What Exactly Do People Celebrate on Three Kings Day?

Jan. 7, 2013— -- While Santa Claus might be on vacation in Hawaii (or Cuba!) resting up after his big holiday, some children were still waiting for their presents in January - delivered by the Three Kings.

Three Kings' Day, an important Christmas holiday in Spain and several Latin America countries, takes place annually on January 6th, and according to the Bible, marks the end of the Wise Men's 12-day journey to pay tribute to Jesus in Bethlehem to shower him with gifts.

Instead of leaving milk and cookies beside the tree, children typically leave grass and water under their beds to feed the kings' camels, in hopes the kings return the favor with gifts of their own.

In places like Spain and Mexico, los Reyes Magos - Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar - are also celebrated with a traditional sweet bread called roscón or rosca de reyes, in which a figurine is baked in it (luck is granted to the person who finds it - or conversely, that person needs to host a dinner on el Dia de la Candelaria, on February 2nd.)

Three Kings traditions vary from country to country and from community to community. We went out to the streets of Manhattan to ask New York City residents and visitors gathered to watch the Three Kings Day Parade in Spanish Harlem some important questions: Who are the Three Kings? What do they bring? And how is this holiday really celebrated? We even bumped into the infamous Ms. Colombia there...and the Three Kings themselves.