Bearing gifts, sharing toys on Three Wise Kings Day

The event, in its 22nd year, started with 350 toys given out to children and has grown each year, said Elizabeth Jovel, a Santa Rosa accountant who has helped organize it from the start. This year, she said, about 2,000 toys were handed out. The event, always held on Jan. 6, commemorates the trip to Bethlehem of the three wise men of biblical lore. In Latin America, while Christmas is also celebrated, Dia de Los Reyes is the holiday when most gifts are exchanged. On Thursday, celebrants were treated to hot chocolate and bread, including Rosca de Reyes, ring-shaped loaves with a small doll baked inside that represents the baby Jesus. Popular tradition, said Jovel, holds that "whoever gets the baby gives the party."