In Mexico, serving La Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Cake, is still-popular family tradition on Three Kings Day, with good fortune bestowed on anyone who is lucky enough to find a figure of the baby Jesus baked inside. Three Kings Day Eve, January 5 (Vispera de los Tres Reyes Magos) is when children leave a glass of water and a box filled with grass out for the Three Kings to drink and their camels to eat. This mouthwatering delight can also be made in cups for easy single servings. Epiphany goes by various names in different cultures. The following day, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar will have left gifts next to the shoes the kids put the night before. The masa is made with corn or wheat flour instead of the variety of green fruit and root vegetables. From Spain to Puerto Rico to American cities like Miami and New York with significant Catholic, Spanish speaking populations, Three Kings' Day is often honored. That is saved for Three Kings Day, which coincides with the Epiphany. Kids write their wish lists to their favorite king (Melchor, Baltazar or Gaspar), and they leave out snacks for the Three Kings (and grass for … The festive Dreikonigskuchen or Three Kings Cake is also served that night to celebrate the occasion. Old San Juan throws an annual festival at the Luis Muñoz Marín Park with live music, food and drink, with free gifts given out to lucky kids. Garlic, oregano, salt and pepper are often added. But after Hurricane Maria, the sound of season is changing. The legendary visit would later gave rise to the custom of gift giving at Christmas on the Feast of the Epiphany, today traditionally observed on January 6. The holidays are all about getting together with friends and family, and a day of pastele-making does just that. In Puerto Rico, Christmas is merely the midpoint of the holiday season. Potato salad recipes are endless, and can have surprises like chopped red apple and shelled green peas. In the States, it’s not that big an occasion. However, in many Hispanic cultures gifts can be given on Christmas Day, on Three Kings Day -- or as a double celebration on both days! The key to pasteles is the masa, the “dough” that is used. Another favorite Christmas dish is pernil, (pork leg or pork shoulder), that is rubbed in a paste of olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and vinegar, marinated for anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days or more, and then is slow-roasted. Now it is time to wrap your pasteles, which is a series of folds and tucks and then two pasteles are tied together with string with their seams toward each other. Popular upcoming holidays you may be interested in. Of course they enjoy Christmas and New Years but in Puerto Rico, the really big celebration is reserved for the Three Kings Festival on January 6. Privacy  |  Mission Statement  |  Contact How to Make Three Kings Cake - Four different versions including complete ingredients for the French traditional (Galette des Rois), German, Mexican (La Rosca de Reyes) and Spanish Three Kings Cake. french hens and golden rings in the olde English observance of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Small chunks are combined with broth or water in a food processor and ground to a mash or paste. Traditionally, the island, and most of the Latin world, marked the eve of January 6 as the day to exchange presents rather than December 25. They can be made with just the masa, and can be sweet or savory. Spanish language comics for older kids. Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM MST. Before pasteles, there were guanime, dating back as far as the Taíno. Three King's Cake (or bread) is closely allied with the traditions around the Epiphany (January 6th). 'share' : { Spread a small amount of achiote oil in the center of the paper, then place a banana leaf on top of the parchment paper. Slow roasting results in an extremely tender and juicy delight, often served with arroz con gandules, mamposteao, or yuca salad. For Puerto Rico, the holiday has great cultural importance, given that in the past this was the main day of celebration during the festive period. In Puerto Rico, Three Kings Day is a festival for the palate, with savory traditional foods such as roasted pig. Once the masa and filling are ready, that’s when the heavy work comes in: assembling and wrapping the pasteles. 'position' : 'right', also see in Christmas -> Las Posadas }); The Feel-Good Guide to Sports, Travel, Shopping & Entertainment. In Spain Raices Brewing Co. 2060 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204. This date commemorates the visit the Three Wise Men made to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Some families have created their own small appliance for grinding the masa! 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