For most people in this country, the holidays ended on January 1 with the arrival of the new year. But for many Latinos, the festivities continue as tomorrow, January 6, is Three Kings Day–a Spanish tradition that is celebrated in many countries in Latin America.
In my house, this is an important holiday as my husband and I are raising our children with the same Latin traditions with which we grew up. Since our kids are still little, we use books, movies and crafts to teach a little more about this beautiful custom. And today I want to share some of these with you.
Books — Telling stories about this celebration is one of the best ways to introduce the topic to your children. Luckily, there are a variety of books on the subject. If your kids speak Spanish one of our favorite's at home is called Los Tres Reyes (a caballo). For more suggestions, check out this list of Three Kings Day books.
Movies — I only know of two movies for children. The first one is perfect for the younger kids and I'm sure most will recognize the main character. It's called Dora Celebrates Three Kings Day. The second movies is in Spanish and it's a classic from 1974 called Los 3 Reyes Magos.
Crafts — If you're good with your hands and your kids–like mine–love crafts, you're in luck because there's a ton out there. Three of my favorite ones were created by one of my blog's contributors. In the first one, your kids will learn how to maker crowns just like the Three Kings. In the second one, they'll make felt puppets. And, in the last one, they can make the Three Kings out of recyclable bottles. I guarantee your kids will love them!
Happy Three Kings Day!
Image via Loren Javier/flickr
