SPRINGDALE, Ark — With Rosca de Reyes stacked high, a Springdale bakery was ready for customers as many in the community participated in Three Kings Day.
Oscar Abraham Campos is the owner of Campos Family Bakery. Campos says he is continuing to provide Rosca de Reyes for the community as his father once did. Upon entering Campos Family Bakery on West Sunset in Springdale, customers were greeted with a great amount of Rosca de Reyes reaching the ceiling.
"Thanks to god, we're one of the bakeries that sell many Rosca de Reyes," Campos said. "I've noticed year after year that new generations are participating more."
Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread made in a round shape with fruits on the top. Baby dolls are hidden inside the sweet bread for the tradition. Campos explained that the Rosca de Reyes is made to symbolize the birth of Jesus and the Three Kings.
"They say the Rosca de Reyes is round because it symbolizes Jesus' Love," Campos said. "It doesn't have a beginning or an end."
"The dried fruit on the Rosca de Reyes can for some signify the grace of God. It can also signify the jewels that the kings of the East brought," Campos said. " The babies hidden inside signifies Jesus."
Blanca Guerrero stopped by the Springdale bakery to buy two Rosca de Reyes—one for her family and another to share with her coworkers. She explained that you split the bread between those participating and then find who picked the slice with the baby inside.
"Each person that gets the baby, which signifies baby Jesus, has to make and bring tamales," Guerrero explained.
Guerrero said that each person who receives a slice with a baby inside has to provide a food item for Dia de la Candelaria on Feb. 2.
"A lot of people get kind of bummed out about receiving the baby because it's like a compromise with everybody that you're supposed to do an after party ... But it's not really something bad. It's more like you're receiving blessings for that year," Dr. Lupita Jimenez said.
Dr. Jimenez stopped by the bakery to buy a Rosca de Reyes. She explained that the celebration is much bigger in Mexico and wanted to continue celebrating the tradition here.
In Mexico, Dr. Jimenez said people would pack the streets to see parades with charros and kids would write letters with their gift wish lists in balloons.
Dr. Jimenez said her family would leave their shoes at the entrance of the home and her father would drop off little wooden toys inside, symbolizing the gifts the kings dropped off for Jesus. Campos adds that some families make gift-giving bigger than Christmas itself.
"It's lovely because we remember our country and this day we don't lose that essence of our Mexico," Guerreros said.
Each state in Mexico gives different significance to the Rosca de Reyes, hence many families carry different traditions.
"At the end of the day I always say that it's the same," Campos said. "Take it as an occasion for a reunion. Drink a coffee, a hot chocolate, split the Rosca. More than anything, it's about being with family and to remember that the motive of the Rosca de Reyes is the birth of Jesus."
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