What is that cake for???

Yesterday I went to my local store to get our annual Three Kings' Day Cake. I accidentally got two instead of one because I read my mom's note wrong! Oh well, double the cake. (;

When I got to the check out counter the cashier said, "Hey you got a King Cake!" He went on to tell me that his family gets the cake as well and almost every year he gets the Baby Jesus that is hidden inside and has to host the party the next year. (Such is the tradition of the cake.) Another cashier came over and asked, "What is that cake?" I got to tell her that cake is about when the Wise Men visited the child Jesus - that they didn't actually visit Jesus on the night He was born, it took them around 2 years to have their divine appointment with the child-king. She said, "Oh" and then went back to work.

Have you ever heard of/celebrated Three Kings' Day before, or is this your first time hearing about it? I am glad that our family celebrates this day, January 6th. If you don't know about this special day let me tell you about it!

It is interesting that we celebrate the Kings/Wise Men visiting Jesus' home 12 days after Christmas (the celebration of Jesus' birth) when we have all seen movies, Christmas cards and books with the Wise Men coming before Jesus the night He was born. I've got to tell you we have been misinformed. Not only have we been misinformed that there were actually 3 kings - the number could have been greater, it's also wrong info that they visited Jesus on the same night the shepherds who had been out watching their sheep visited the newborn king.

 7 Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9 After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 They were very happy and excited to see the star.11 The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11

Notice that Herod, who was king of Judah at the time, asked when was the exact time the Wise Men first saw the star. Also notice how Jesus is called a child. While in Luke, which tells of Jesus' birth, He is called a baby.

10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
13 Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying,
14 “Praise God in heaven,
    and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.”
15 The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. 17 When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child. Luke 2:10-17

On the morning of Three Kings' Day my brother and I check our stockings or shoes for gifts left by the Three Kings. Later in the day while eating our supper and having the Three Kings' Day cake for dessert we talk about the Wise Men seeking out the child-king to worship him. When we were younger we read about the Wise Men's visit out of the Bible (Matthew 2). There have been years when we have had a time of worship too - singing songs to our King Jesus.

The focus of this holiday is worship. Our King Jesus is worthy of our honor and praise! As we come into the new year having this holiday reminds us of our beautiful King who is no longer a baby in a manger but King over all.

Pretty much every year when I go to purchase our cake someone asks what it is for and I have the opportunity to tell them more about Jesus. This cake opens a door where you can witness to others and tell them about our Lord. I am thankful for another special day to worship the Savior and magnify His name!

While looking for info of Dia de los Reyes/Three Kings' Day, I found a neat article that gives you a great description of the holiday that I've linked here:
three-kings-day-celebration-history-and-traditions-behind-el-dia-de-los-reyes