Puerto Ricans are friendly, outgoing, and always looking for a reason to have fun. Visit Puerto Rico from Thanksgiving through mid-January and you’ll find the island in party mode. Of course they enjoy Christmas and the New Year, but in Puerto Rico, the really big celebration is reserved for the Festival of the Three Kings on January 6th. The festival, which has been celebrated since 1884, honors the Three Wise Men who brought gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh to the Baby Jesus. While the holiday is celebrated throughout Puerto Rico, the largest gathering is in a town on the outskirts of Ponce called Juana Díaz. People of all ages and nationalities flock to this small town to watch and participate in the festival.

The night before, the children leave hay or grass by their beds to feed the camels ridden by the Three Kings. In return, the children will find the gifts that the Three Wise Men left them, just as the Three Wise Men left gifts for the Child Jesus. After opening their gifts, the families head to Calle Comercio in downtown Juana Díaz to await the arrival of the Three Wise Men. This is actually a homecoming for the Juana Díaz Kings as they are so popular that they actually tour the entire island. Collectors are encouraged to be more than spectators. Anyone dressed as a pastor, adult, child, Puerto Rican or not, can join the parade. The parade is generally quite long, including simple shepherds and elaborate floats. The crowds wait with mounting anticipation and just when it seems they can’t wait any longer, the Three Wise Men make a grand entrance. Dressed in the finest robes of gold, blue, and red, with crowns of glittering jewels on their heads, kings make their appearance. Yet riding horses, not camels, the Three Wise Men are treated like rock stars by fans. The Kings are announced one by one, and among cheers and sometimes fainting women, they head to a huge altar set up in the Plaza. From then on, the festivities take on a more solemn tone as the Kings find the Child Jesus and the Holy Mass is celebrated.

Things don’t stay solemn for long. After the Mass, the Kings return among the maddening crowd. Although they are gone until next year, there is still a lot to do. At the edges of the Plaza, artists and artisans have set up stalls selling the best Puerto Rican crafts. If you’re hungry, there are plenty of food vendors selling drinks, ice cream, and traditional Puerto Rican food. If you get tired, you can just sit on one of the benches under the trees in the Plaza and people watch. You will not get bored.

So if you’re looking to extend your vacation season a bit longer, head to Puerto Rico and Juana Diaz. It is a festival you will never forget.