ORLANDO, Fla. – The holidays aren’t quite over for Roman Catholics who celebrate Three Kings Day on Jan. 6. It’s a day that Mexicans and Mexican-Americans honor with the traditional cutting of la Rosca de Reyes, which translates to the Wreath of King’s.
It’s a day when Noe Vásquez takes the most pride in his work. Vásquez, a native of Veracruz, Mexico learned how to knead the dough as a teenager. He comes from a family of bakers in Mexico.
Since migrating to Central Florida where he works as a baker at La Hacienda Latina Bakery, every year after New Year’s Eve he bakes about 850 of the ring-shaped loaves of bread.
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“Es La emoción de saber que voy hacer un producto que es nada más una vez al año. Una vez al año y es una tradición muy grande en México,” in his native Spanish, Vásquez said it’s the emotion of making a product that’s only done once a year and is a very big tradition in Mexico.
“I remember being in Mexico and being 5 years old and my mom telling me it’s time to cut the Rosca and I would be like ‘Yes!’” Dulce Ramírez said. “Even when she came over here — when she brought me and my sister over here — it was the same thing,”
Ramírez left Mexico when she was a little girl and despite being miles away from her homeland, the tradition of the Rosca de Reyes continues.
The traditional bread is enjoyed in Mexico to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men to see baby Jesus after his birth and it officially ends the holiday season in Latin America. The Rosca de Reyes was brought to Mexico about 150 years ago from Europe. Ever since, every Jan. 6 families in Mexico and abroad, gather to celebrate the day with a piece of their sweet bread.
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“This is huge. I mean this is one of the best parts of the year I’m looking forward [to],” Ramírez said. “It’s a very spiritual thing for us Mexicans.”
These ring-shaped loaves of bread with three different crystalized fruits on top, symbolize the biblical story of Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. The three Magi, according to the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, are said to have visited baby Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
“It symbolizes the love of God for everybody in the world. The fruits symbolize the three gifts that each King was bringing to baby Jesus,” Ramírez said.
But the most significant part of la Rosca de Reyes is a hidden figurine that represents baby Jesus. And on Feb. 2, each person who was surprised with a baby Jesus in their slice of bread has to bring a traditional Mexican dish for another gathering.
“We come from our country to a different country and we bring that with us. This is something we can share — everybody can kind of take part in and we know as Mexicans, this is us.” Ramírez said.
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