The 3 kings, or reyes magos as I used to teach about in Spanish class, are an integral part of the Christmas story. As we celebrate this special time, mixed with all of the fun holiday food we make are those snacks that remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.
Matthew 2: 1 – 12 tells the story of the Magi, or wise men from the east who came to worship Jesus because they saw the star of Bethlehem shining in the sky.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The 3 magi, or 3 kings as they became popularly known, traveled and offered their gifts to baby Jesus. It is believed that their being called kings is due to Psalms 72:11, “May all kings fall down before him”.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the images that portray this story with a scene that focuses on the starry sky and the men in the forefront of the image as sillouettes. Here is an example.
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Once I found out that the animal crackers I bought from Target contained camels, I knew I had to make this snack!
To make the 3 kings snack, I started by placing the camels onto the plate. Next, I took some deli ham and rolled it into three small triangular shapes to look like the men’s robes. Next, I took one baby carrot and sliced the round edges off lengthwise so it would lay flat, and cut it into a square for the head. (I made the head square in order for the crown to look like it lays flat). Lastly, I cut a slice of cheddar cheese for the large star and the crowns. It took some patience to slice the little sections out of the top of the slice (for the points on the crowns), but the end result made it all worth it!
Oh, and the stars were made by this trusty method that I love to use:
(Sharing HERE)
