A Celebration Fit For Three Kings

Gisi Rodriguez and her daughter, Nayani Lopez, went on a mission: find the one post-holiday gift that Nayani, 8, would cherish for the following year.

Board games beckoned from one corner, bright-eyed dolls from another.

So mom and daughter called in reinforcements: three wise kings, who each had a toy to suggest.

Nayani’s quest took place Friday as part of Casa Otoñal​‘s annual observance of Three Kings Day. The day celebrates the the three wise men’s miraculous journey to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem, guided only by a bright, twinkling star and the intuition that they had to follow it.

Also celebrating the Feast of Epiphany, Casa staff members laid out a spread for attendees, filling their main community room with scents of sofrito and arroz con gandules.

Over two hours, close to 300 people attended, packing two rooms at the Sylvan Avenue residence and community center.

In the original story, the Three Kings — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar — present baby Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. It’s what they have, and the gift is considered weighty and symbolic — like the conception and birth of Jesus. The tradition has added food and a brightly-colored Rosca de reyes or king cake, closing out the holiday season for several Latin American families with huge celebration.

This year, the celebration took a little more planning to get off the ground, said Casa Otoñal Board President Linda Kantor. There were discussions with the local chapter of the Marine Cadet Corps, new support from the Boys & Girls Village in Milford, and a call for donations that Casa Otoñal put out in late December.

But donations started trickling in. Several members of the Board of Alders said they’d try to help out, and show up at the event to mingle with the families and seniors who had turned out. A final tally revealed that children had 600 toys to choose from, a number of which will be saved for next year’s celebration.

“The fact that we’re still able to put this on is amazing,” said Kantor.

She wasn’t the only one who thought so. When the kings — played by Casa staff members Frank Villa, José Omer, and José Mattia — began handing out teddy bears instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh, surprising kids with one extra present as they finished their lap around gift-laden tables, nobody seemed to mind. Kids took their new furry friends into their arms with delight. 

“For me, it seems like a nice gesture for people to meet other people,” Rodriguez said. ​“It’s a good thing for the community.”

“I’m very happy to be part of this,” said mom Selena Monzon (bottom left in photo collage), bouncing her 7‑month-old son Elman in her arms as he reached for a bright orange toy truck. Just a few feet away, little Othniel Kasongo picked out a tiny nerf football, and began turning it over in his hands. He smiled at Monzon, then ran back behind his mother Linda’s leg, not so emboldened by his gesture.

That kind of new community, said Executive Director Jason J Hayes, is what the celebration is going for. Especially as Casa Otoñal, reeling from budget cuts that have threatened a full day of its meal program, looks at the financial end of community impact in the year ahead.

“This strengthens ties with the community — and gives people a chance to know our building,” he said. ​“It gives people a sense that they know where to go if they need help or support.”