The Three Wise Men
In many countries, little children look forward to December 25 to open all the presents Santa has brought them. In Spain, every Christmas, the eve of 6 January is a magical night when the little ones look forward to the visit of the Three Wise Men. In this article, I will tell you who the Three wise men are and how the people of Jaén welcomed them.
👑Who are the Three Wise Men?
The traditional story goes that the men came from three different continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. Specifically, Melchior is Europe, Gaspar is Asia and Balthazar is Africa. Is said that they were "three masters of wisdom" and that Melchior was from Greece, Gaspar from Israel, and Balthazar from Egypt.
According to the Bible, it was the star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men to Jesus to worship the newborn with the prophet and bring him three offerings: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
👑Why is the day of the Three wise men celebrated?
On 6 January, Three Kings Day is celebrated in various countries around the world, one of them Spain, to commemorate the adoration of the Christ child by the three wise men, who came from the East to honor and bring gifts to the newborn baby.
It is an unmistakable symbol of the recognition of the catholic world, which acknowledges Jesus Christ as King and the only savior of mankind.
👑How is the day of the Three wise men celebrated in Jaén?
- One of the most important traditions is to write a letter to the Three Wise Men to express our wishes. This letter can be written as far in advance as you wish, although the deadline for handing it in is the 5th January, just before Their Majesties arrive.
- The following tradition is the one that impressed me the most, it will surely stay in my mind forever-the parade of the Three wise men. 🎈
On the night of 5 January, the city organizes a great welcome for the Three Kings of the Orient, with a large parade through the streets of the city, accompanied by a large retinue of pages, floats and troupes of artistic troupes, dancers, postmen and other groups from entities anд organizations that wish to participate.
FOUR awesome videos to TAKE you to that colorful moment:
📷 parade
📷 parade
The kings throw sweets and we can see how children and adults are collecting them. Тhere was a man who had brought an umbrella so that he could collect even more.
I also managed to catch some candy. 😉
3. Prepare the house for their Majesties and in the morning eat roscón (a sweet cake).
After the parade, it is traditional to leave a few glasses of milk and biscuits for the kings and some water for the camels, because they will need energy for this long night of gift giving.
In the morning it is typical to have a cup of hot chocolate for breakfast accompanied by a piece of roscón. Inside of the roscón there are two figures, a king and a bean. Tradition has it that whoever pulls out the king will be crowned, while whoever pulls out the bean will have to pay for the roscón.
