The Night Before The Magi

What is the meaning of Epiphany? 10 facts about Twelfth Night and Three Kings' Day

---

And another story proposes the theory that the myrrh given to them at Jesus' birth was used to anoint Jesus' body after his crucifixion. There was a 15th-century golden case purportedly containing the Gift of the Magi housed in the Monastery of St. Paul of Mount Athos. After the Athens earthquake of September 9, they were temporarily displayed in Athens in order to strengthen faith and raise money for earthquake victims.

The relics were displayed in Ukraine and Belarus in Christmas of , and thus left Greece for the first time since the 15th century. Christian Scriptures record nothing about the biblical Magi after reporting their going back to their own country Matthew 2: Two separate traditions have surfaced claiming that they were so moved by their encounter with Jesus that they either became Christians on their own or were quick to convert fully upon later encountering an Apostle of Jesus.

The traditions claim that they were so strong in their beliefs that they willingly embraced martyrdom. One tradition gained popularity in Spain during the 17th century; it was found in a work called the Chronicon of Dexter. The tradition appears in the form of a simple martyrology reading, "In Arabia Felix, in the city of Sessania of the Adrumeti, the martyrdom of the holy kings, the three Magi, Gaspar, Balthassar, and Melchior who adored Christ.

Later, this was all brought into question when historians and the Catholic hierarchy in Rome declared the work a pious forgery. A competing tradition asserts that the biblical Magi "were martyred for the faith, and that their bodies were first venerated at Constantinople ; thence they were transferred to Milan in It is certain that when Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa imposed his authority on Milan , the relics there were transferred to Cologne Cathedral , housed in the Shrine of the Three Kings , and are venerated there today.

There are several traditions on where the remains of the Magi are located, although none of the traditions is considered as an established fact or even as particularly likely by secular history. Marco Polo claimed that he was shown the three tombs of the Magi at Saveh south of Tehran in the s:. In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side.

And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies are still entire, with hair and beard remaining. Paul William Roberts provides some modern-day corroboration of this possibility in his book Journey of the Magi.

Reputedly they were first discovered by Saint Helena on her famous pilgrimage to Palestine and the Holy Lands. She took the remains to the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople ; they were later moved to Milan some sources say by the city's bishop, Eustorgius I [60] , before being sent to their current resting place by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I in The Milanese celebrate their part in the tradition by holding a medieval costume parade every 6 January.

A version of the detailed elaboration familiar to us is laid out by the 14th century cleric John of Hildesheim 's Historia Trium Regum "History of the Three Kings". In accounting for the presence in Cologne of their mummified relics, he begins with the journey of Helena , mother of Constantine I to Jerusalem, where she recovered the True Cross and other relics:. Queen Helen… began to think greatly of the bodies of these three kings, and she arrayed herself, and accompanied by many attendants, went into the Land of Ind… after she had found the bodies of Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar, Queen Helen put them into one chest and ornamented it with great riches, and she brought them into Constantinople The visit of the Magi is commemorated in most Western Christian churches by the observance of Epiphany , 6 January, which also serves as the feast of the three as saints.

The Eastern Orthodox celebrate the visit of the Magi on 25 December. Qur'an omits Matthew's episode of the Magi. However, the Persian Muslim encyclopaedist al-Tabari , writing in the 9th century, gives the familiar symbolism of the gifts of the Magi.

Star of Bethlehem

Al-Tabari gave his source for the information to be the later 7th century Perso-Yemenite writer Wahb ibn Munabbih. Holidays celebrating the arrival of the Magi traditionally recognise a distinction between the date of their arrival and the date of Jesus' birth.

The account given in the Gospel of Matthew does not state that they were present on the night of the birth; in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary remain in Bethlehem until it is time for Jesus' dedication, in Jerusalem, and then return to their home in Nazareth. Western Christianity celebrates the Magi on the day of Epiphany , January 6, the day immediately following the twelve days of Christmas , particularly in the Spanish-speaking parts of the world.

According to the tradition, the Magi come from the Orient on their camels to visit the houses of all the children, much like Sinterklaas and Santa Claus with his reindeer elsewhere, they visit everyone in one night.

Biblical Magi

In some areas, children prepare a drink for each of the Magi. It is also traditional to prepare food and drink for the camels, because this is the only night of the year when they eat. In Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay, there is a long tradition for having the children receive presents by the three " Reyes Magos " on the night of January 5 Epiphany Eve or morning of January 6. Almost every Spanish city or town organises cabalgatas in the evening, in which the kings and their servants parade and throw sweets to the children and parents in attendance.

The cavalcade of the three kings in Alcoy claims to be the oldest in the world, having started in In the Philippines, beliefs concerning the Three Kings Filipino: The tradition of the Three Kings' cabalgada is today done only in some areas, such as the old city of Intramuros in Manila , and the island of Marinduque. Another dying custom is children leaving shoes out on Epiphany Eve, so that they may receive sweets and money from the Three Kings. With the arrival of American culture in the early 20th century, the Three Kings as gift-givers have been largely replaced in urban areas by Santa Claus , and they only survive in the greeting "Happy Three Kings!

Navigation menu

In Paraguay, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, children cut grass or greenery on January 5 and put it in a box under their bed for the Kings' camels. Christmas starts in December and ends in January after Epiphany, although in Puerto Rico there are eight more days of celebration las octavitas. In a campaign started in Spain over the fact that Balthazar is commonly played by a white person in blackface.

Account Options

Also in Catholic parts of the German-speaking world, these markings are made by the " Sternsinger " literally, " star singers " — a group of children dressed up as the magi. An adult chaperones the group but stays in the background of the performance. After singing, the children write the three kings' initials on the door frame in exchange for charitable donations. Each year, German and Austrian dioceses pick one charity towards which all Sternsinger donations nationwide will be contributed. In the day of Epiphany, January 6, was made a holiday in Poland and thus a pre-war tradition was revived.

In Spain and in Portugal where it is called Bolo-rei [75] , the cake, which is ring-shaped, is most commonly bought, not baked, and it contains both a small figurine of one of the Magi or another surprise depending on the region and an actual dry broad bean. The one who gets the figurine is "crowned" with a crown made of cardboard or paper , but whoever gets the bean has to pay the value of the cake to the person who originally bought it. Whoever gets a figurine is supposed to organize and be the host of the family celebration for the Candelaria feast on February 2.

In France and Belgium, a cake containing a small figure of the baby Jesus, known as the "broad bean", is shared within the family. Whoever gets the bean is crowned king for the remainder of the holiday and wears a cardboard crown purchased with the cake. A similar practice is common in many areas of Switzerland, but the figurine is a miniature king. The practice is known as tirer les Rois Drawing the Kings. A queen is sometimes also chosen.

In New Orleans , Louisiana , parts of southern Texas , and surrounding regions, a similar ring-shaped cake known as a " King Cake " traditionally becomes available in bakeries from Epiphany to Mardi Gras. The baby Jesus figurine is inserted into the cake from underneath, and the person who gets the slice with the figurine is expected to buy or bake the next King Cake.

There is wide variation among the types of pastry that may be called a King Cake, but most are a baked cinnamon-flavoured twisted dough with thin frosting and additional sugar on top in the traditional Mardi Gras colours of gold, green and purple.

News latest

To prevent accidental injury or choking, the baby Jesus figurine is frequently not inserted into the cake at the bakery, but included in the packaging for optional use by the buyer to insert it themselves. Mardi Gras-style beads and doubloons may be included as well. The Magi most frequently appear in European art in the Adoration of the Magi ; less often in the Journey of the Magi has been a popular subject in art, and topos , and other scenes such as the Magi before Herod and the Dream of the Magi also appear in the Middle Ages.

In Byzantine art they are depicted as Persians, wearing trousers and phrygian caps. Crowns appear from the 10th century. Despite being saints, they are very often shown without halos , perhaps to avoid distracting attention from either their crowns or the halos of the Holy Family. Sometimes only the lead king, kneeling to Christ, has a halo the two others lack, probably indicating that the two behind had not yet performed the act of worship that would ensure their status as saints.

Medieval artists also allegorised the theme to represent the three ages of man. Beginning in the 12th century, and very often by the 15th, the Kings also represent the three parts of the known pre-Columbian world in Western art, especially in Northern Europe. The plot and its twist ending are well-known, and the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony.

It was first published in book form in the O. Raincoat , a Hindi film directed by Rituparno Ghosh is an adaptation of the story. There is also a Bulgarian short film adaptation known as "Darovete na vlahvite" [8] directed by Ivan Abadjiev. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the short story. For the Magi that visited baby Jesus, see Biblical Magi. For other uses, see The Gift of the Magi disambiguation. F estivities for the ancient Christian feast day vary around the world, from swimming in icy waters to exchanging presents, fireworks and parades.

In many countries the day is a public holiday. In Mexico, crowds gather to taste the Rosca de Reyes - Kings' bread. In other countries, a Jesus figurine is hidden in the bread. Wassailers, like carol singers, go from house to house singing and wishing their neighbours good health. The tradition still continues. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.

Visit our adblocking instructions page.

Home News Sport Business.

• The Nature of the Beasts: Empire and Exhibition at the Tokyo Imperial Zoo (Asia: Local Studies / Global Themes)
• The Scottish Bride: Bride Series (Sherbrooke Book 6)
• The Man who Thought He was God
• Oliver og Malthe på ferie med farmor og farfar (Danish Edition)
• Affirmation of the Sirens - a sequel to Echo of a Siren