomes a bridge, not just a meal.
While Three Kings Day is observed across Latin America and Spain, the Rosca-and-tamales tradition is most closely tied to Mexican culture, which helps explain why it is so visible in Iowa communities with strong Mexican roots. Other countries celebrate with parades, gifts for children, or symbolic offerings for the Three Kings’ camels. But the common thread is the same: community over consumption.
For Iowans unfamiliar with the tradition, El Día de los Tres Reyes offers a simple reminder: many of our neighbors experience the holidays differently. Not better or worse, just differently. And those differences often come with an open invitation to the table.
Learning about traditions like this doesn’t require travel or expertise, just curiosity. Sometimes, all it takes is sharing a piece of bread and understanding what it means to someone else.
