Three Kings Parade – 1/15/12

January 20, 2012

THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY, ALSO CALLED THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI AND IN MOST HISPANIC COUNTRIES “THE THREE KINGS DAY”, IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT CELEBRATIONS IN THE CITY OF HIALEAH. IT ALSO RANKS AS ONE OF THE TOP 5 HISPANIC EVENTS IN THE NATION! AS A CHILD, WE RECALL VIVID MEMORIES OF LEAVING GRASS AND WATER FOR THE CAMELS, A NOTE OF GOOD INTENTIONS AND YOUR SHOES OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT A GIFT WAS LEFT FOR YOU.  FOR MANY CUBAN AMERICANS, THIS WAS OUR CHRISTMAS. DECEMBER 25 WAS JUST ANOTHER DAY THAT BROUGHT US CLOSER TO THE THREE KINGS DAY ON JANUARY 6. UNFORTUNATELY FOR CUBANS ON THE ISLAND, APART FROM THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOM BEING TAKEN AWAY, THEIR RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS WERE ALSO ABOLISHED. BEFORE THE FALL OF BATISTA THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY USED TO BE A BIG CATHOLIC CELEBRATION. IN 1962 CUBA BECAME AN ATHEIST COUNTRY AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, SEVEN YEARS LATER FIDEL CASTRO CANCELLED ALL RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS ON THE ISLAND INCLUDING CHRISTMAS THE IDEA OF NOT CELEBRATING SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY STRUCK THE HEARTS OF MANY IMMIGRANTS THAT WERE IN MIAMI. WITH THAT, THE PARADE WAS BORN.

TODAY THE FEAST OF LOS TRES REYES MAGOS COMES TO LIFE WITH A BEAUTIFUL PARADE FILLED WITH FLOATS ESCORTED BY VARIOUS SOUTH FLORIDA POLICE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING SWAT TEAMS, K-9 UNITS, DETECTIVES AND POLICE MOTORCADES. THE CITY OF HIALEAH POLICE CADETS WE’RE OUT IN FULL FORCE, TOGETHER WITH THE SOUNDS OF SIRENS AND CHEERING CROWDS OF APPROXIMATELY 500,000 PEOPLE.  WHILE COLORFUL ELABORATE COSTUMES DANCED ALONG THE STREET, BEAUTY PAGEANT QUEENS LIKE ‘MISS HIALEAH’ AND ‘MISS CUBAN AMERICAN” WE’RE WAVING TO FANS, WITH DOZENS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY MARCHING BANDS FILLING THE AIR WITH THEIR SPIRITFUL MUSIC. A SPECIAL THING TO MENTION, IS THAT THE HIALEAH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND, IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE STATE AFTER WINNING THE TOP SPOT IN THE 1A DIVISION AT THE FLORIDA MARCHING BAND COALITION.  PARENTS, CHILDREN AND ADULTS OF ALL AGES WERE ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKIES AND CRISP JANUARY WEATHER, WHILE CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS CRUISED BY. THE PARADE WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES SUCH AS: 411 PAIN, CAC FLORIDA, AND BJS WHOLESALE WITH ELABORATE FLOATS. PROFESSIONAL SPORT TEAMS INCLUDING THE MIAMI HEAT AND MIAMI MARLINS, TV/RADIO PERSONALITIES SUCH AS ENRIQUE SANTOS FROM 98.3 THE MIX, POLITICIANS INCLUDING THE MAYOR OF HIALEAH CARLOS HERNANDEZ AND THE MAYOR OF SWEETWATER MANUEL “MANNY” MARONO WERE PRESENT WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THE PARADE SYMBOLIZES A MELTING POT OF HISPANIC CULTURES COMING TOGETHER IN FAITH AND PAYING HOMAGE TO A SYMBOLIC DAY FOR CATHOLICS IN MIAMI. A PARADE HELD IN A STAPLE PART OF MIAMI EMPHASIZING WHAT CUBA WAS, WHAT CUBA IS AND WHAT CUBA WILL ALWAYS BE. A COUNTRY SO RICH IN FAITH AND ITS ROOTS, THAT NO SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OR INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE THAT AWAY. A THOUGHT PROCESS THAT IS PRACTICED DAILY BY THOSE THAT LIVE, WORK AND PLAY IN THE CITY OF HIALEAH. A CITY THAT LIKE THE FEAST OF THE TRES REYES MAGOS HAS SO MUCH CULTURE..  THIS EVENT TRULY BROUGHT THE COMMUNITIES OF MIAMI DADE COUNTY TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE.

Yo Soy Hialeah