What Does the Three Kings Famously Brought Baby Jesus

In Europe, i of the most popular holidays is Epiphany, besides called Iii Kings Day, celebrated on January half-dozen, for over 1,500 years.

The holiday celebrates the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, bringing gifts to the Christ kid. Epiphany is observed with special cakes and sweets, parades, and presents for children.

In the Christmas story, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a new star rose in the East, announcing this miraculous event. Three Kings (Magi, or Three Wise Men) set out on a journey to Bethlehem, following the star beyond the desert. They arrived January 6, twelve days after Christmas, and gave gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child.

Paintings

At the nativity, the three kings praising the baby Jesus is chosen "Adoration of the Magi," portrayed in many European paintings, particularly Renaissance artworks. The Three Kings are named Melchior, Balthazar, and Caspar (Gaspar).

In Florence the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi has a fabulous Magi fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli. Here's i section (shown above), Caspar on a white horse, wearing red boots.

The Uffizi museum has iii of the near famous Admiration of the Magi paintings – by Gentile da Fabriano, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli.

Tip: Going to European museums, once you start looking, kids will detect the Three Kings everywhere – paintings, carvings, golden chests, mosaics, frescoes.

Nativity scenes

At the Christmas season, throughout many European cities are life-size nativity scenes that include the Three Kings, along with figurines for creche displays at domicile.

When we visited Strasbourg for the Christmas markets, inside the Cathedral was a wonderful nativity tableau. Mary and babe Jesus were surrounded by the Three Kings, and behind them a huge camel, and fifty-fifty bigger elephant with magnificent tusks.

France, Spain, Italy, Germany all take arts and crafts traditions of nativity figurines that families display at dwelling house. Germany is noted for it's lovely wood carved figures. Above is the nativity and Iii Kings, from our ain family unit heirloom collection.

Celebrations

The Banquet of the Three Kings is the highlight of the nativity season in Spain, and Seville has a spectacular parade to gloat on the eve of Epiphany, January v.

The Iii Kings parade (Calbagata de Reyes Magos) is a sensational spectacle. The parade lasts six to viii hours, with more than forty floats, people on horseback, and marching bands. Children wearing costumes ride on the floats, and toss out tons of wrapped hard candies to the spectators. On the street, kids behave umbrellas upside down to catch lots of candy! When the parade is over, there's so much candy on the streets, it'due south like sugariness ice crunching under foot.

Florence has an opulent parade (Calvacata dei Magi) on Epiphany. Everyone is dressed in sumptuous Renaissance clothing, including men dressed every bit the Iii Kings. The parade goes from the Pitti Palace, over the Ponte Vecchio to the Palazzo della Signoria.

Italy likewise celebrates the Epiphany story of Befana. In the fable, Befana is an former peasant woman, living lonely in the countryside. The 3 Kings end by her house to ask directions to Bethlehem. The Magi also extend an invitation to come along to see the Christ child, simply she has household tasks to do. Later on the 3 Kings depart, Befana has a change of heart. She bakes sweets to take to the baby Jesus, and takes off through the air. Never catching upwardly with the Iii Kings, instead, every year Befana brings sweets and gifts to children.

On the nighttime of January 5, children put out stockings for Befana who will bring candies, presents, cookies for children who've been good, coal for badly-behaved children. The coal isn't besides bad – carbone is a processed that looks like coal.

Food for Epiphany

The French celebrate Epiphany with a galette des rois (Kings' Cake). The cake is traditionally puff pastry with almond cream in the center. A small bean or some other small prize is baked in the galette – when the cake is sliced, the person to become the edible bean wins a paper crown, and is the lucky "king for a twenty-four hours."

Tip: It's fun to brand this cake at home (no demand to make puff pastry from scratch, simply detect it in the supermarket frozen department).

Hither's the recipe we used: Galette des rois by David Lebovitz.

In Kingdom of spain, on Jan 6 families share a roscon de reyes (Iii Kings' Cake). The block is a ring-shaped pastry, sliced into two layers with foam in the middle, and topped with candied fruits (fruits are like jewels on the king's crowns). Inside the cake is a small figurine, unremarkably the Christ kid or a king figure. The person who eats the slice of cake with the figurine is likewise rex for the 24-hour interval.

Italians eat Befanini cookies, panettone, and caramelle candies for the vacation. Befanini cookies are a sugar shortbread with colored sprinkles on elevation. Panettone is a sweet bread studded with raisins or chocolate chunk. Caramelle candies include licorice, fruit jellies, nougats and chocolates, and carbone, a blackness rock processed that looks like coal.

Children'due south books

• We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin.
• "Nosotros 3 Kings of Orient are; Begetting gifts we travel afar; Field and fountain, moor and mountain; Following yonder star." Story of the Magi, using words from the familiar Christmas carol, with magical, original illustrations. (Moving-picture show book)
• The Legend of Sometime Befana by Tomie dePaola.
• Befana is an sometime peasant adult female, living past herself in the countryside, ever sweeping her house with her broom. One night she wakes upward to sees a bright shining star and the next twenty-four hour period the Three Kings stop at her house to ask the way to Bethlehem. She doesn't go with them, but thinks about gifts for the Christ kid. Befana bakes and bakes, wraps upwardly the cookies and candies, takes her broom – and a miracle occurs – she flies in the sky. (Picture volume)
• More Mischief in Tuscany by Nancy Shroyer Howard.
• Cinta is an adventurous grunter, who wanders into the Journeying of the Magi painting in Florence. He finds an amazing procession of camels conveying treasures, a spotted cheetah on horseback, and kings wearing jewels and gold-threaded robes. When you lot visit Florence, observe this volume in museum souvenir shops. (Motion picture volume)

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Source: https://seetheworld.travelforkids.com/january-6-is-epiphany-three-kings-day/