Photo: Jacqueline García/La Opinión / Impremedia
On Thursday morning Frida Noriega arrived at the bakery area of her local supermarket in South Los Angeles to grab her traditional rosca de reyes.
Noriega, who was accompanied by her 2-year-old and 1-year-old children, said that this bagel was to eat that day and this Friday they would buy another to officially celebrate Three Kings Day.
The millennial assured that at home they enjoy tasting the bagel and since it is only for a short season, they buy it more than once. Now a mother of three children, she said that she would like to share the tradition of the rosca with them.
“I was born here but my parents are from Sinaloa [México] and since I was a girl they always bought the rosca,” said Noriega. “We always like to see who wins the monkey and has to make tamales.”
In her family she does not believe that the tradition dies since they are deeply rooted in their culture and proudly share it with the younger generations.
Alma Cruz also arrived at the Northgate González supermarket accompanied by her 19-year-old daughter Itzel Rivera, who immediately walked to the bagels and took one.
Cruz, who has four adult children and one grandson, said she is very happy to see that this tradition that she brought from her native Colima, Mexico continues in her family now, even with the little ones.
For his part, Rivera said that it is very nice to share time with the family and the king cake is a good excuse to do so. In particular, he said that he does not like to remove the white doll, which represents the child God, in his bagel slice, but it is very funny to see the face of the one who wins it.
According to tradition, whoever wins it is the one who makes tamales for Candlemas Day on February 2.
Jonathan, 23, and Andrea, 18, were also shopping at the supermarket. They are both Central Americans and they said that they do not celebrate Three Kings Day or buy rosca because it is not very traditional in their countries.
“It’s like a religion thing but not everyone celebrates it,” Jonathan said. “But for me it’s like any bread.”
And a short distance away, Mrs. Isabel Carmona chose a large bagel and was undecided whether to bring a small one or not. She said that the big one is to take to a group of children in Tijuana, Mexico. But since she wasn’t going to be home this January 6th she was considering leaving one of hers for her adult children to share with her grandchildren.
“Well, in the house I am the one who is bringing the tradition, this is the first time that I am going to be away from home for the celebration,” said Carmona.
She explained that for her it is very nice to share the bagel with coffee or hot chocolate and thus talk about the traditions that continue despite being in another country.
Thousands of threads to sell
In the Northgate González supermarket, tradition has been increasing in recent years. Salvador Pérez, supervisor of the bakery, said that for him this is a pleasant date since it reminds him of his childhood.
“I have been celebrating the tradition since I was a child with my family and I like it because we live together and then the joy of seeing what the wise men were going to bring us,” said Pérez.
He indicated that once he had his two children, both born in the United States, he also began to share the tradition of the rosca and the wise men.
Pérez estimated that almost 4,000 rosca de reyes are sold in that specific supermarket per season.
tradition of generations
The pastor of the San Patricio Church in North Hollywood, Nicolas Sánchez, said that he has noticed that in his community the first and second generation are more attached to traditions including the rosca de reyes and the wise men.
“The third would not ensure it so much, we notice it in the festivities that are Epiphany and Candlemas,” said the parish priest. “As on the Day of Candlemas there are many people who bring their child God to bless him and if the tradition is maintained and they take his children”
However, he added that possibly those who have already been born here do not take their children as much.
“It’s like they are moving away even though they have experienced it as children in their homes,” said the parish priest.
When it comes to the rosca de reyes, the parish priest Sánchez said that whenever it comes to marketing something it is good but it is also nice to know its history.
Sánchez explained that the bagel is remembering when the wise men from the East went to adore the baby Jesus. The thread symbolizes the crown of kings with caramelized fruits representing diamonds as well as the multicolored gifts of God’s grace. The roundness of the bagel also represents the infinite love of God.
One or more children are hidden in the bagel. These represent how Mary and Joseph had to hide the baby Jesus so that King Herod would not kill him.
“The knife comes as a threat from Herod and by breaking the bagel that the child falls into, he has to later be the host of the party, distributing the tamales and atole as a way of paying the consequences,” explained the priest.
This party is on February 2 or Candlemas Day which is a way to continue uniting families in traditions for generations.