January 6th, 19th Ward Mutual Aid in collaboration with Spanish Community Center celebrated Three Kings Day with our newest neighbors. We distributed hundreds of gifts to newly arrived families at the Daley College shelter. It was a beautiful event. As nice as it is to see children smiling, the pride in their parent’s eyes was priceless.
The direct translation of Día de Los Reyes is “Day of The Kings” but it means Three Kings’ Day. The holiday coincides with the feast day of the Epiphany and both represent the day the Three Wise Men—Los Tres Reyes Magos—gave gifts to Jesus Christ. Día de Los Reyes closes out the Christmas festivities, January 6th is 12 days after Christmas.
With that said, Día de Los Reyes also includes more gift giving. Before Santa Claus, the Three Wise Men were actually the ones who brought gifts during Christmas.
It has always been our intention to restore dignity to those who have been denied. We provided the royal treatment to many happy children who hopefully forget that they are in a shelter in a strange land and conjure the magic of the season.