January 4th 2016
Hola a todos!/ Hello Everyone!
Feliz Ano Nuevo!
I hope you all had a great and relaxed winter break. Our Spanish class was up and ready for the New
Year, and we started up this year with our right foot. Santa Claus may have gone back to the North Pole
to rest, but it doesn’t mean the gift-giving (and receiving) is over. At least not for the thousands of kids
in Latin America and Spain who wait anxiously for “El dia de Reyes” celebration (The three wise man
day) on January 6th.
The holiday marks the biblical adoration of baby Jesus
by the three Kings who found the new king by following the
star across the desert for twelve days. In Mexico, it is
traditions on Dia de Reyes families gather together every year
to taste a delicious Rosca de reyes/ bread, which is sugar
bread with dry fruit toppings and hides a baby Jesus figurine
within the bread, and whoever finds the figurine on his/her
slice, must prepare tamales for everyone on the Day of the
Candles, which is celebrated on February 2nd. Moreover, children await the reyes arrival with
excitement, they put one shoe by the window, some water and hay as well; the water and hay for the
camels, and the wise men will put a toy on top of the shoes. Students who attended Plato Academy last
year remembered and requested the traditional rosca de reyes, they were excited to know we would
have it on Wednesday. We watched a short video that explained who the 3 wise men are and why
Hispanics celebrate them every year. We also learned that this tradition originated in Spain and was
later brought to America. The younger students got to make a corona/crown, symbol of royalty of Jesus
as king of the Jews. They decorated with their choice of markers, crayons, color paper and glitter. They
were all very creative on their designs. The older kids got to make a graph, making comparisons and
similitudes of Christmas and Dia de Reyes. We made a long list. We also talked about other traditions
that are similar to the rosca de reyes/bread, which is Vasilopita in Greece. It is very exciting for
everyone, including myself, to learn that there are similar traditions around the world, and that we get
our own from our ancestors, which gives us our own identity.
Hasta la proxima semana! /See you next week!
Soraya Castro