Wise men

The Three Wise Men of the East (or simply Three Wise Men) is the name by which Christian tradition calls the “magi” – a name given to learned priests in the Ancient East – who, according to the Gospel of Matthew, after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth came from the East to pay homage to him and give him gifts of great symbolic wealth: gold, incense and myrrh.

In the canonical gospels, only the Gospel of Matthew speaks of these “wise men”, without specifying their names, nor that they were kings, nor that there were three of them. It was in the 3rd century AD. C. when it was established that they could be kings, since until then, due to their gifts and the iconography that represented them, they were only considered to be wealthy people. It was also in that century when their number was established at three, one per gift, since until then there were drawings with two, three or four magicians, and even the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church claimed that there were twelve, like the apostles. and the twelve tribes of Israel.

The current names of the three wise men, Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar, appear for the first time in the well-known mosaic of Saint Apollinaris the New (Ravenna) dating from the 6th century AD. C., in which the three magicians can be distinguished dressed in Persian style with their names written above and representing different ages. Several centuries would still have to pass, until the end of the 15th century AD. C., so that King Baltasar appears with black skin and the three kings, in addition to representing the ages, represent the three races known until the Middle Ages. Melchior will play the Europeans, Gaspar the Asians and Baltasar the Africans.

In Spain, starting in the 19th century, the tradition began of turning Twelfth Night (the night before the Epiphany) into a children’s party with gifts for the children, in imitation of what was done in other countries on Christmas Day, in tribute to the eastern saint Saint Nicholas. It was in 1866 when the first Three Kings parade was held in Alcoy, a tradition that spread to the rest of the country and later to other countries, especially countries with Hispanic culture.

The word “magician” comes from the Persian ma-gu-u-sha, which means priest. It came into Greek as μάγος (magos, plural: μάγοι, magoi), referring to a caste of Persian or Babylonian priests, who studied the stars in their desire to seek God. From Greek it passed into Latin as magus, plural magi, /mágui/, from where it came to Spanish magician

Three Kings Day in New York is one of the most anticipated festivities for the Latin community, especially for the little ones in the house. Three Kings Day is a celebration of religious origin that commemorates the visit of the three Wise Men of the East to the baby Jesus. If you are in New York on January 6, you don’t have to miss your favorite holiday. Here you will find all the information you need to experience the Kings in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx.

Legend has it that the Three Wise Men of the East, Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar, were guided by a luminous star to Bethlehem, the place where the baby Jesus was born. The three wise men offered three gifts to the newborn: gold, frankincense and myrrh. In some Spanish-speaking countries such as Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Argentina, the arrival of the kings raises more expectations than that of Santa Claus. The Three Wise Men are so loved that in many homes they are part of the traditional Christmas nativity scene!

Three Kings Day is always celebrated on January 6, Epiphany Day. Most events are organized by the Museo del Barrio in Spanish Harlem, but in the Bronx, where a large portion of New York’s Latino community resides, festivities begin the weekend before Three Kings Day.

On Three Kings Day there is one thing you can’t miss: the famous Three Kings Parade! This part of the festival is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and preferred by children (in addition to the gifts, of course). In Spanish Harlem Three Kings Day is a very celebrated holiday, since a large part of the community is of Hispanic origin.

The Museo del Barrio is in charge of organizing a large part of the activities related to Three Kings Day. The parade leaves from 106th Street at Lexington Avenue and ends at 115th Street at Park Avenue. The parade is magical: camels, music, dancing, and of course, the Three Wise Men of the East! It is an ideal experience for the whole family. The entourage is not the only special thing on this day. The Museum also hosts concerts by artists of Latin origin and offers free admission to Las Galerías.

The parade normally begins around 11 in the morning and the subsequent celebrations take place at The Museum

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