The Three Kings--Los Tres Reyes Magos

Tomorrow, Jan 6th, is an annual celebration of The Three Kings on Olvera Street from 630-830P. Los Tres Reyes Magos, the celebration of the Feast of Epiphany, free to the public, will be complete with music, costumes, and a colorful procession of The Three Wise Men along Olvera Street.

From the website:

According to the story, Melchior, Casper and Balthasar, who have been known throughout history as the wise men, the three kings, and the magicians, although they were actually astronomers, saw a star in the east over the town of Bethlehem. They traveled to Bethlehem, and along the way in Judea they saw King Herod and informed him they were journeying to greet the Messiah. Herod told them to let him know where the Messiah had been born.

The men found the baby in a manger, and they offered him three gifts: gold, representing spiritual wealth; frankincense, signifying the earth and the sky; and myrrh, a balm used for medicinal and spiritual purposes. After their visit, an angel warned them that they should not tell Herod about Jesus because his plan was to kill the baby. So the three men wisely took a different path. Meanwhile, Jesus, Mary and Joseph escaped to Egypt.

The Feast of Epiphany is celebrated on January 6, the twelfth day after December 25, symbolizing the end of the 12 days of Christmas. Eastern Orthodox Christians have historically celebrated Christmas on January 6.

The website where I found out about this event listed a calendar for 2008--however, it did state this was a yearly event held on the 6th. If the event's been discontinued, Olvera street is still a cool place to hang out, with great restaurants and boutique shops.

If you go, let me know how busy the event turns out to be by leaving a comment on the blog. I'll do my best to check it out too.