And the Wise Men Came From the East

 Somehow this is a very dramatic event in mah mind. When's the last time ya jes' stood at the door of yore tent an' announced "Au Revoir. I'm gonna follow yonder star, cause a humdinger that big ought not  be ignored."

Ya' can scout around an' git all sorts of stories on what really went down--is it real? Were they kings or wise men? Doesn't "magi" mean magician?   The scholars I lean toward say they wuz Persians (wif' names like Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar that's a good bet) -- and iffin' youse been in the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome ya know the early Christians (200 AD) painted the Magi wif' Persian robes. The Wise fellas wuz a sort of priestly caste of learned men whose wisdom came from  reconnaissance, from knowing the good stuff from several cultures.  An' ya' can bet they had heard the Hebrew prophecies:: 

"A star shall rise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring from Israel." (Numbers 24:14)

  Now, I reckon, when that massive star began winkin' at em, their pooled wisdom decided, "Uh, no. Ain't never seen a star the likes of that.  Hop a camel an' let's us'uns go see whasup." 

The Feast of the Epiphany is January 6th.  An Aunty favorite, cause " We Three Kings of Orient Are" is one of mah favorites. We only ever sing it at church on this day, the official end of  the Twelve Days of Christmas.

La Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes

Truly wise people know that they doan know ever'thang. I love the Magi--they is a symbol fer us all, folks who knew they was bein' called to look fer something more an we oughta go out an' seek it.

"A star shall rise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring from Israel." (Numbers 24:14)

SO these wise men from a Medean priestly caste of scholars--legend names them Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar--were aware of this ancient prophecy...an' when the star (possibly a confluence of of planets that occured in 2 B.C. or a supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 4 B.C.) drew them to Israel they were prepared to find somethin' others missed.


Today ain't akshully the Epiphany, that's the day the Magi arrived at the stable in Bethlehem, but it is the day that most will celebrate it in the US on account of we like our holidays to fall on the weekend, which now includes Fridays and Mondays. The Feast of the Epiphany is January 6th.

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days BETWEEN Christmas Day an' the arrival of the Three Kings ..although we doan know thar' wuz only three--we assume that 'cause only three gifts is listed. But I love the story of the THE OTHER WISE MAN by Henry Van Dyke.

The magi's gifts are Gold (tribute for a king), Frankincense (glory) and Myrrh (embalming ointment --symbol of everlasting life). Tradition has St. Joseph using the gold to finance the Holy Family's flight to Egypt when Herod's fury wuz unleashed against the babies.

The Twelfth Day (Jan 5th) is the traditional day to take down the Christmas festoonery. And a KING'S CAKE (recipe below) was served on the Twelfth Night. Of course, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is a comedy of merry making and lovesick antics that is only loosely connected to the The Epiphany. Some scholars theorize that as this play wuz first presented on Candelmas Day (Feb 2, the day that ended the Epiphany season), it wuz dubbed Twelfth Night.

In the Eastern Orthodox Tradition the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated with much more gusto that we Latin Christians. They locate their Christmas on Jan.6th, and Epiphany on Jan. 19th. Their term fer it is Theophany--that is, Manifestation of God to men via some tangible mode--i.e. somethin' we "get" via our five senses. ( cf. EX3:2-4:17) This wonderful feast has been celebrated since at least 361 A.D. Gregory of Naziansus done give a great sermon about it in Dec., 380 A.D. (Y'all, Christmas wuz celebrated on Dec. 25th in Rome by 325 A.D.)

In Spain it is Tres Reyes (Three Kings) who bring children gifts...in Alicante camels parade through streets laden with sweets an' gifts..chillens leave their shoes outside to be filled with goodies.


I ackshully prefer the French King's Cake, made wif' puff pastry, but more folks is familiar wif' this version: (click photo fer recipe)


*

P.S. I will be back late mornin' on Mute Monday. Theme is "catch."

P.S. S. More beauty comments an' responses here.

*

*