Just as Santa Claus is supposed to stop by at Christmas, January 6th is the Three Wise Men who come with gifts for the children. That is why it is tradition to leave them a little grass and water to feed the camels, and place the shoes so that the presents can be deposited there.
But this celebration, which today is another reason for consumption, has its origins in a religious fact: the adoration of the Child. This festival is called “Epiphany” for the Christian flock, because it is the discovery, the revelation of Jesus as the son of God.
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At dawn on January 6, the Three Wise Men leave gifts to the little ones: where does this celebration come from?
Who were the Three Wise Men?
Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar were three kings of the east, that they came to the manger where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, guided by a star. According to the gospel of Saint Matthew, Herod had sent them to tell him where he was. But while the kings they were going to worship himHerod’s intentions were to kill him.
“The star that they had seen leaving began to guide them until “He came to stand on top of where the Child was,” says the gospel. “Seeing the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. They entered the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and Falling on their knees they worshiped him; then, opening their chests, They offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh,” explains Saint Matthew.
The gifts of the kings had a special symbolic meaning: gold, royal in nature, it was a gift given to kings; the incense, divine in nature, it was used in worship; the myrrh, an embalming compound for the dead, it represented the future suffering and death of Jesus.
The party of the epiphany of the Lord remember this moment of adoration of the Three Wise Men to the child, so they only receive gifts for the boys, preferably toys. This date, although it is a religious celebration, It is not included in the official 2023 holiday calendar of the Ministry of the Interior.
For being a predominantly children’s festival, There are no large family gatherings. The most deeply rooted tradition is, in addition to gifts, the kings thread, a sweet jam decorated with polished fruits.