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Another Holiday?!
By Judy Morales
Need a pick-me-up after the holidays? How about another holiday?! It's January 6, The Day of the Magi. Some call it, Kings Day, others, "Little Christmas." Also, it is the 12th day of Christmas (my truelove gave to me!).
Let me share the tradition from our home. When husband Ruben was a little boy in Puerto Rico, it was customary to prepare a shoe box with luscious grasses the eve before Jan. 6. This was placed under his bed in anticipation of a hungry camel or two. Camel? Yes, the one(s) that carried the Magi or Wise Men on their way to see Jesus. Then it was off to bed to await the morning surprises.
During the night on their quest to find the Christ Child, the Wise Men would visit all the homes and have their camels satisfy themselves with the grasses, and leave thank you tokens/ gifts in the boxes.
Being a boy of poor lineage (like most boys of that day, or for that matter, most children today), Ruben would wake to delight in finding a squirt gun, some jelly beans or an orange, a cookie, some chocolate, maybe a whistle - small stuff. But what memories.
Now our children, being of the same lineage, delight in the same. I'm yearly amazed to watch them eagerly fill their boxes with onion grasses and pretty leaves. While they sleep, Ruben and I tiptoe in and retrieve the boxes, remove most of the grass, leaving a little (camels are sloppy we all know).
We give the same kinds of do-dads with a homeschool twist, new shiny pencils, etc.; also they receive their next Christmas tree ornament from Hallmark - half price after the Christmas sales! We also open any remaining gifts that we have purposely "held off"!
It has been a lovely time for us all, a tradition and another reminder of the search for the Christ Child.