The kitchen of El Tapatío supermarket, in Norcross, was a flurry of activity on Jan. 6. Jorge Cortés was right in the middle of the action, baking more than 200 roscas, or sweet bread adorned with dried and candied fruits, since the early morning hours, all in preparation for King’s Day.

Known in Spanish as Día de Reyes, this date marks a traditional holiday celebrated throughout Latin America in which everyone awaits the arrival of the biblical Three Kings, who, according to tradition, come bearing gifts for children. Just as little ones in other parts of the world eagerly set out milk and cookies for Santa Claus, children in countries that celebrate King’s Day leave boxes filled with grass and bowls of water for the Wise Men’s camels.

Another popular tradition that accompanies this holiday, particularly in Mexico, is the cutting of the rosca cake, the same dessert that Cortés labored over with such dedication.

While the baker cut, weighed and rolled the bread into perfect form, he shared how this famous pastry has been an important part of his life. When he was seven, Cortés learned how to make roscas in order to help his father at his bakery in Mexico.

“As a child I didn’t really like it, because I wanted to go out and play with the presents that the Kings had brought, and in my house that’s not how it was, I had to work. But thanks to that, now I like my job,” said Cortés.

Growing tradition

When Gina Espinosa, a public relations executive, arrived in Georgia 17 years ago, it was no easy feat to find roscas, which play such a pivotal role in the celebration of King’s Day. Nowadays, however, even Walmart sells them.

“You find the product more and more in grocery stores and bakeries because the demand is there, which shows that there has been in increase in the Mexican population, who consumes this product,” explained Espinosa.

The traditional celebration of the rosca de reyes comes from Catholicism. Inside the sweet bread little figurines are inserted that symbolize the baby Jesus. Each member of the family cuts a piece of the bread and whoever gets the slice with the figurine must host a party, complete with tamales and other traditional Mexican dishes, on Feb. 2, in honor of Día de la Candelaria.

For many Mexicans, such as Elizabeth Mendoza, the purpose of this celebration is to bring family together. For the Marietta resident, who has lived in Georgia for 14 years, she never misses the holiday.

“It’s a little difficult, because sometimes our own people have lost the tradition, but we always try to keep it present, and we don’t see it so much as a tradition, but rather as a closeness to celebrate as a family,” said Mendoza.

For Cortés, the ability to make roscas is more than just a way to make a living; it represents an opportunity to keep alive, from a distance, an important tradition of his family and country, something the baker did not anticipate doing when he first immigrated to the United States.

“It’s something important and satisfying to me, to maintain the traditions of the rosca de reyes, for them to not be lost,” said Cortés. “This should continue for generations.”