The Feast of the Epiphany – “Epifanía” in Spanish – is one of the biggest days of the year for many Spanish-speaking Catholics of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Drawing on traditions from a wide array of Central and South American countries, many Hispanic Catholics view the liturgical feast day as a moment to celebrate both faith and culture with colorful parades, the singing of songs dedicated to the Three Kings (Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar), placing figures in the manger, giving gifts and sharing special culinary traditions.
The Epiphany, which commemorates the arrival of the Magi to worship the newborn Christ child, is Jan. 6, but will be observed one day earlier, on Sunday, Jan. 5, in the United States.
“Receiving the Three Kings on Jan. 6 is something big for us in Puerto Rico,” said Lizette Vargas, a parishioner of St. Michael the Archangel in Overlea. Boricua families (those from Puerto Rico) prepare Jan. 5 by leaving a bowl of water and some grass tucked in a shoebox under the Christmas tree for the Magi’s camel – similar to how American children leave milk and cookies for Santa.
“We explain to the children that this is for the camels that come very tired from a faraway place so they have something to eat when they get home,” Vargas said.
Vargas said children are given a bag of assorted candies while the whole family shares’ arroz con gandules’ (rice with pigeon peas), “pernil” or roast pork, “tembleque” and “coquito,” a typical beverage of this season.
“We have fellowship in the parish gymnasium where the Three Kings are,” she said, “and there are gifts and piñata for the children, music, dancing and food.”
Redemptorist Father Alipio Flores, associate pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown, said his parishioners share the Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Cake that has a figure of the newborn Christ child hidden inside. In some traditions, whoever gets the figure in his or her cake wins a prize or has to help make a special meal on La Candelaria – Candlemas Day, celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
“Epiphany signifies the manifestation of God that was given to the whole world because the Three Wise Men represent universality since they come from different parts of the world to adore the Christ Child who was in a manger in Bethlehem,” Father Flores explained.
Father Héctor Mateus-Ariza, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel in Overlea and a native of Colombia, said he invites parishioners to make offerings on the Epiphany in the same way the Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child.
Yomari Santiago Hernandez is Puerto Rican and serves as religious education coordinator at St. Gabriel in Woodlawn. Her family observes the Epiphany with a festive atmosphere of music, games for the children and typical dishes such as lechón, pasteles, ham with pineapple, potato salad and coditos salad.
For Father Mateus-Ariza, this and all the feasts celebrated by the different communities that converge in a parish are “opportunities for the community to find a moment of sharing.”
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