What do families do on El Dia de Los Reyes?

Answer 1

Es la bajada de Reyes, it is afeter Christmas, I don't remember the exact date, it is between the end of January and beginning of february. Some families wait for that oment to give the presents or put candies on the socks. They go to church and after that they take out all the Christmas decoration.

hi, here is the story:

el día de Reyes, is not a festivity that is celebrated in every hispanic or latin country, actually the only country I know that celebrates it is Mexico.

it's the 6th of January, and that's the day when kinds normally get there Christmas presents, instead of the 24th or 25th of December.

kids place a shoe on the window, or a Christmas sock at the wall, the night before, or simply receive the gifts under the Christmas tree.

the main day, the festivity is celebrated by family and friend eating a "rosca de Reyes" which is a special cake-like bread, in the shape of a kings crown, that's cover with dry fruit and white powder sugar, filled with cream. The drinks are Hot Chocolate or "atole" (which is a drink made of milk and corn powder (maizena), sweetened with caramel, rum or different flavors)

There is a special gift inside the "rosca" which is a small white baby doll. According to the legend, the person that by luck receives the piece of bread with the doll, will receive fortune from the kings all year long, there for, according to the tradition this person has to give the other unfortunates a feast of "tamales" 2 weeks later.

tamales in Mexico, are a corn dough filled with different ingredients, some are with chicken, son with chilies, some with mole. they are covered with the shell or the corn, in different countries and even different Mexico areas, instead of using corn shells, they use banana plant leafs, which gives the tamales a complete different flavor. in this feast they usually serve both types of tamales.

this are some visual references:

http://www.laeconomia.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/rosca-de-Reyes.jpg

http://r.b5z.net/i/u/10054600/i/rosca.jpg

http://www.visitingmexico.com.mx/blog/wp-content/uploads/tamales777777777777.jpg

http://www.quebonitacolombia.com/images/Alicia.estefan22_Tamales1_16837.jpg

BTW if you have ever watch the movie "collateral" with "tom cruise", you might remember a scene with "javier bardem", he tells a story about how xmas is celebrated in Mexico, about a shoe with chalk, and Pedro el negro, that's a complete lie, that is a Dutch tradition, that almost nobody knows in latinamerica.

hope my answer clarified you question :)