Librarians Jeffrey Panettiere, Arthur Volanth, and Mercedes MacAlpine dressed as the Three Kings, with Alfredo Rosa, Victoria Rosa, Keisy Rosa, and Luis David Espinal Peralta.
Biblical royalty appeared on Washington Avenue Thursday bearing gifts — and hope for hard times.
Coral Ortiz Photo
Books about Hispanic culture at Wilson branch.
Underneath their costumes, the Three Kings were librarians Jeffrey Panettiere, Arthur Volanth, and Mercedes MacAlpine. They brought toys and books to the Wilson Branch Library at a celebration of Three Kings Day.
Because of the current Covid-19 surge, the library decided to keep the event outdoors. “We rescheduled a bomba dance group known as Movimiento Cultural to March.” said Branch Manager Meghan Currey. Otherwise the event came off as plannned from 1 to 2:30 p.m., as 128 kids collected their gifts with smiles on their faces.
Jimenez Rumbo's sister Sophia Rumbo
Three Kings Day is a holiday celebrated across Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe. The holiday derives from the Christian traditional feast day of Epiphany. One of the children at the event, Jimena Rumbo, described Three Kings Day as a day to “celebrate three wise men that gave gifts to baby Jesus.”
Maricruz Carmona and Sabrina Sterling collecting Three Kings gifts.
Maricruz Carmona and her daughter Sabrina Sterling came excited to celebrate one of their favorite holidays. Sabrina spoke about why it’s so important to celebrate it: “I think it’s unique because other cultures don’t celebrate it … It’s the thing that brings Hispanics together.
Luis David Espinal Peralta showcasing toys he received.
“Mom, look I have a dinosaur, and I love dinosaurs!” 8‑year-old Luis David Espinal Peralta exclaimed as he opened his gifts along with his three siblings. The gifts he others received came from donors including the Peabody Museum and City Seed. Besides the dinosaurs, gifts included bilingual cookbooks.
Luis’ mother, Yohaira Peralta, chimed in: “Siempre celebramos los dias de los tres reyes. Es una manera de pasar la cultura.” (“We always celebrate Three Kings Day. It’s a way to pass down culture.”) Peralta found out about the event through her daughter’s teacher at Hill Central School.
Maria Barrios' children with their gifts.
“We’ve been doing this for six years. It’s the big event we’ve been doing,” said one of the organizers, librarian Melissa Meagher. Meagher discussed plans to celebrate other events, like the lunar holiday and Juneteenth, within libraries around New Haven.