One of the celebrations with which we practically say goodbye to Christmas is the day of the Magic Kings, a date marked on the calendar that makes young and old very happy because It reminds us of the visit made by Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar, some wise men from the East, to the baby Jesus to adore him.
The day of the Magi, as every year, is marked on the calendar on January 6, where not only the smallest of the house wake up with the surprise of receiving gifts but also the families gather to leave and share the traditional Rosca de Reyes.
Origin of the Day of the Magi
This celebration has its origin in Catholicism, because in the Bible different passages tell us how the Magi who traveled from the East arrived in Bethlehem, guided by a star, in order to worship the newborn Jesus, who had been revealed to them as a great prophet , to whom they offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh for treating of a king.
The Catholic Church named this act as the Epiphany, a Greek word that means manifestation, in this case of God in the figure of Christ, to peoples or people who did not know him or had heard of him.
Why is the Three Kings celebrated on January 6?
The arrival of the Magi It is celebrated on January 6 because their adoration of the baby Jesus would have occurred 13 days after his birth, thus marking the beginning of the Epiphany.
Why do they leave shoes on Three Kings Day under the tree?
Among the tradition of this celebration, especially in the Hispanic community, is that one night prior to January 6, You must leave a shoe under the Christmas tree so that the Three Wise Men can leave you a gift. Tradition dictates that this is like a “guide” given to the Kings. to know if they should give a gift to a boy or a girl.
Another thing that would explain the issue of shoes it is the childhood of Jesus, which was marked by poverty and therefore had no shoes. So some kids saw him walking barefoot and gave him a pair that he no longer wore. The children would have washed them and put them near a window before sleeping to dry and the next morning, they discovered that there would be gifts in them.
This tradition is also said to come from a custom practiced in the Netherlands, between the XV and XVI centuries. Outside the temples, people who lived in poverty used to leave a shoe for people with resources to deposit money in them.
Whatever the origin, don’t forget tonight to leave a shoe under your tree to experience the magic of the Three Kings up close.
It may interest you:
* The incredible odysseys of the Spaniards who crossed the Pacific on the trail of the Three Kings
* Why do they say that January 6, the Day of the Magi, is also the Day of the Astrologer?
* What rituals you can do on Three Kings Day to attract money, prosperity and health for the whole year