Three Kings Festival brings together almost 2 million in Jalisco, Mexico

Nearly two million faithful arrived in the town of Cajititlán, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, to participate in the festival of Saints Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar.

Through a post on Facebook, the government of Tlajomulco, the municipality to which Cajititlán belongs, indicated that this year the Santos Reyes festival “exceeded its attendance record with almost 2 million people.”

The Holy Kings in Cajititlán

Every year, from December 31 to January 8, hundreds of faithful and tourists gather in Cajititlán to celebrate the traditional festival of the Three Wise Men, a festival with more than 400 years of history. The celebration includes Masses, processions and, as the main event, a tour of the lake next to this town of barely 8,000 inhabitants, according to the local government website.

The residents of Cajititlán live mainly from fishing and the tourism generated by the lagoon. For this reason, according to the local government, the inhabitants are asking for “a prosperous year and a good storm for the region.”

According to the Tlajomulco authoritiesthe day after the children receive their gifts, representing the gifts that the Three Wise Men offered to the Child God after his birth, Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar “leave the temple to tour the town and are taken in canoes through the lagoon, pouring his blessings on the lake and the riverside people.”

On January 7, the journey of the Holy Kings through the main streets of the town is celebrated. The images of the Three Wise Men, accompanied by a procession, are embarked to tour the waters of the lagoon. This procession, which lasts around four hours, ends with the return of the images to their sanctuary.

land of kings

In Cajititlán, throughout the year, the images of the Three Wise Men, carved in 1587 in mesquite wood, are kept in the parish of Los Santos Reyes. According to the Tlajomulco government website, “these statues suddenly appeared in the community and, since then, have been venerated with great devotion.”

First, one of the images of the Three Wise Men arrived in Cajititlán and began to be venerated. Later, by “a miracle of the Lord, the other two images arrived, completing the trilogy of Kings that are venerated today in the parish erected in their honor.”