Spanish Classes Learn about Holiday Celebrations

The holidays continue on for an extended period in the Spanish speaking world. For many Spanish speaking children, January 6 is a day that’s eagerly anticipated. Known as “Little Christmas” or “Epiphany,” Three Kings Day is a time for special celebration in Spain and Latin America.

The classes of teachers Lorena Hickey and Clara Galeas spent time learning more about the history of Three Kings Day and the celebration that surrounds it, which is known as “El Día de los Reyes Magos.”

“Some Spanish speaking countries celebrate in more elaborate ways than others,” Mrs. Hickey said. “Among them are Puerto Rico, where children leave hay and water out for the camels and in exchange the Three Wise  Men leave presents for the children by their beds. In México, they eat the traditional Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread that contains a plastic hidden baby who will bring  luck to the person who gets the piece of bread with the baby. They will be blessed for the whole year. They are also supposed to make tamales and host a family gathering on February 2.

In the honor of the holiday, students in the classes of Mrs. Hickey, Ms. Galeas and their department colleagues Natalia Kopshti, Kenia Guevara-Moreira and Itzel Cedillo-Rosas were able to try some Rosca de Reyes. “Most students said that they enjoyed it,” Mrs. Hickey said

In Mrs. Hickey and Ms. Galeas’ classes the students got the chance to give a visual representation of the celebration. “Many students decided to create crowns, the three kings, shoes filled with hay, etc.,” Mrs. Hickey said. “It was a fun hands on learning experience for ninth, tenth and eleventh graders. Learning about different cultures is tons of fun. Make sure to sing up for a foreign language class today!”