Early in the morning of January 6, the Reyes Magos visit homes throughout Latin America. The night of the 5th, children leave out a pair of shoes, accompanied by plates of water and grass for the kings’ camels. In the morning, their wondering eyes find the water and grass have been consumed, and the kings have left gifts for the children.

When my wife was growing up in Argentina, Santa Claus was no big deal, certainly no rival for the Kings. Children might get a gift or two at Christmas, but el Día de los Reyes was the big day. Some of our friends who were missionaries in Argentina, told of getting in trouble their first year in Argentina. With the dollar being very weak, they had to struggle to come up with Christmas presents for their kids. Then the kids came home in January saying that their friends were all getting presents from the kings; what would the kings bring them? Oops!

One touching story I heard in Argentina was from a woman in a poor area outside the city of Córdoba. She told of how as a child she asked her mom why the kings didn’t visit their house. Her mother explained that the camels couldn’t cross the river; that’s why the kids on the other side of the river got presents, while the kids on their side didn’t. Now there’s a creative mom dealing with a tough situation!

Now I see that Walmart and others are advertising toys for “Kings Day.” I guess the influence of culture on culture goes both ways.

Feliz Día de los Reyes.