Epiphany on January 6th was recognised as the day after ‘Twelfth Night’ and a Christian feast from the third century AD, before the Christmas holiday was created, and as Germany’s Dreikoenigstag, Three Kings Day, it has its own traditions and customs that mark the culmination of Germany’s Advent Weihnachten season, and the ending of the Christmas celebrations.
For three German states, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt,
Epiphany is a public holiday, while throughout the country special church services take place, with figures representing the Heilige Drei Koenige Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar in nativity scene tableaux in churches and homes, commemorating their visit to the Christ Child after his birth and their being the first Gentiles, at the time a description of non-Israelites, to acknowledge him as a ‘King’.There is an affinity to the Magi in Germany as it is believed that the relics of these Wise Men, who are sometimes described as astrologers or astronomers, have been lying in a specially designed gold and silver decorated shrine since it was completed in 1225.
The relics, mostly bones from three men of differing ages together with cloth bandages and resin, had been presented initially to the city of Cologne in 1164 and, although it took 632 years before it was finished, it was to house them and their sarcophagus that the building of Cologne cathedral began in 1248.
In the 19th century King Ludwig I of Bavaria donated the beautiful Bavarian stained glass windows that feature the Holy Family and The Three Kings.
Sternsinger, children dressed as the oriental Three Kings and called ‘star singers’ because Balthasar carries a large glowing five pointed star, go door to door in groups of three in Catholic areas between New Year and Twelfth Night and, after singing carols for the occupants of the homes, they leave them a blessing for the coming year using white chalk to write on door beams, or on the actual doors, the date of the current year together with the initials of the names believed to be those of the Magi, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
2012 is written as 20+C+M+B+12, with the crosses representing Christ, and
although these letters are usually understood to represent the initials of the Three Kings, CBM also stands for a Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat, May Christ bless this home.Money donated to the singers for their singing and for having made the blessing is passed on to charities, especially those helping disadvantaged children, while any cookies and sweets are theirs to keep. About a half a million young German people take part each year and they are often collecting for Die Sternsinger, a ‘children helping children’ organisation which originated in 19th century France, and was quickly adopted and publicised by 15 year old Auguste von Sartoriusa who lived in Germany.
The original idea was to help abandoned babies and children in China but it has now spread over the world, both as a charity and also with those it supports.
As the final day of the Christmas Festivities this is also when the Weihnachtsbaum, Christmas tree, which traditionalists will have decorated only on Christmas Eve, is taken down to be ceremonially burnt in a huge communal bonfire, put out and collected for mulching or saved for the Easter celebration bonfires. Although for any young people, or those with a 'sweet tooth', the loss of the season’s magic and colour will be tempered by the ‘pluendern’, raiding, of all the sweets, cookies, and foil wrapped chocolate ornaments that had been hanging from the tree’s branches.
And just to add to the sugar over load as a ceremonial end to the whole Christmas season there is a Dreikoenigskuchen, Three Kings Cake. A baked good traditionally divided by the number of people present plus one, with that extra piece symbolically left for those who cannot be there for whatever reason. In former times this was then given to any ‘poor’ person who was seen out and about or who came to the door.
Whoever finds a small figure of the Christ Child, or alternatively a dried white bean, hidden in their portion of Three Kings Cake can be 'King' for the day, and wear the 'crown', a golden or silver circlet, that sits in the hollow at the centre of the cake. And in some families whoever has the crown will be excused chores for the next days, which for most children is a far more exciting prospect than simply the wearing of a cardboard crown for a few hours. As well as something of a small consolation for the fact that almost a year will pass until the end of November or beginning of December, and the arrival of Advent which brings with it once again the beginning of the Weihnachten celebrations.
We have heard about the Magi bringing gifts to the Christ Child, but who they were and what brought them to Bethlehem has always been a mystery. Epiphany: The untold epic journey of the Magi is an enjoyable historical novel which is difficult to put down, and it gives us a real insight into ‘what might have been’. A 'must read' for the holiday season.
Cologne Cathedral Bavarian Window, 19th century, donated by Bavaria's Ludwig I,click for enlarged view of Nativity Scene photographer Raymond – Raimond Spekking / CC-BY-SA-3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons),Blessing over the door to a monastery, photographer Papiermond, Christmas stamp from Deutsche Poste 1983, all via de.Wikipedia
