Feast of the Epiphany or Kings Day

Feast of the Epiphany or Kings DayBy: Tere Vallés | Source: Catholic.net

The shepherds and kings of the East visit Jesus Messiah, the gifts and worship him with gold, incense and myrrh.
Origin of the party:January 6 was celebrated from time immemorial in the East, but with a pagan sense: In Egypt and Arabia, during the night of January 5 to 6 the birth of the god Aion was remembered.

 They believed that he manifested himself in particular at the rebirth of the sun, on the winter solstice that coincided with January 6. On this same date, the prodigies of the god Dionysus were celebrated in favor of his devotees.
 The feast of the Epiphany replaced the pagan cults of the East related to the winter solstice, celebrating that day the manifestation of Jesus as Son of God in the wise men who came from the East to worship him.
 The tradition passed to the West in the middle of the 4th century, through what is now France.The history of the Magi can be found in Matthew 2, 1-12"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the time of King Herod, some magicians of the East appeared in Jerusalem saying: where is the child, the King of the Jews? Because we have seen his star in the East and we come to adore himUpon hearing this, King Herod became very worried;

 Then he called some gentlemen who called themselves to the Pontiffs and Scribes and to whom the place of the birth of the Messiah, of the Savior that the Jewish people had been waiting for a long time, was asked.They replied: In Bethlehem of Judah, well it is written by the Prophet:And you, Bethlehem, land of Judahin no way are you the leastamong the main cities of Judahbecause a boss will come from youwho is the shepherd of my people IsraelThen Herod, calling aside the magicians, sent them to the city of Bethlehem and said: Go and inform yourself very well about that child; and when they find it, also so that I too will adore it.

 The Magi went away and the star that had seen in the East, went before them until it was to stand on the place where the Child was. Upon seeing the star, they felt great joy.

 They entered the house and saw the child with Maria his

mother. They knelt down and worshiped him.
 They opened their treasures and offered gifts: gold, incense and myrrh. Then, having been warned in dreams that they did not return to Herod, (as he wanted to look for the Child to kill him), they returned to their country by another way ".