Dia de los Reyes

There are many fascinating and interesting things about living in another culture. The people, of course, the language, food, history and customs. This past week we had the opportunity to learn more about a traditional Mexican custom. January 6 in the U.S. is Epiphany, and in Mexico it's called Dia de los Reyes, or Day of the Kings. It refers to the wise men who visited Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and presented Him with gifts. Even though I'm familiar with Epiphany, I can't say I've ever really celebrated it. In Mexico, however, Dia de los Reyes is a very important event. It's the day when children receive most of their presents, as opposed to Christmas Day.
A crucial part of the celebration is the Rosca. This colorfully decorated, oval-shaped bread is bought and shared by the family. During the days leading up to the Dia de los Reyes, the bakeries were over-flowing with stacks of Roscas. On the 6th of January, each person in the family gets to cut their own piece of the Rosca. Inside is hidden any number of tiny plastic dolls. If you're "lucky" enough to get a doll in your piece, the tradition says that you then have to supply tamales for everyone on February 2. Some people take this quite literally, spending a great time of time and money preparing tamales for friends and family.
Wednesday evening we celebrated the Day of the Kings in Oaxaca with the family we stayed with. Cosme, Isela and their daughters were gracious enough to not only invite us into their home, but to allow us to celebrate this custom with them as well. They granted me the privilege of making the first cut, and as luck would have it, I cut into one of the dolls. I invited the family to come to San Cristobal on February 2 for homemade tamales - not necessarily homemade by me, but by someone with more tamale expertise! Rachel also got a chance to cut her own piece of the Rosca as Isela and her daughters anxiously look on, but she didn't find a doll.
What an enjoyable experience as we continue to learn more about this fascinating country.