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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl tells Jack about the Mexican holiday 3 Kings Day.
Transcript:
00:00:01
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and today I’m here with my co-host social. And this is a new kind of episode that I like to call, topic talks and so social. What is today’s topic or the topic talk?
00:00:20
Xochitl
Uh, today’s topic tag is a cultural holiday tradition called 3 Kings Day, and it’s a holiday celebrated on January 6th and we celebrate in Mexico and I’m not sure if we celebrate it in other places of Latin America, but it celebrates when the three kings visited the baby Jesus.
00:00:41
Xochitl
You brought gifts. So in Mexico you don’t actually get your gifts on Christmas and stuff you. I mean, you can, but you usually get your gifts on three Kings Day.
00:00:52
Jack
Ohh really you get?
00:00:53
Jack
Your your gifts on three Kings Day for not not.
00:00:58
Xochitl
Yeah, I mean, I got.
00:01:00
Xochitl
Gifts both days growing up, I split, split them up like between Christmas and three Wednesday.
00:01:09
Xochitl
But traditionally in Mexico, you do get your gifts on three Kings Day so.
00:01:16
Jack
And and this also we should let our listeners know, this is like a this is from the the Christian Bible. The idea that on the on I guess it was when when Christ was Jesus was born.
00:01:31
Jack
Barn 3 Kings presented him with gifts, right? Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
00:01:42
Jack
Is that what it?
00:01:42
발표자
Yeah, yeah.
00:01:42
Jack
Is OK alright. I don’t know what Murray is. Actually, I don’t know what frankincense is either, but.
00:01:47
Xochitl
Frankincense is a type of like it’s a it’s like a potpourri, or like an incense type of thing. It’s a smell. I’ve smelled it before. It’s kind of it smells kind of like minty.
00:01:55
Jack
OK. OK. OK.
00:02:02
Xochitl
But look really sweet. I don’t know.
00:02:03
Jack
That’s nice. Oh, OK. OK. Frank, it’s. I mean, it kind of sounds like frankincense kind of sounds like some kind of incense. You know, like it comes to the word incense, but, but murder?
00:02:03
Xochitl
How to?
00:02:05
Xochitl
It is nice.
00:02:13
Xochitl
Right, yeah.
00:02:16
Xochitl
Yeah, I don’t know what that one is.
00:02:19
Xochitl
I’ll be honest.
00:02:19
Jack
What is that? OK. All right. Have no idea if you know what Mer is. Please let us know. Send us.
00:02:20
Xochitl
I have no.
00:02:21
Xochitl
I don’t have that one.
00:02:24
Xochitl
An e-mail leave us a comment.
00:02:29
Xochitl
Or time in the we chat or.
00:02:30
Xochitl
WhatsApp groups, but uh.
00:02:32
Xochitl
Yeah. So what we do typically is that we exchange gifts on this day kind of like you would for Christmas and then we.
00:02:42
Xochitl
Cut up the roska, which is a three kings cake or King’s cake. Kind of like Mardi Gras where you have.
00:02:48
Xochitl
King’s cake it’s.
00:02:49
Xochitl
A similar kind of consistency. It’s flavored with orange and anise seed.
00:02:55
Xochitl
And it has, like marzipan and cherries and candied orange peels. UM on the top.
00:03:04
Xochitl
And the very interesting.
00:03:05
Jack
Ohh nice.
00:03:06
Xochitl
Yeah, it is really tasty. I had two pieces, but the really interesting part about this pastry, it’s shaped like a ring and everyone cuts their own peace. And if you get there’s three plastic baby jesuses inside the.
00:03:24
Xochitl
The cake and if you get a baby Jesus on February 2nd, you have to make tomorrow’s for every.
00:03:32
Jack
Oh, really? OK.
00:03:36
Jack
Did you get a baby Jesus?
00:03:38
Xochitl
No, I I have a few tricks up.
00:03:40
Xochitl
My sleeve Jack. So.
00:03:42
Jack
Nobody wants.
00:03:42
Jack
A baby Jesus. You don’t want a baby Jesus.
00:03:45
Xochitl
You don’t want a baby Jesus because then you have to make tomorrow and no one wants to make tamales. So I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I use to avoid the baby. Jesuses #1 is.
00:03:57
Xochitl
The riskiest part is when you’ve cut your first piece of cake, you’re pretty much.
00:04:02
Xochitl
It’s just your luck on luck.
00:04:04
Jack
You got you go.
00:04:04
Jack
Left or you go right. I mean that’s it, right? I mean, right.
00:04:07
Xochitl
Yeah, you have no pretty much no.
00:04:12
Xochitl
Say you kind of want to be in the middle.
00:04:14
Xochitl
Of the pack because.
00:04:18
Xochitl
If you are the first person to cut, you have no idea. And if you’re the last person to cut, then unless everyone else magically got a baby Jesus, which is very unlikely, then you’re running out of space. You know what I mean? Like.
00:04:31
Xochitl
You’re running out.
00:04:32
Xochitl
Of real estate there. So it’s likely that you’re getting a baby Jesus, but if you’re.
00:04:36
Xochitl
Somewhere in the middle of the pack.
00:04:37
Xochitl
If someone just got a baby, the best time to go is.
00:04:39
Xochitl
If someone just got a baby.
00:04:41
Jack
Yeah, go right next to their their baby Jesus because.
00:04:45
Xochitl
Thanks. Yeah.
00:04:46
Jack
There’s not going to be two.
00:04:47
Jack
Baby Jesus, next to each other, right?
00:04:49
Xochitl
Yeah, they’re not right next to each other. So I mean, when I used to make it, sometimes I put them.
00:04:53
Xochitl
Next to each other.
00:04:56
Jack
You trick people, OK?
00:04:57
Xochitl
Yeah, but you don’t know where.
00:05:01
Xochitl
You don’t know where you they are. Even if you baked it, because once you bake it, you bake it with the baby.
00:05:05
Xochitl
Juice inside by.
00:05:06
Xochitl
The way I know that can’t be good for you.
00:05:09
Xochitl
But or maybe?
00:05:09
Jack
That can’t be good, that those those are forever plastic chemicals, you know, so.
00:05:14
Xochitl
I know, but yeah. But you.
00:05:16
Xochitl
Forget by the time it’s ready where you put the baby Jesus. So it’s like you.
00:05:22
Xochitl
That’s the best time is what right after someone got a baby Jesus.
00:05:26
Xochitl
The other thing the other way that.
00:05:28
Xochitl
I avoid it is.
00:05:30
Xochitl
If you already got a baby dude so you can eat as many slices as you want because getting the 2nd baby juices doesn’t make you have to make more tamales.
00:05:37
Jack
No, it’s you’re already. You’re already done anyway. You’re you’re you’ve lost already, so.
00:05:38
Xochitl
Well, it’s.
00:05:43
Xochitl
I just avoid a second slice until everyone has already.
00:05:47
Xochitl
Gotten a baby Jesus? Like if they’ve already found three baby jesuses, then I can have as many slices as I want, but I tend.
00:05:53
Xochitl
To hold out until that point.
00:05:55
Jack
OK.
00:05:56
Jack
OK.
00:05:57
Jack
What about? I’m just, I’m just brainstorming here, but what if?
00:06:00
Jack
You cut really slowly.
00:06:03
Jack
And then you feel the plastic, you know, baby Jesus kind of touch the knife.
00:06:10
Jack
But you can feel which side the the baby Jesus is on.
00:06:14
Jack
And then you cut the other go. The other way is that does that count? Or if you touch the baby Jesus with the knife, does that mean you you’re now making tamales for everybody?
00:06:25
Xochitl
Yes, because if you even if it peeks out, like even if you slice didn’t have any, if you can see it when you cut it, like if it’s in the then it’s yours.
00:06:34
Jack
Oh, OK, OK. So you.
00:06:36
Xochitl
Put it with the knife and you like moved your knife because you felt it. Everyone would. Everyone’s watching you cut. So everyone be like you felt it. So you’re making it tomorrow. Like they don’t care. But I’ll be really dirty. Trick that I used to have up my sleeve when I was a kid. Is that when everyone was distracted? I would. It’s like a.
00:06:54
Jack
You would poke a toothpick in there.
00:06:57
Xochitl
No, I would pick it up and look at the bottom because you can see the.
00:07:00
Xochitl
Holes where they put the baby juices in.
00:07:04
Jack
So you would know exactly where not to OK.
00:07:08
Xochitl
Yeah, we’re not to cut. And just, like, make a mental note of it. That was when I was younger I.
00:07:12
Xochitl
Tried not to be that unfair.
00:07:14
Jack
Yeah, that’s some serious cheating right there. But yeah, you must be making tamales. Must be really awful. Must must be.
00:07:21
Xochitl
It’s not awful, but it’s a lot of work, like no one to do it because you have to sit around. It’s like an all day of Fair like you have to make the dough. You gotta boil the pork. You have to make the sauce. So that goes in there like you have. There’s so many components to the ceiling and then you have to wrap each individual tomorrow. And you have to steam them in a pot, then you’re done.
00:07:24
Jack
OK, OK.
00:07:41
Xochitl
So it’s like all the affair.
00:07:43
Xochitl
So just no one.
00:07:43
Jack
I love tamales though. Ohh my gosh.
00:07:46
Jack
They’re so good.
00:07:47
Xochitl
I’m actually not a fan.
00:07:48
Xochitl
Of tamales either actually. So that’s like.
00:07:50
Jack
Really. Ohh like that? I don’t I.
00:07:52
Jack
Think I like them.
00:07:54
Xochitl
More little ones with banana like that are wrapped in banana leaves. I do love those, but other other ones. I’m not a huge fan of. Yeah. So that’s kind of the the big thing is like the excitement about whether you’re gonna find a baby Jesus or not.
00:08:08
Xochitl
And do you have like hot cocoa or, you know, you drink it with like hot cocoa usually?
00:08:13
Xochitl
Because it’s not a super sweet. It’s like it’s kind.
00:08:15
Xochitl
Of a sweet.
00:08:16
Xochitl
Bread, pastry kind of thing, but it’s not very sweet. It’s not like American pastries.
00:08:21
Xochitl
Where it’s like.
00:08:21
Xochitl
A mouthful of sugar. It’s like a.
00:08:22
Jack
Right, right, right. Yeah.
00:08:23
Xochitl
Very light beef bread.
00:08:25
Xochitl
So you dip it in your hot chocolate to complement it.
00:08:29
Xochitl
UM.
00:08:31
Xochitl
And that’s kind of how you do it you.
00:08:33
Xochitl
Know so.
00:08:34
Jack
Sun right, actually.
00:08:36
Xochitl
Yeah, it is really nice. I actually do, really.
00:08:38
Xochitl
Enjoy it and.
00:08:40
발표자
Like did you?
00:08:40
Jack
Guys stretch out the holiday season even a little bit farther.
00:08:43
Xochitl
Oh, ohhh yeah, we’re bad in Mexico. If you if you whenever. If you ever moved to Mexico or go travel to Mexico or something. Everything. I mean, except businesses, some businesses and stuff, but any kind of like paperwork, anything like that is shut down completely from like December through the end of January.
00:09:05
Xochitl
December starts Posadas all the way until December 24th. Posadas are like.
00:09:10
Xochitl
When you know.
00:09:11
Xochitl
How Mary and Joseph asked for a place to stay like they asked for refuge, I guess.
00:09:17
Jack
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:18
Xochitl
So you go around knocking. I told you about this before.
00:09:21
Xochitl
But you go.
00:09:22
Xochitl
Around knocking door.
00:09:22
Xochitl
To door and you like get hot chocolate and there’s like party. It’s like a part.
00:09:26
Xochitl
Every night up until Christmas Eve. Then you party on Christmas. Then it’s like you have New Year’s. Then you have they smuggle. But January 6. And then there’s still more stuff that you’re doing up until February 2nd, where you have the people come back and have the tamales.
00:09:47
Jack
I love it. I love it. Months of celebrations? Yeah, that’s.
00:09:48
Xochitl
So it’s just a party all through December and January.
00:09:54
Xochitl
It’s like doing some partying. Yeah, yeah.
00:09:57
Jack
I like it. I like it.
00:09:59
Xochitl
Very festive culture, which is something I appreciate and something a lot of.
00:10:03
Xochitl
People like but.
00:10:04
Xochitl
A lot of people aren’t prepared for it when they move their full time because they get angry because they’re like, why are there fireworks waking me up at 2:00 AM every night? It’s like, well, they’re.
00:10:13
Xochitl
Part people are partying cause it’s like a patron, St’s birthday or some kind of holiday. It’s like pretty much every week there’s a holiday of some sort.
00:10:22
Jack
Right. It’s the day before the day before the three Kings Day. And it’s the day after, you know? Yeah.
00:10:23
Xochitl
And they’re not all set.
00:10:28
Xochitl
Right.
00:10:29
Xochitl
Yeah, they after this. So it’s kind of like it’s a big celebratory culture and a lot of people enjoy that. But again, they’re not really like ready for it because it’s a lot of.
00:10:41
Xochitl
Community and like in America, we’re so individualistic and we’re so reserved and we don’t like loud noises and we’re very bothered by.
00:10:51
Xochitl
Those couple things and like it’s something that I feel like a lot of Americans are really not prepared for when they move to Mexico. I see so many complaints on expat groups like why are people putting on fireworks? My poor dog is scared. I’m scared. I don’t like the noise. I can’t.
00:11:07
Xochitl
Sleep and like it’s.
00:11:08
Xochitl
Just that’s how it is here.
00:11:11
Xochitl
I guess that it is better. Yeah, or. Yeah. But it’s like not going to change anytime soon because it’s just part of the culture, a huge part.
00:11:11
Jack
Yeah, accept it or leave God love it.
00:11:15
Jack
Leave it.
00:11:21
Xochitl
Of the culture so.
00:11:23
Xochitl
Yeah. All right. Well, listeners, if you’ve ever heard about 3 Kings Day or similar holiday share, share your experiences with us at A-Z, englishpodcast.com, leave a comment down below. Shoot us an e-mail at AZ englishpodcast@gmail.com join our WhatsApp.
00:11:40
Xochitl
Group or WeChat?
00:11:41
Xochitl
Group and we’ll see you guys next time.
00:11:43
발표자
Bye bye.
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