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On Wednesday Mexicans celebrated “Epiphany’s Day” or Dia de Los Reyes. It is a Christian feast to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ. It is observed in the north and west of Belize among Hispanic populations, but the city got a little dose of it today at the Mexican Cultural Institute where the media feasted on hot chocolate and cake. But not just any cake – it was Rosca de Reyes. Public Relations at the Mexican Embassy Marcelino Miranda explained.

Marcelino Miranda, PR Officer – Mexican Embassy
“It commemorates the arrival of the kings to visit baby Jesus and to bring him some presents. So during centuries in Mexico it became a very popular traidition and nowadays people bake a special bread, it is called Rosca de Reyes with Mexican hot chocolate. We had this small breakfast to have the bread and to share it with friends, with family, and at the workplace. Instead the bread there is a small figurine and if you get that figurine when you slice the bread, you will have to cook tamales on February the 2nd.”

Keith Swift,
“What is the origin of the figurine?”

Marcelino Miranda,
“It is a figurine that commemorates baby Jesus. So it is a small baby. Before it was made of sweet and now it is made of plastic but originally it was made of sweet and you had it inside the bread and it is to keep it and to remind you that on February the 2nd you have to cook tamales.

We want to share this with the Belizean media and therefore with the Belizean public because we wanted to start the year with something that is very traditional, something that is very, it is a family event and so we wanted to share it with the Belizean public.”

This year Mexico is celebrating its bicentennial anniversary and Miranda says a number of cultural events have been planned.