MIAMI. – The arrival of the wise men or the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated by the Catholic Church this January 6. On this day we remember the manifestation of the Messiah and the expectation of his revelation to all the peoples of humanity represented in the Three Wise Men who came to Bethlehem from the east.
An important fact is that Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian holidays. It is considered the second festival after Holy Easter: it began in the east and then moved to West by the 4th century.
Regarding the references to the Three Wise Men in the Bible, Saint Matthew explains that they were from the East, an area that for the Jews was made up of the territories of Arabia, Persia or Chaldea. For the Easterners, the word “magicians” had the connotation of doctors.
In this sense, tradition used the word “kings” for the wise men in allusion to what verses 10 and 11 of Psalm 72 proclaim: “The kings of the west and the islands will pay tribute to him. The kings of Arabia and Ethiopia will offer him gifts. “All kings will bow down before him and all nations will serve him.”
The names of the kings
From the 9th century onwards it began to spread that the names of the wise men They were Gaspar, Melchior and Baltasar.
As indicated ACI Press“Melchior is generally depicted as an old white man with a beard representing the European zone, and he offers the Child gold for the kingship of Christ.”
Likewise, Gaspar represents the Asian area and carries incense for the divinity of Jesus. For his part, Baltasar is black because he comes from Africa and gives myrrh to the Child Jesus: it is a substance that was used to embalm corpses and symbolizes the humanity of the Lord.
Three Kings Celebration
In this celebration of wise men which takes place 12 days after Christmas, children receive gifts, but also adults. The Three Kings tradition has a lot of meaning in several European countries, especially in Spain, and in America.
In USAAs in several countries, this “Three Kings Day” party is also celebrated by tasting the “Rosca de Reyes” or “King Cake.”
It is a cake made with brioche dough covered in sweet frosting and sugar in green, gold and purple colors. Although currently, pastry shops present a variety of flavors to the public.
In New Orleans, Epiphany gives rise to a series of celebrations that end with the famous Mardi Gras o Fat Tuesday in February. With this Lent begins.
@snederr
Source: ACI Prensa / Diario AS / Portal Día Internacional
