Three Kings' Day
- noun
- /θri kɪŋz deɪ/
:
Día de Reyes
- In Spain and Latin America, Three Kings' Day is celebrated with parades and feasts.
Examples
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Children often leave shoes out to be filled with treats on Three Kings' Day.
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Many families exchange gifts on Three Kings' Day instead of Christmas.
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Many families celebrate Three Kings' Day with special meals.
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On Three Kings' Day, children often receive gifts.
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In Spain and Latin America, Three Kings' Day is celebrated with parades and feasts.
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Children often leave shoes out to be filled with treats on Three Kings' Day.
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Many families exchange gifts on Three Kings' Day instead of Christmas.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A Christian festival on January 6 that celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus
1
1.4
A Christian festival marking the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus
A Christian festival twelve days after Christmas to remember the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus
A day twelve days after Christmas when Christians remember the visit of the three wise men
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'three', 'kings' and 'day' can readily infer this is a day associated with three kings (i.e., a holiday), so the basic compositional meaning is accessible. However, the specific religious/cultural sense (the visit of the Magi / Epiphany and its timing) is culturally specific and not fully derivable from the words alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Three Kings' Day comes from the story of the three kings, called 'wise men', who followed a bright star to find baby Jesus and bring 'gifts'. That's why people celebrate on the day with parades, treats, and giving presents to remember that 'visit'.