A Visit from the Magi

January 6 - The Alternate Christmas

In the United States, the 12 days of Christmas begin on Dec. 13, so that the twelfth day lands on Christmas Day. Dec. 25 is considered to be the first day of Christmas, and the twelfth day is Jan. 6. Dec. 25 was adopted in the fourth century by the Western Christian Church as the date of the Feast of Christ's birth. The Eastern Christian Church celebrates Jan. 6 instead. It is believed that this difference resulted in the tradition of the "Twelve Days of Christmas."

Jan. 6 is the Feast of Epiphany, also called "The Festival of the Three Kings" (or Magi) or simply "Twelfth Day." According to tradition, the names of the kings are Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. On the night when Jesus was born, these three kings saw a bright star and followed it to Bethlehem to present the infant Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

To celebrate Three Kings Day in Bavaria and Austria, children dress up as kings from New Year's Day through Jan. 6 and go door to door holding up a large star, caroling, singing a Three Kings' song and collecting charitable donations.

In Puerto Rico, children receive gifts on Three Kings Day delivered by three kings who–like Santa– reward good children. Puerto Rican children place hay or grass in boxes under their beds and put out a bowl of water the night before Three Kings Day—food and drink for the kings' camels. In the morning, good children find candies, sweets or toys; naughty children find dirt or charcoal in their boxes.

In Mexico, Three Kings Day is called "el Día de los Reyes." The custom in some regions is to leave out shoes into which treasures may be left by the visiting kings. The traditional treat for the holiday is the Rosca de Reyes—a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with jewel-like candied fruits with a tiny figure of a baby hidden in the dough. Whoever gets a piece of the bread containing the baby is expected to host the next party within a month's time.

People in France also follow the custom of baking a cake with a surprise inside for Three Kings Day, as do the people of Spain, where parades and other festivities are held on the eve of Three Kings Day. The children write letters to the "royal postman" to be delivered to the three kings, much as American children write to Santa. Spaniards traditionally get together on Christmas Eve to eat, but save the gift exchange for Three Kings Day.

The people of Italy celebrate Three Kings Day with a religious service, and afterwards, children open the gifts brought by La Befana, an ugly witch who rides a broomstick and leaves coal for the naughty children.

The people of Chile and other South American countries celebrate Three Kings Day with colorful parades and gift-giving.

In the Philippines, Christmas celebrations begin Dec. 16 with a religious service, the first of many during the season. People display star lanterns in their windows, representing the star of Bethlehem that the three kings followed. On Jan. 6, they have parades that present both the three kings and also the wicked King Herod (who, according to scripture, wanted to kill the newborn babe).

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