Spanish Celebrate Epiphany with Roscon de Reyes - Twelfth Night Bread

Dia de Reyes or Three kings Day is Coming! Will you find the baby?

Roscon de Reyes is a traditional holiday dessert, served the night before or morning of “Reyes” or Epiphany, January 6th. Dia de Reyes or simply called Reyes nowadays by most everyone is the day when children in Spain receive their gifts from the Reyes Magos – Wise Men or Magi. Those are the three kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. In Spain, the Reyes Magos bring the gifts, not Santa Claus.

So, what's so special about the roscon? Well, there are usually surprises inside the roscon. Traditionally, the baker wraps a porcelain figure of a baby in aluminum foil and a haba or dry bean and places them in the dough just before baking. Whoever finds the baby in their piece will have good luck and be the king of the party, while whoever finds the haba must pay for the roscon. In Spanish, the saying is: “Si es el haba lo encontrado, el Roscon pagaras; mas si ello es la figura, coronado y Rey seras…”

• Roscon de Reyes - Twelfth Night Bread

About's Guide to Spain for Visitors writes about Christmas in Spain, including Three King's Day.

_{Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

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