Three holy kings

The Day of the Three Holy Kings on 6 January is the day of remembrance of the Three Magi. According to the Gospel of Luke, the Three Wise Men from the East are three kings or scholars who sighted a star when Jesus was born on December 24^th and followed it as far as Jerusalem. In Jerusalem the three then went to King Herod to inquire where the king was born. Herod had all the high priests and scribes come to him to inquire with them where the king of the Jews was born. Herod then called the three kings to him to tell them that they should go to Bethlehem, but then back to him so that Herod could also go to the child. The kings moved on and when the star stopped they found Jesus. They brought him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. In a dream, kings were told not to go back to Herod on the way back, but to choose another way back. 


In honour of this event, since the 16th century there has been the custom of the Catholic Church to sing the stars. The Kindermissionswerk has been sending children and young people to collect these donations since 1959. All children and young people who collect these donations do so voluntarily and therefore everyone can participate, no matter which religion the children and young people belong to. On the morning of the 6th of January the sending service takes place, after that the children and young people run from house to house and ask for a donation, here a saying is said on which again clarifies that the day of the holy three kings is. Then the donation is requested and written with chalk on the door "20*C+M+B*19", which means: 20 stands for the century/thousand year, C+M+B stands for "Christ + mansionem + benedicat" which is Latin and in English means "Christ bless this house". However, there are many plastic doors on which one cannot write with chalk .Therefore there are still blessing stripes, which were consecrated just like the chalk in the sending service.