Hispanic community celebrates Epiphany with the three kings

By Tanya Connor
 The Catholic Free Press

 WORCESTER – An attempt to show children the importance of the Wise Men brought bright smiles, delighted screams, and lively action to St. Paul Cathedral on Jan. 6.
The Hispanic community was celebrating Epiphany (Día de los Reyes) with “the three kings” at Mass and a party, organized by John and Lourdes Nieves, religious education coordinators.
“We do it every year,” said Father Hugo A. Cano, cathedral rector. “It’s a way of connecting the children and the youth with the parish ... to let them know how important they are in our parish community. And later they’ll be leaders. Every culture has a celebration of the three kings,” in different ways. In Colombia, people hike and have family or neighborhood reunions, he said.
In El Salvador, “we have a big procession in the street” and children make their first Communion at Mass on Epiphany, said Telbina Ramirez, speaking of the tradition in her city of Corinto.
At St. Paul’s party the food was Puerto Rican and the piñata was a Mexican tradition that Hispanics in the United States have adopted, Father Cano said. He also spoke of the tradition of the three Wise Men  bringing gifts to baby Jesus and to children today. At the party, the kings (Edward Martinez, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Ramón Rodríguez) gave stuffed animals to the children, who hugged the toys and tossed them in the air, as they did with balloons used for one of the games.
Rosa Batista, a St. Paul’s parishioner, recalled that when she was living in the Dominican Republic, every year on Jan. 6 there was a big celebration and the children would wait for gifts. Children think the three kings bring the gifts they get at home, she said. Churches have “the kings” at Mass and sometimes host a party, but, since she has been in the United States for 16 years, she doesn’t know if they still do that.
“Some kids think it’s Santa Claus” who brings the gifts, said Leucaris Javier Santos, 20, who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic about five years ago. “That’s what I thought when I was a kid.”  
Times and cultures change, but children are still children. At St. Paul’s party they eagerly vied to be chosen for a game and a chance to hit the piñata. And when they finally broke it, they scurried to gather up the candy that spilled out.

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