WACO, Texas — January 6th is a very significant day in Mexican Culture, it the day where family and friends come together and celebrate with a king cake also known as a Rosca De Reyes.
- Jimenez bakery made 1000 Rosca De Reyes, they started baking at 3am Friday morning, filling up their entire store.
- The sweets on top of the cake symbolize gold, myrrh and Frankincense, the three gifts brought to Baby Jesus by the three wise men.
- The Mexican Tradition also includes a toy baby hidden inside the cake, and the person who gets the piece with the baby must cook tamales for the group on February 2nd.
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Jimenez bakery made 1000 Rosca De Reyes, they started baking at 3am Friday morning, filling up their entire store.
“it’s truly a tradition of ours that we’ve done for so many years and for us being Mexican we feel proud to be a part of it,” said Nora Casales.
Nora Casales manages the bakery, they’ve been making Roscas for 12 years, bringing that small piece of Mexico to Waco.
“The sweets that go on top of the cake symbolize the gifts the three kings brought to baby Jesus, so the gold, myrrh and Frankincense,” said Casales.
They also hide a small toy baby in the cake which is meant to symbolize the birth of Jesus, and if you’re piece of the Rosca has the baby…
“Once you find the baby Jesus , everybody’s like oh my goodness, it’s him it’s not me, so it’s a sign of relief if it’s not you, but if it’s you it’s like awe well it happened so I guess it’s me, it’s my turn to do tamales,” said Luis Picazo.
You hold a celebration at your house February 2nd and make tamales. One woman I spoke with outside the bakery tells me it’s a tradition she’s proudly carried in her family for generations.
“It’s a day for us all to come together just like Christmas, and new years, three kings day is the same, family comes together, we make hot chocolate, cut the cake, and we spend time together,” one Waco woman said.
It’s a moment where you’re carrying on tradition and honoring the past.
“I like it because for me it reminds me of when I was little, and I would be like oh mom, the kings, what are they gonna bring me, and cutting the Rosca with the family, it’s a very important part of our tradition,” said Casales.
Another Mexican Tradition takes place the night of January 5th, where children write a list, put it in their shoe, and place it under the Christmas tree, and the three kings bring them gifts just like they brought for Jesus.
