One of the Latino-anticipated holidays, El Dia de los Reyes, to be celebrated in Los Angeles and Orange County

To close off the Christmas festivities, El Dia de los Reyes is a yearly Latino celebration encompassing gift giving and the cutting of the Rosca de Reyes. 

The celebration honors the Christian and Catholic religious story revolving around Los Reyes, also known as the Three Wise Men or Magi, who on January 6th came to bring baby Jesus gifts after his birth. 

The three kings Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar are said to have come from the East, although popular tradition identifies one of the kings as Melchor and depicts him as African, according to the National Museum of American History. The figure of Melchor is also one of the first representations of a black person in Puerto Rican art. 

On January 6th, small children often receive gifts brought to them by “Los Reyes.” In places like Mexico, children leave their shoes out on January 5th with a wish list for the Three Kings. 

In Los Angeles, with 4.8 million Latinos, El Dia de los Reyes is celebrated throughout the city.

One of the biggest community celebrations of Los Reyes takes place in Placita Olvera.

On January 6, 2025, starting at 7 p.m., the Olvera Street Merchants Association Foundation invites anyone, regardless of their religion, to participate in the Dia de Los Reyes celebration. At Olvera Street, the yearly celebration begins with a short procession led by Ballet Coo, a Mexican dance group that originated in 1970.

Following the procession, the traditional Rosca de Reyes, or sweet bread, will be given to all in attendance.

Las  Rosca de Reyes, a sweet oval-shaped cake with a doll inside that represents baby Jesus, is the signature item of the celebration. The doll symbolizes Jesus' hiding from King Herod's troops. 

Traditionally, the person who gets the slice with the doll must host a party on February 2nd. In Olvera Street, those who find the baby Jesus will win a prize that evening.

The Riverside Art Museum will also be celebrating el Dia de los Reyes on January 8, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The all-day event will feature traditional Latino foods such as tamales, pan dulce, chocolate Mexicano, Rosca de Reyes, and entertainment. 

Both of the events are free and open to the public. 

For more information on both events, visit https://riversideartmuseum.org/event_archive/dia-de-los-reyes-mago/ and https://www.olveraevents.com/threekings-tresreyes-olverastreet.