The Magi from the Orientalso known as the wise menwere the visitors who came to Bethlehem to adore the newborn Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel of Matthew. The names of each of these symbolic characters probably come from a later manuscript, and are Melchior Caspar and Balthazar.
That said, on January 6, Three Kings Day is celebrated in some countries around the world to remember the adoration that these three people had for the Child Jesus, who came from the East to honor and bring presents to the newborn. Next, we will tell you the story of the Three Kings, why it is celebrated and curious facts about them.
History of the Magi
In the Bible, specifically the Gospel of Saint Matthewit tells of some “wizards”, but nothing is explained about some “kings”, nor their names or the day they went, nor the number of these characters, they only report that there were three gifts that the Child received Jesus, therefore, it can be inferred that there are three individuals involved in this event.
Centuries later, these beliefs were added and have remained a popular tradition. According to the Gospel of Matthew, these visitors are looking for the King of the Jews who was born in Bethlehem.
In this passage, the story is narrated that after the Mecías was born, some “wizards” -without specifying the number- were guided by a star that would take them to the chosen manger.
It is necessary to mention that the Greek term “magós” was not exclusively to refer to “sorcerers”, since it had different meanings and in this case it refers to some “wise men”or rather, “men of science”.
However, before arriving at their destination, they visited the King Herod in Jerusalem and they asked about the child. This person told them that, according to Bible scholars, he must have been born in Bethlehem. However, King Herod asked them to give them the exact location of the place where he had been given birth when they returned, since he intended to go to worship him.
The “magicians” almost fell for the deception, but they soon realized the real intentions of the monarch, who sought to assassinate him. For this reason, after the visit of the Child God and after the Three Kings delivered the gifts -gold, incense and myrrh- they returned to their homes without having passed through the city of Jerusalem.
What does gold, incense and myrrh of the Magi mean?
- Prayed: It represents royalty, a coveted gift offered to kings.
- Incense: It signifies the divine nature of Jesus, employed in the worship and altars of God.
- Myrrh: It is an embalming compound for the dead, it represents the suffering and future death of Jesus.
What is the origin of the Magi?
According to the Bible, Saint Matthew makes it clear that these characters knew precisely the movement of a star and that they belonged to the Zoroastrian religion.
To some extent, the Three Kings of the East symbolize the conversion to Christianity of pagan cultures.
It was in the V centurywhen Pope Leo I (The Great) established that there are three Magi. However, the Armenians pointed out that there were 12 in total.
The current names of the three wise men, Melchior Caspar and Balthazarappear for the first time in the famous mosaic of Saint Apollinaris the New (Ravenna) dating from the sixth century AD. C., in which the three magicians dressed in the Persian style are distinguished with their names written above and representing different ages. Several centuries would still have to pass, until the fifteenth century AD. C., so that King Baltasar appears with a black complexion and the three kings, in addition to representing the ages, represent the three races of the Middle Ages. Melchor will play the Europeans, Gaspar the Asians and Baltasar the Africans.
The three Magi from the East, They were guided by a brilliant star and undertook the journey to worship the Child Jesus.
Who were the Magi?
In the year 700, the monk Benedictine (“The Venerable” Bede) collected the names and characteristics of the Magi:
- Melchor: He described him as “an old man with white hair and a long beard of the same color.”
- Gaspar: A “younger and blonder” man.
- Baltasar: He has the attribute of being “a man with a dark complexion.”
Bede considered them representatives of Asia, Europe and Africaknown continents at the time, to foster a universal union in Christianity.
The magicians came to symbolize three ages of man: 20, 40 and 60 years.
Why is Three Kings Day celebrated?
Three Kings Day has its origin in the Catholic Bible, which recounts the visit of the Magi from the East delivering offerings or gifts (gold, incense and myrrh) received by the Child Jesus, known as the Epiphany, which is the manifestation of Jesus to the peoples who did not know him or had heard of him. It is necessary to remember that on this day three events or manifestations of Jesus are celebrated:
- The manifestation to his disciples.
- The demonstration to the People of Israel.
- The manifestation to all men.
How is Three Kings Day celebrated in Mexico?
Guided by a shining star, the Three Kings of the Eastregally attired and mounted on a camel, a horse and an elephant, they set out on the journey to worship the Child Jesus. They came from various parts of the world: one was black, another white, and the third with Arab features. They loaded gifts for the newborn: from Prayed for being king of myrrh for being a man and incense for being God, which stretched out before the Redeemer. The Kings symbolize the first gentile converts to Christianity.
The celebration of January 6 dates back to the early years of evangelization in the New World and is still valid to this day. According to the Mexican tradition, they are the ones who bring gifts to the children.
The custom is that the little ones laboriously write a letter beforehand to ask melchior, gaspar Y Balthazar the toys they would like to receive. On the eve of the festival (January 6) they leave their shoes by the window with a little bit of straw to feed the animals that they would bring to the holy kings (also known in this way in Mexico).
The next morning, the straw disappears, instead the shoes are filled with the amount of toys. Full of curiosity, the boys get up very early to enjoy the surprise of the gifts.
Why is a shoe left to the Magi?
On the night of January 5, the day before Three Kings Day, it is customary to leave a letter inside a shoe that accompanies a pot of water and a bit of grass at the door, window, or patio of the home. Both the grass and the water are for the camels on which the Three Wise Men are transported, as was done in much of the East in the past.
Curious facts about the Magi
The Three Kings festival, where gifts are brought from children, is only rooted in Spanish-speaking countries such as: Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay, where children write a letter asking the Three Kings Wizards a gift.
In Germany, children do not receive gifts from the Three Wise Men, but they dress up and go door to door to sing Christmas carols, receive sweets and raise money for social causes.
the kings bagel
The Saturnalia was a festival that was celebrated in December in honor of Saturn (god of agriculture) when the Emperor Constantine became a Christian and gave freedom of worship, he replaced this festival with Christmas. At that party it was common to prepare cakes of figs, dates and other fruits garnished with honey that were distributed among the people. They put an object into this bread so that whoever found it would luckily become the king of the party. Time later, this became the tradition of the Rosca de Reyes.
One of the most famous traditions on Three Kings Day is to break the rosca. It is customary to invite a group of friends and each of them must take a knife to cut a part of this famous dish. Inside the rosca de reyes there are one or several small dolls that represent the Child Jesus. If any of the people find it in their portion of bread, especially in Mexico, they are obliged to offer a party, tamales or atole, on February 2, Candlemas Day. In the past, the figures used to be made of porcelain, but now synthetic material is often used. Today the game of the bagel consists of a family or friends gathering where the purpose is to live together.
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