Feast of the Three Kings in Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, as with other Christian nations, the Christmas season is a really big thing.
Puerto Ricans, however, celebrate this season a little differently.
For example, Santa Claus, the traditional fat guy in a red suit going down the chimney, is not the main man when it comes to gift-giving.
It's because the formal gift-giving day in Puerto Rico is on the 6th of January, the Feast of the Three Kings or Dia de los Reyes, not Christmas.
This date is anticipated by children as this is the day they will be receiving their gifts.
In the same way that the three kings visited the child Christ, they will also visit all the children who have been good and offer them gifts.
If the kid is not asleep when the kings pass by, they will probably bypass the kid's house.
Now, before the kings arrive, the children will take a box and fill it with straw of grass and place it under their beds.
This serves as the food for the kings' horses.
If a child has been good, he will receive candies or toys.
If the kid has been naughty, he will wake up and find a piece of mud, dirt or charcoal in his box.
They say this Dia de los Reyes tradition is older than Santa Claus.
Today, however, Santa Claus is getting more and more popular in Puerto Rico as foreign traditions are assimilated into the local traditions.
Local and new ways of doing things have somehow found a way to coexist.
As long as the Puerto Rican flag hangs proudly, the old and beautiful traditions of Puerto Rico will always be there to showcase Puerto Rico's identity.
Puerto Ricans, however, celebrate this season a little differently.
For example, Santa Claus, the traditional fat guy in a red suit going down the chimney, is not the main man when it comes to gift-giving.
It's because the formal gift-giving day in Puerto Rico is on the 6th of January, the Feast of the Three Kings or Dia de los Reyes, not Christmas.
This date is anticipated by children as this is the day they will be receiving their gifts.
In the same way that the three kings visited the child Christ, they will also visit all the children who have been good and offer them gifts.
If the kid is not asleep when the kings pass by, they will probably bypass the kid's house.
Now, before the kings arrive, the children will take a box and fill it with straw of grass and place it under their beds.
This serves as the food for the kings' horses.
If a child has been good, he will receive candies or toys.
If the kid has been naughty, he will wake up and find a piece of mud, dirt or charcoal in his box.
They say this Dia de los Reyes tradition is older than Santa Claus.
Today, however, Santa Claus is getting more and more popular in Puerto Rico as foreign traditions are assimilated into the local traditions.
Local and new ways of doing things have somehow found a way to coexist.
As long as the Puerto Rican flag hangs proudly, the old and beautiful traditions of Puerto Rico will always be there to showcase Puerto Rico's identity.
