CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — People across Latin America are celebrating Three Kings Day — a tradition that honors when the three wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus.
"A part of the Puerto Rican culture. It's very important for us," Elizabeth Santos Pagan, Mother, said.
I grabbed coffee with Elizabeth Santos Pagan and her family, now living in Corpus Christi. She tells me stories from growing up celebrating Three Kings Day back on the island of Puerto Rico.
"I have a lot of memories because it was a huge day," Santos Pagan said.
In Puerto Rican culture, Three Kings Day is tied to faith, honoring the day the three wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus.
For Elizabeth, Three Kings Day is about more than presents — it's about teaching her children where they come from and keeping their faith at the center of the celebration.
"We would go outside and pick out grass to put it in shoeboxes to feed the camels and that's how we would get our presents," Eliel Perez Santos, Son, said.
Elizabeth shows me her Three Kings Day decorations — including hand-painted pillows gifted by her cousin in Puerto Rico, reminders of home and her roots.
But Three Kings Day isn't only celebrated in Puerto Rican culture. It's observed across Latin America — with each country adding its own traditions.
On the Westside, I visited La Michoacana — where Rosca de Reyes greets customers as soon as you walk in.
"Es una tradición Mexicana," Sara Muñoz, Manager, La Michoacana, said.
In Mexican culture, Rosca de Reyes, or "Kings Wreath" is a sweet bread decorated to represent the jewels of the three kings' crowns. And there's a surprise baked inside.
Whoever finds the baby Jesus figure is responsible for making tamales on February 2 or Día de la Candelaria.
I met Sara Munoz, the manager of the store.
"Buscando las roscas todo el día para celebrar con su familia en casa," Muñoz said.
She says customers come in all day — buying roscas to celebrate at home with their families. I even brought some back to the newsroom for those who celebrate.
From Puerto Rico to Mexico — and other countries in between — families here in Corpus Christi are keeping their culture alive and passing these traditions down to the next generation.
Whether it's buying Rosca de Reyes or taking time off from school and work, these traditions continue to bring families together across the Coastal Bend.
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