The Three Kings Festival
The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Three Kings Day Festival is an arts education experience designed to teach students about the Three Kings Day tradition as practiced in Latin America. The PRAA program begins in October with six weeks of hands-on arts workshops in the public schools. Students learn from local artists about the tradition of Three Kings Day through a curriculum that combines arts learning with culture and history.
The PRAA arts workshops culminate in a traditional Three Kings Day celebration for the entire family. Each year over 200 students and family members gather for storytelling, music by local musicians, a traditional meal, and the distribution of gifts for all children.
How do Puerto Ricans honor the Three Kings?
There are several ways in which Puerto Ricans honor these three royal figures. Many Puerto Ricans pray and sing to the Kings with songs that remember and pay homage to the wise men. One prominent example of this occurs in the campo or country side, where groups gather to do rosarios cantados de Reyes or rosary prayers to the Kings which are accompanied by aguinaldos (Christmas caroling) dedicated the royal men. The children are taught to find a shoe box, fill it with grass and hay and leave it under their beds (or under the Christmas tree) on the eve of January 6th. During that night the children sleep lightly, waiting for the sounds of the camels' hooves or the whispers of the wise men, as they pass through the children's homes bearing their gifts. The Three Kings, tired from a long journey to find Christ, would use the hay to feed their hungry camels. In gratitude, the kings would leave a gift for the children in the place where the boxes were left.
Can my child participate in the PRAA Three Kings Day Festival?
Yes! Contact the PRAA by calling 773-342-8865 or email us at info@praachicago.org to find out more about our arts workshops and festival.