The 12th celebration of “Three Kings Day” (“El Dia de Los Reyes”) will be held, starting at 2 p.m. Jan. 7, ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, Bethlehem.

“Three Kings Day” is a religious and cultural tradition of many Latin American nations.

The ArtsQuest event is presented by PPL, media partner La Mega and supporting sponsor, B. Braun Medical, Inc. The event is free and open to the public.

The story of the Three Kings will be read followed by gift-giving. There will be activities for children and families, including arts and crafts; a visit with Einstein the Snow Camel; music performances, and 2:30 and 4:15 p.m. skating sessions at the Ice-Skating Rink.

Food for purchase prepared by volunteers from Holy Infancy Church will be available.

“Growing up in Bethlehem with Puerto Rican parents, the Christmas holiday season always included many festivities with family and friends where we celebrated joyfully by singing and dancing to ‘parranda’ music, eating traditional Puerto Rican meals and most importantly making sure the young children received gifts and or treats,” said Myrna Rivera, member of the ArtsQuest Board of Trustees and Chair of the Latin Programming Committee.

“We continue to share these traditions with our children during the Three Kings celebration at ArtsQuest to ensure these holiday traditions are preserved for generations to come,” Rivera said.

“Growing up in South Bethlehem, I always felt lucky because not only did we get to celebrate Christmas, we also celebrated ‘El Dia de los Reyes.’ For a kid, it was the best of both worlds,” said Lissette Santana, PPL Senior Manager Corporate Responsibility.

“I’m grateful to ArtsQuest for including this special Latine tradition in its exciting lineup of holiday celebrations,” Santana said.

“PPL is proud to support ArtsQuest’s Three Kings Day and share this special cultural tradition with a new generation of children in our community,” said Santana.

Three Kings Day, known as Epiphany or Theophany, is a Christian feast day in celebration, according to belief, of the revelation of God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Three Kings Day marks the end of the festivity-filled “12 Days of Christmas” from Spain to Chile to Mexico that commemorates the story of the journey of the Three Wise Men or Magi from the East, named Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, to Bethlehem to present the newly-born Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

“I was born and raised in Puerto Rico,” said Miguel Perez, ArtsQuest Performing Arts Board Member and B. Braun Medical Inc. Senior Demand Planner. “The Three Kings Day has always been part of my upbringing during the Christmas festivities. It was a day of true celebration with family and neighbors, singing ‘parranda’-style music, sharing traditional Puerto Rican dishes and, of course, presents.

“I remember collecting grass in a shoe box to feed the camels as they would spend the eve of Epiphany Day delivering toys to each home. I share the cultural value of this tradition today with my daughters,” Perez said.

“Recognizing the importance of this day to our growing Latin community, ArtsQuest celebrates this deeply-rooted Latin America tradition to ensure all children attending this event receives toys and or treats while providing a close-to-home experience with typical food, music, storytelling and comradery for this and future generations,” said Perez.

Tickets: christmascity.org

Information: steelstacks.org.