On Monday morning, three wise men will parade with camels down Park Street in Hartford to deliver gifts for children in celebration of Three Kings Day.
Celebrated predominantly by Latino families, the holiday commemorates the Epiphany at the end of the twelve days of Christmas, when three wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus.
Like in the biblical story, three wise men will be riding camels in a procession to the Arroyo Center in Pope Park, where they will distribute donated toys and gifts for children ages 1 to 10.
“We have more than 500 toys available. Right now, we have 1,200 children that have already made the registration for the day, but we are expecting more than that. We will probably receive like 2,000 children or more,” said Nilda Morales, director of El Centro Family Center and the Hispanic Senior Center.
Families will have the opportunity to take pictures with the Three Kings who are community members volunteering to be in the event, including City of Hartford Councilman Amilcar Hernandez, Morales said. They’re among approximately 40 volunteers that will be helping, she said.
Children will also have a chance to ride the camels and take part in other activities that community groups are hosting.
Morales encourages families to arrive at the procession early and to make sure children have coats on for cold weather. Any children that are not registered are still welcome to attend, she said. Gifts will be given out to children who registered first. Those that did not register for the event will start receiving gifts after noon.
Effort to mark a school holiday
The Three Kings Day celebration is happening on the heels of an announcement regarding a new bill that seeks to have schools across Connecticut recognize the holiday.
State Rep. Christopher Rosario (D-Bridgeport) recently introduced the bill in an effort to ensure that Latino kids can take part in Three Kings Day traditions without missing important classroom time.
Many schools with large Latino populations in Bridgeport, Stamford and Hartford already observe the holiday, but many in surrounding towns don’t.
“We want to make sure that the Department of Education will allow the option to other cities and towns, whether it's a rural or suburban community,” Rosario said, “and those families that do observe, allow them to celebrate without getting charged an absence.”
Morales, the parade organizer, supports the bill. It’s important for children to celebrate the traditional holidays their families observe as it’s done with any other holiday without having to worry about missing school, she said.
“It’s a holiday. It’s a tradition for us, and they need to respect that too for our children,” Morales said.
Learn more
- The Three Kings Day parade starts at 10 a.m. at 95 Park St. in Hartford
- Parade ends at the Arroyo Center at 30 Pope Park Dr. at around 11 a.m.
- Toy distribution, camel rides, and other activities will last until 1 p.m.
