The Real 12 Days of Christmas

And so it began. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2 it is written “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Many of us recognize the day of the visit as the Feast of the Epiphany. The dictionary defines the word ‘epiphany’ as “a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way.” That certainly describes what the three kings were feeling that day.

I must say that I had an ‘epiphany” in 2005 which was the first time that I ever had the awesome experience of celebrating the beautiful feast in San Juan, Puerto Rico with my family. My son-in-law was born in Carolina, PR. I used to think that Christmas season was over the day after Christmas. My son taught me different.

For Puerto Ricans, and most Latin American and Hispanic countries, the season has just begun. The 12 days of Christmas are marked with gatherings and celebrations fit for a king. It culminates with the feast day known as “El Dia de Los Reyes”.

It was so exciting to see the Three Kings Day parade which was every bit as exciting and even more colorful than the Macy’s Day parade. There were live camels, sheep and various other animals. There was festive music and singing. There were beautiful princesses and handsome princes. There were food vendors with delicious Puerto Rican cuisine. I wish I could go back for this feast every year.

Merry Christmas!