VINELAND -- Luis Lozano has no problem telling his two grandchildren not to visit Santa Claus at Christmastime.

He's got something better -- the Three Kings.

"I tell them they're real," the Vineland resident said outside City Hall. "They're in the Bible."

The Puerto Rican Festival of New Jersey distributed more than 2,000 gifts to local children for its annual Three Kings celebration Sunday. The holiday, celebrated in many Latin America countries each Jan. 6, commemorates the Three Kings -- also referred to as the three wise men -- who visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

The Three Kings are more celebrated figures in Latino cultures than Santa Claus in regards to Christmas, according to Leonides Negron, the event coordinator and husband of Felicita Negron, the festival's president.

"This is our Christmas," he said of the holiday. "We don't have Christmas. We have Three Kings Day."

At City Hall, men dressed as the Three Kings escorted the children, two at a time, into a room outside the City Council chambers, where each youngster selected a gift. The organization also provided music and snacks for the children.

The event, open to all children in the area, is designed to educate them about Hispanic traditions while emphasizing the religious meaning of Christmas. The festival collected gifts from several private donors and organizations.

"You get to see the smiles on their faces," said Vineland resident Tony Centeno, who dressed as one of the kings. "It's one of the most fun things we get to do."

Three Kings Day is officially celebrated Thursday. Vineland resident Noemi Velez said she will tell her children, Zahmeer and Kaila Harris, to put grass and water under their beds Wednesday night for the Three Kings' camels. In the morning, kings will replace it with gifts.

"I'm trying to instill it in them," said Velez, a native of Puerto Rico. "I'm trying to keep the tradition alive."

City Hall has hosted the event for the past 15 years. Mayor Robert Romano said officials want to continue the tradition in the city, noting some of the children only receive gifts for the holiday because of the event.