We Three Kings... In Morelia

We are now in Morelia, Michoacan on the eve of Epiphany. The twelve days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany. Celebrated on January 6, it is known as the day of the Three Kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.

In Mexico, the tradition is to celebrate by eating the rosca, a sweet bread formed in a circle.  The rosca is decorated with pieces of orange and lime, and is filled with nuts, figs, and cherries. Hot chocolate is served the rosca.

  So every year, on January 6, families all across Mexico gather around their tables to share the rosca de reyes.  A little plastic doll representing Jesus is placed in the bread. One year we celebrated with the Martain family & Lindsay with a Rosca. I was the one who found the prize, mine was a little metal elephant which we still have. 

 

The person who receives a piece of bread with this doll inside has to make the tamales used in the fiesta de la Candelaria on February 2. This celebration is the last of the Christmas festivities, 40 days after Jesus's birth.

Keith and I have enjoyed many Epiphany celebrations some with big parades, such as in Mexico City. But this evening’s celebration in front of the huge cathedral here in Morelia was really special.

Tens of thousands of people packed the streets and plazas around the cathedral. 

Stands were set up, bands played and the celebration was telecasted on national television. 

As the Three Kings arrived, proceeded by belly dancers and stilt walkers, children let loose of their balloons. Attached to the strings were their desires for gifts from the Magi.

You see, gifts are distributed by the Three Kings on Epiphany, not on Christmas Eve by Santa. Today is the children’s celebration of the holiday. Noche Buena, Christmas Eve, is a family dinner, not a gift giving extraganza.

Today as we left Patzcuaro for the short bus ride to Morelia, the plazas were packed with vendors selling simple children’s toys. The grandest presents I saw were tricycles. Parents were out with their little ones choosing gifts. Christmas here isn’t about the gifts, it’s about the birth of the baby Jesus. Imagine that?

We took a tour of the cathedral with a wonderful guide this afternoon. It was an interesting Spanish lesson!

We are so happy with our accommodations here in Morelia. We had planned to stay with a family for a little Spanish immersion, but our time has been shortened by an extension to Valle de Bravo to meet up with Will, a paragliding buddy. The same language school that would have supplied a family stay has a beautiful apartment building with 8 little studio apartments complete with kitchens. It is tastefully decorated and very quiet. Now this is the good life.

We have until Tuesday morning to explore Morelia and the surrounding area.