About Epiphany Day

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Sergius

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Tomorrow is Epiphany, that day conmemorates the visit of the Tree Kings to Our Lord Jesus Christ. In Spain and Latin America them are named Gaspar, Melchor and Baltasar. I read that these names are derivated from the tradition. According to some interpretations they were from different geographical locations.
Also, exist a tradition in Spain and Latin America, according to which the children receive presents from Gaspar, Melchor and Baltasar in the 6 of january.
 
Was one of the three kings from Ethiopia?I can’t remember where their country of origin was 🙂
 
St. Gaspar was from India
St. Melchior from Persia
St. Balthasar from Arabia
 
Some say they were Sages, not necessarily Kings, and of course, Astronomers.
And YES, in most of the Spanish speaking countries, the Epiphany is when we receive presents. The Child Jesus shares His with us. 😉
Tres Magos
 
The Queen of Sheba in the OT was from Ethiopia.

And in Eastern Christian tradition the Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip baptized is known as St. Bachos in Ethiopian tradition, and St. Simeon the Black in Byzantine traditions.
 
Yes. That is correct in Latin America the gift exchange is on the day of Epiphany because that’s when the 3 kings arrived with the gifts. And yes those are the names of the kings per Latin American tradition.
 
I hate to be the one to bring a pin to the balloon, but Mathew’s gospel does not mention any kings (they were magi), nor is there any mention of how many there were.

according to a footnote in NAB, Magi: originally a designation of the Persian priestly caste, the word became used of those who were regarded as having more than human knowledge.

According to the Jerusalem Bible: “some wise men”.

No idea of where the tradition started as to “kings” or “3”.
 
I remember that aproximmately 17 years ago I watched an interesting documentary in which talked about the relics of them. Excuse me if I forgot some details, there said that Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine was searching their relics , also mentioned that them were three. She brought the relics to Milan, remained there until the times of Frederick I, when were moved to Cologne Cathedral, where is a very beautiful reliquary, The Shrine of the Three Kings.

In Spanish they are known as “Los Reyes Magos”, “Reyes” means “Kings” and “Magos” comes from “Magi”.
 
Probably because the number 3 is significant many times Indeed, our pastor said no one knows how many there were, and that it didn’t matter. He asked what their names were and nearly the whole congregation responded with the traditional names, and he said: Nope. So much for pous tradition, LOL
 
They weren’t kings. They were Magi. Persians who were astrologers associated with the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. They most likely knew of the expected Jewish messiah from the Babylonian exile and diaspora.
 
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