Three Kings’ Day has arrived and, with it, some traditions that bring the Christmas season to a close.
This day comes from Catholicism, being an important part of the Christmas festivities of the Azorean people.
Origin
It is believed, in Christianity, that this was the day when a newborn Jesus Christ was visited by three Wise Men, Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar. They brought three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, respectively, each with its own meaning. The gold represented the royalty of Baby Jesus, the incense represented his divine essence, and the myrrh represented his human essence.
Singing the Kings
Also called “janeiras” or “reisadas”, this tradition brings groups of people together on the evening of January 5 to “sing the Kings” from door to door, often receiving different Christmas treats.
Bolo-Rei (King Cake)
Besides being strongly associated with Kings’ Day, this cake has a curious tradition. It is customary to place both a toast and a fava bean in the batter, just before adding the iconic candied fruits and taking it to bake. Thus, when the cake is broken, a person will randomly receive the slice containing the fava bean, being this person responsible for making or buying the Bolo-Rei the following year.
Among many other legends, many tell that, at the beginning of their journey, the three Wise Men argued among themselves about who would be the first to offer their gift to the Baby Jesus. So a pastry chef baked a cake containing a fava bean, which would give whoever received it the right to be the first Magi King to deliver his gift.
End of the Christmas festivities
It is also tradition to remove the Christmas decorations on this day, marking the end of the Christmas season.
