3 Wise Men Day

We put out our shoes last night so the 3 Wise Men could come and give us a gift (that is, if we were good). I guess we were all really good this year because we all had a gift on our shoes. I didn't take a picture this year (Alexa might have been embarrassed).
Rich got some new jeans, I got a new perfume and the baby got a cute stuffed turtle, Alexa got a new bra (well you know those Wise Men, they are very practical and that is what she wanted), Alex got a new Hot Wheels ramp (to connect to the ones they got for Christmas, Max and Alex are having a blast with them), and Max got a new transformer.

Last year I said I was going to learn more about this tradition but I didn't learn too much more. It is a South American and European tradition called the 12 days of Christmas that starts on Christmas (not before like we sometimes do it). On the last night of the celebration, Jan 5th (I am not sure what goes on the rest of the time) the 3 Wise Men come to bring 3 gifts (oops) one from each of them to all the good girls and boys. It is baby Jesus who gives the gift on Christmas day and Rich's mom said that they were always more excited about 3 Wise Men day than Christmas. The twelfth day after Christmas (Jan 6th) was when the 3 Wise Men visited Jesus and that is what the celebration is all about.

I just googled it and it says that traditionally you are supposed to write a letter to the 3 Magi and tell them about your behavior over the last year (even though they already know) and then you leave the letter on your slippers or shoes and then they come into the house and read the letters and decide whether or not to leave gifts. That's how they do it in Spain.