Who wants some Rosca?

“Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love is family. And having both is a blessing.”

—Anonymous

Happy New Year everyone!! I truly hope your holidays and new year’s eve were full of joy and health. I’m curious, how many of you consider the end of the holidays January 1st?

I ask because I had a most intriguing conversation with a friend the other day. She’s from Puerto Rico, so I asked her if they celebrated “Día de Reyes” over there—Some translate it as “Three King’s Day” or “Three Wise Men Day”. I was raised in Mexico, so of course we celebrate it, but I wasn’t sure how far south this tradition extended. As it turns out, after a bit more research, plenty of people in Spanish speaking countries celebrate it, and this also includes Europe!

On January 6th, which is Día de Reyes, my family gets together and eat a very yummilicious “Rosca”, which is an oval-shaped sweet bread, decorated with candied fruit. Now, there are a number of interpretations for what the meaning of it is. Some say the oval shape represents Jesus’ infinite love, while others think it represents the crown of King Herod, from whom they were hiding baby Jesus.

To showcase this event, inside the Rosca are hidden a few small plastic figurines representing baby Jesus in hiding. Those who are lucky enough to get one inside their slice become his godparent, and get to provide everyone Tamales on February 2nd—Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas)—to celebrate him being taken to the temple to be blessed.

Here in the US, it’s a tradition that has been growing in popularity in the past few years. You know it’s popular when Costco actually carries them, LOL! You will notice one thing though, due to the strict regulations the US has on edible products, anyone that sells a Rosca is not allowed to put these small plastic surprises inside it, because they are considered to be a choking hazard. So instead, they’ll put them inside a small bag and give them to you separately. This way you can put them inside yourself. Also, some retailers such as Costco, have decided to get in on the fun and use different figurines rather than just baby Jesus.

If you happen to be the one that hides these fun little characters inside the Rosca, then you have to ask a family member to cut you a slice rather than you getting one for yourself—no cheating allowed! Once you get your slice, it’s always good to eat it with some coffee, milk, hot cocoa, or even tea.

As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by. Do you, or someone you know, celebrate Día de Reyes? Or perhaps you have a different holiday tradition that your family follows? I would love to hear about it! Just add it in the comments below, or you can even send me a private message, either one works!

One last thing, if you haven’t already, make sure you don’t miss any new posts by signing up below. Take care of yourselves and see you back here in two weeks!