The Feast of the Three Kings will be celebrated all over Mexico next week, but nowhere with greater devotion and religious fervor than in Cajititlán de los Reyes.
Every year as many as two million visitors swarm the backwater fishing village between December 30 and January 8 for festivities dedicated to spiritual patrons Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, collectively known as Los Santos Reyes (Holy Kings).
In a spiritual context, the January 6 Día de Reyes (Epiphany) holiday commemorates the revelation of the Messiah to humankind, as symbolized by the legendary quest of the Wisemen of the Orient who tracked the star of Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn Christ Child.
Cajititlán attracts pilgrims coming from near and far to seek favors and offer thanks for blessings received through the divine graces of Santos Reyes.
In many respects, the scenario resembles patron saint festivities celebrated in other communities. Visitors encounter street vendors hawking religious trinkets, typical foods, spirits and other merchandise, along with mechanical rides, games of chance, blaring music, colorful religious processions and the constant onslaught of noisy fireworks that invariably go with the territory. In contrast, the Fiesta de Reyes highlights intriguing customs rooted in more than three centuries of history.
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