Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Archive
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio)– The City of Boston celebrated Three King’s Day at City Hall on Tuesday with a celebration full of gifts, hot chocolate and king cakes.
Three King’s Day (otherwise known as ‘Epiphany’ or ‘Día de Los Reyes’) is a Christian holiday that is celebrated every year on January 6th and marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas.
The holiday mainly recognizes the three wise men who visited baby Jesus after his birth and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Children from local elementary schools lined up at the celebration at City Hall as they waited to receive toys and gifts for the special day.
Boston’s Director of Cultural Affairs Alexandra Valdez was at the event and spoke about her memories of celebrating the holiday when growing up as kid.
“My grandparents would help me get water and ‘Las hierbas’ (grass) and we’d put them under the bed to make sure there was food and that we had things for the three kings to come [and get],” said Valdez.
Mostly celebrated in Hispanic countries and within Hispanic American communities, Boston’s Chief of Equity and Inclusion spoke about the importance of celebrating the day here in Boston.
“It’s a morning where we come together as families, as community and honor tradition and history of our people regardless of our religious cultural background, it’s a moment for us to come together,” said Mariangely Solis Cervera.
Solis Cervera also spoke about passing down the tradition of the holiday to the next generation, “[It’s] something that we want to make sure we continue to expose our little ones to so they continue to know the history.”
The celebration at City Hall, which was free to the public, is what Alexandra Valdez says helps benefit the city.
“Here we are truly creating a Boston that is for everyone.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.