Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Members of Youngstown Rayen Early College’s Raices Latinas group perform a dance at Friday’s annual Three Kings Day celebration in the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana’s social hall in Youngstown. Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany, was Saturday.

By SEAN BARRON

Correspondent

YOUNGSTOWN — A longtime gathering at the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana center could perhaps be best summed up by the numbers: three colorfully dressed wise men, six dancers and an estimated 120 joy-filled children and their families.

“I’ve had this group for a year and a half. I’ve been dancing on and off for many years,” Marines Ramos said during Friday evening’s Three Kings Day celebration at the OCCHA social hall, 3660 Shirley Road, on the South Side.

Ramos, a Youngstown Rayen Early College Spanish teacher, was referring to Raices Latinas, a dance troupe she directs at YREC that also was a colorful and fast-paced attraction at the two-hour gathering, at which she and five of her students performed several dances.

Sponsoring the longtime annual tradition were El Vallarta Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, Christina Rivera of Boardman-based CR Fitness and the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots, which brought toys and gifts for more than 180 children, Angelica Diaz, OCCHA’s executive director, noted.

The driving force behind the festive event was largely to celebrate and share Spanish culture, traditions, customs and heritage with the community, Diaz explained.

Ramos, who earned a doctorate degree two weeks ago in international educational leadership, brought the 10th- and 11th-grade students, who at one point wore all-white outfits and performed several cultural dance moves, including ones called Plena and Bomba, the latter of which has African origins.

The evening was filled with Christmas carols, dancing, food, festivities and gifts, courtesy of the three wise men who distributed presents to the children and their families.

Among the recipients were Genesis Moran, 7, and Kayden Johnson, 5, both of Youngstown.

Genesis, who came with her mother, Maria Mazaviego, took home a poster package and a science kit, among other things. For his part, Kayden received from the three wise men a box that contained a Super Mario Bros. game set and a series of toy monster trucks. Accompanying Kayden was his mother, Belmarys Martinez.

Saturday marked Three Kings Day, also known as the Epiphany, which dates to the fourth century and is a Christian-based feast day celebrated each Jan. 6 that marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas.

The occasion is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw the baby Jesus Christ and brought him gifts. For many, the day also is a general celebration of the manifestation of Christ’s incarnation, the commemoration of his birth, a visit from the Magi and John the Baptist baptizing Christ in the Jordan River.

In addition, Three Kings Day is celebrated in a variety of ways around the world. In Spain, for example, many children receive their Christmas gifts at that time; in Puerto Rico, children often leave boxes with hay under their beds before they go to sleep the night before so that the kings will leave them desired gifts. Many people in France prepare a la galette des rois (king’s cake) with a coin, jewel or small toy hidden in it.

Friday’s funfest also included a buffet, Christmas carols from Moises M. Diaz and his father, Moises Diaz, on acoustic guitars. Also part of the festivities were opportunities for families to take pictures with the three wise men, along with a bicycle raffle.

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