Three Kings Day

Categories:: Religious
Tags:: Christian
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every January 6
Holiday emoji:: 👑

Three Kings Day, celebrated every January 6, marks the biblical Epiphany when the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus. Join in a global tradition of gift-giving, festive meals, and parades. Discover how to honor this significant cultural and religious observance.

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Expected Three Kings Day Deals

As Three Kings Day approaches, many retailers and cultural organizations offer special promotions and events. Look for bakeries like Bimbo Bakeries to feature traditional Rosca de Reyes cakes, while grocery stores like Goya Foods may highlight ingredients for festive meals. Major retailers such as Target and Walmart often stock gifts and decorations tailored to the holiday, especially in regions with large Hispanic populations. Local toy stores might also see increased sales for children’s gifts. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 6 approaches.

Platform Guide for Three Kings Day

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #ThreeKingsDay. Share photos of your Rosca de Reyes, family celebrations, or community parades.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #ElDiadelosReyes. Post about local events, traditional recipes, or the history of the holiday.

YouTube

Subscribe to @NationalToday for holiday video content. Create a video showcasing the traditions of Three Kings Day in your community, from gift-giving to festive meals.

Three Kings Day Hero

The Three Wise Men

Referred to as the Magi—traditionally named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar—these figures from the Gospel of Matthew journeyed from the East, guided by a star, to pay homage to the newborn Jesus. Their arrival, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, is commemorated on Three Kings Day, symbolizing the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles and the start of Christian evangelism.

History of Three Kings Day

In Mexico and many other Latin American countries, Santa Claus isn’t as popular as he is in the United States. Rather, it is the Three Wise Men who are the bearers of gifts and leave presents in or near the shoes of small children. The holiday is also known by the name Epiphany and dates back to the 4th century. A grand feast would be held on this day to honor the occasion of Jesus’ baptism and to pay homage to the Three Wise Men.

Many believe mysterious events preceded Jesus’ birth with perhaps the most notable being the appearance of the star in Bethlehem. This new star appeared in the evening sky just prior to the arrival of Jesus. Three wise men, or Magi as they were known, whose names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, traveled a far distance to pay homage to Christ. They brought with them fine gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Three Kings Day, or El Dia de Reyes, remains an important holiday for Catholics. In addition to gift-giving, there is also a culinary treat that is specific to the holiday. Known as Rosca de Reyes (King’s Cake), this holiday dessert is a symbolic pastry. Shaped in a circle to signify a king’s crown, this sweet bread holds a special surprise. Inside is a small plastic figurine representing the baby Jesus. Whoever finds this token is obligated to host an upcoming party for the occasion Dia de la Condelaria (Candlemas Day) which occurs each year on February 2.

Three Kings Day timeline

200 AD

From Rome to Egypt

Though Three Kings Day originated in the Greek-speaking eastern half of the Roman Empire, Clement of Alexandria writes that followers of Basilides in Egypt also celebrate the day of Jesus' baptism.

December 25, 380 AD

Theophany

St. Gregory of Nazianzus refers to the day as 'the Theophany', saying that it commemorates the holy nativity of Christ.

385 AD

Epiphany

The pilgrim Egeria describes a celebration in Jerusalem and Bethlehem that she calls "Epiphany", which commemorates the Nativity.

1969

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Revisions of the General Roman Calendar makes the date of Three Kings Day variable, occurring on the Sunday between January 2 and 8, though it is still more widely celebrated 12 days after Christmas on January 6.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Three Kings Day

Local businesses can embrace Three Kings Day by hosting community events or offering themed products. Bakeries and restaurants can feature traditional Rosca de Reyes and special menus. Gift shops and toy stores can promote gift-giving traditions, perhaps offering discounts or special bundles. Cultural centers might host storytelling sessions or craft workshops, creating a festive atmosphere for families to celebrate.

Three Kings Day is celebrated with different traditions and different names around the world. Take a look at some of these celebrations.

Three Kings Day Around the World
Country	Holiday	Occasion	Date
Puerto Rico	Dia de los Reyes	Children fill a box with freshly cut grass to place under their beds. A wish list is placed on top for the Three Wise Men to fulfill.	January 6
Poland	Święto Trzech Króli	A bountiful evening that ends with a grand feast — houses are marked with the year and the initials of the Three Wise Men using incense and chalk. This day is also a public holiday in Poland.	Evening of the Epiphany
England	Twelfth Night	This is a time for cake, wassailing, and practical jokes	January 6
Ireland	Women’s Christmas	Women get some well-deserved rest and relaxation after all the hard work and cooking of the Christmas season.	January 6

Three King's Day Traditions

Gifts

On January 5, the Three Kings are added to nativity decorations and children leave their shoes out over night waiting for a visit from the wise men. When they wake up in the morning, they will find that the Kings have left them gifts inside and near their shoes.

Rosca de Reyes

King’s cake, Rosca de Reyes, is the highlight of the Three Kings Day celebrations. The cake is shaped into an open circle, or wreath, and studded with candied fruit and nuts to represent the jewels in the Magi’s crowns. The tradition of the cake requires that a tiny baby Jesus doll is hidden within the cake. Whoever receives the serving with the Baby Jesus must host February’s Candlemas celebration.

Al fresco feast

In its core, Three Kings Day is in fact a feast day. So it makes perfect since that on this day, families enjoy a big filling meal. In Latin American countries, this feast is enjoyed al fresco, outdoors. Traditional dishes include black beans and rice with some families switching out the beans for peas or corn, soups and salads that feature yucca, nopales, and plantains, and a slow cooked meat sautéed with onions, garlic, and herbs.

Three King's Day Statistics

60,000 Rosca de Reyes

California’s Northgate Gonzalez Market sells about 60,000 Rosca de Reyes each year. They start selling the original, small rosca just before Thanksgiving. About a week before Christmas, they sell the cakes in four sizes and two varieties: original and filled. One year, the fillings consisted of guava and cheese or pineapple and cajeta.

2,065.43 meters World Record

In 2019, chefs from La Universidad Vizcaya de las Americas were awarded the Guinness record for the longest Rosca de Reyes bread in the world. Measuring at 2,065.43 meters, the lengthy traditional bread beat the previous world holder for the longest loaf, which was Switzerland. Carlos Tapia of Guinness World Records for Latin America verified the length of the bread and its new world record, noting that the previous record held by Switzerland measured in at 973.24 meters. The ring also included more than 7,000 dolls inside of the pastry.

200,000 people annually

Every year in Mexico on the eve of Three Kings Day, a mile-long Rosca de Reyes cake is made to celebrate the holiday. More than 200,000 people gather annually in Zocalo Square to eat a piece of the King’s cake or take some home to save for later. Starting in 2018, Mexico City’s government emphasized that a portion of the delicacy shall be made without sugar so that people who need to avoid sweets are also able to partake in the tradition.

Three Kings Day FAQs

When is Three Kings Day?

In 2027, Three Kings Day will be observed on Wednesday, January 6. It’s a day of reflection and celebration of the Magi’s visit to Bethlehem.

How many people celebrate Three Kings Day?

Globally, an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics and countless other Christians observe Epiphany, with Three Kings Day traditions especially strong in Hispanic cultures across the Americas and Europe.

What are the traditional gifts for Three Kings Day?

The gifts of Three Kings Day symbolize the offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Families continue this tradition by giving children presents, often toys, which are meant to appear as if left by the Magi.

Is Three Kings Day a federal holiday?

Although Three Kings Day holds significant cultural and religious importance for many, it does not receive federal recognition as a public holiday in the U.S. in 2027, meaning it’s a regular working day.

Three Kings Day Activities

Get a “Rosca de Reyes”
The King Cake tradition is alive in New Orleans as well as across South America, and recipes to make one are found fairly easily online. Imagine a deliciously sweet cake with cinnamon and sugary sauce, with a variety of fillings depending on how decadent you’re feeling.
Read the Bible
If you’re going to celebrate a Christian festival, why not read the gospel it’s all based on. Twelfth night (Epiphany) marks the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. The word “Epiphany" also means “manifestation" and celebrates the revelation of God in human form as Jesus Christ. Start at Matthew 2:11, and see what happens.
Jump in some freezing cold water
In Prague, there’s a traditional Three Kings swim in the Vltava River. People wear speedos, some of them wear crowns, and then they jump from a barge into the water. Afterwards they drink mulled wine and eat delicious, warming Czech snacks.

5 Facts About Three Kings Day

It has many names
Three Kings Day is also widely known as Epiphany, Little Christmas, Theophany, Baptism of Jesus, Denha, and Dia de Los Reyes.
Customary cakes
In some cultures, small ring-shaped cakes called Rosca de Reyes are baked with a plastic baby figurine inside, representing baby Jesus.
There may have been more than three Magi
The Bible does not specify the names or number of Magi who visited the baby Jesus.
Jesus received interesting gifts
Gifts of gold, resin myrrh, and frankincense oil were given to Jesus, each serving symbolic importance.
Treat filled shoes
Just like stockings are hung on Christmas for receiving presents, children fill their shoes with treats for the camels of the Three Wise Men and leave them out.

Why We Love Three Kings Day

A reason for more gifts
Christmas isn’t the end of presents! In Europe, children look forward to receiving more gifts on Three Kings Day, lining their shoes up outside their doors so the Three Kings will know to leave their gifts inside.
An excuse for more eating
Three Kings Day is celebrated in South America with a delicious dinner crowned with a “Rosca de Reyes” or King Cake for dessert. The “Rosca de Reyes” is a round cake with a plastic Jesus figurine hidden inside, and the person at the party who finds the baby Jesus has to make tamales for everyone on the Day of the Candles, which comes on February 2.
It has fun traditions
Many families leave a box of grass or hay and some water for the Three Kings’ camels (and horses and elephants) to eat. The camels usually leave a trail of hay behind that children can follow to find their gifts.