Tomorrow is one of the most eagerly awaited days of the year for Spanish children. And it is that as every January 6 the Three Wise Men are in charge of bringing gifts to children who have been good. In addition, throughout the afternoon and night today they go on horseback rides throughout Spain, but do you really know who the Three Wise Men were and where this tradition comes from? Pay attention to these 15 curious facts about the Magi of the East:
- The origin of the Three Wise Men is found in the Bible. In chapter two, verses 1-12 of the Gospel of St. Matthew, the journey of three “wise men” to Bethlehem following a star to adore the Child Jesus is narrated.
- At that time, astronomers, scholars and men of science were called “magicians”. Not that they had supernatural powers!
- Melchior is usually depicted with fair skin and a white beard and hair, representing old age. It is believed that he came from Europe and his name in Hebrew means “king of light”.
- Gaspar is depicted with a brown beard but light skin, representing Semitic Asia. Its name comes from the Persian “Kansbar” meaning “steward of the treasury”.
- Balthazar is the King about whom the least is known. It is believed that its name comes from “Bel-Sar-Utsor” which means “God protects the King”. He is almost always depicted as the youngest of the three kings but has not always been dark-skinned as he is now depicted, this was a turn by the Church to universalize Christianity. It is believed that Balthasar was actually a prince of Alexandria.
- They represent the 3 continents known at that time: Melchior was European; Gaspar was Asian; and Baltasar, African. And not only that, each one represented a pagan religion and when they came to worship Jesus they recognized Christianity as the only religion.
- Although each came from a different continent, the starting point for Bethlehem was Persia, modern-day Iran.
- Some astrologers believe that the famous “Star of Bethlehem” was the star Sirius, the brightest seen from Earth, although others believe it was a comet. There are also some who believe that it was due to the alignment of Jupiter, Saturn and Earth.
- Melchior’s gold represents royalty, Gaspar’s incense represents divinity and Balthazar’s myrrh represents passion and resurrection, as it was formerly used at funerals.
- Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar have not always been their names. Depending on the time and the area, it has had other names: Apellicon, Amerin and Serakin (Greece); Kagpha, Badadilma and Badadakharida (Syria); Ator, Sater and Paratoras (Ethiopia).
- It was not until the fifteenth century that the “official” ages of the Three Wise Men were fixed. Petrus Natalibus established that Melchior was 60 years old, Gaspar 40 and Balthazar 20. Although this changes depending on the text of the time read, since in other texts Gaspar is recognized as the youngest of the three.
- Thanks to the Medici we have today numerous paintings of the Magi, as they paid for them to be made throughout the fifteenth century. In these works Balthasar still had light skin.
- The remains of the Three Wise Men rest in a gold and silver chest weighing 350 kilos and which is located in Cologne, Germany, in a chapel ordered to be built by Charlemagne exclusively for this purpose.
- The tradition of the Roscón de Reyes began in the Middle Ages and represents the crown of each Wise Man.
- Decades ago, each Wise Man was in charge of bringing different things: Melchior, being the most endearing and the oldest, was in charge of the jelly beans and sweets; Gaspar was the one who brought practical things such as clothes or belongings; and Balthazar, being the representation of existing racism, brought coal to bad children.
Nowadays this is not usually the case and either each child chooses their “favorite Wise King”, or it is the three kings who visit the houses of the little ones. There are also parents who prefer to tell their children that as there are many houses to visit and the Three Kings are already older because they delegate their functions to their pages who, do you know who they are? Every father and mother! Have a great day of the Dreaming Three Kings!
