WILLIAMSBURG — This Sunday, Jan. 6, many Brooklyn residents, especially those from the Caribbean and other Hispanic countries, will celebrate Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany and Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos.

The holiday is a Christian celebration that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. According to the Biblical story, the kings presented the Baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

In Latin America, Three Kings Day is the gift-giving time, rather than Christmas Day. Just as it is common for children to leave cookies for Santa in the U.S., in Latin America children leave their shoes out on the night of Jan. 5, in hopes that the three kings would be generous. Children awaken on Jan. 6 to find their shoes filled with toys and gifts.

In Williamsburg and Bushwick, the annual Three Kings Day Parade has been a tradition since 1997, with more than 150,000 people attending. People in costume parade down the Avenue of Puerto Rico, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Williamsburg BQE Overpass, 465 Graham Ave. School children carry banners, and Mass is celebrated at Most Holy Trinity Church on nearby Montrose Avenue.

Members of all Latin ethnic groups, from Mexicans to Dominicans to Puerto Ricans to Ecuadorians, take part. The official site is www.tresreyesmagos.com.

In addition, the Williamsburg social justice organization, El Puente, has its own Three Kings pageant at its headquarters, with shows at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The celebration includes theater, music and more, and will be in both English and Spanish. It will take place at the Grand Street Campus — the former Eastern District High School. And, of course, children will receive gifts. For more information, call (718) 387-0404.

— By Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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