This is how Central America celebrates this Christian tradition

The festival of the Three Wise Men, celebrated on January 6, is a Christian tradition that remembers the arrival of Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar to the manger where the Baby Jesus lies, whom they recognize as the Messiah. Although its celebration has nuances in each region, in Central America it adapts to local customs and beliefs.

In Guatemala, there are processions and religious activities that culminate with solemn masses in honor of the Three Wise Men. That is the case of the Basilica of the Lord of Esquipulas, a place known as the Central American capital of faith, due to its importance as a center of Catholic religious pilgrimage in Guatemala and throughout the Central American region.

Prior to the arrival of the Three Wise Men, the Basilica of the Lord of Esquipulas celebrated a mass on January 5 in honor of the scene of the birth of Jesus, including the wise men who came to worship the child. Outside the temple lies a giant manger that portrays that biblical passage.

In El Salvador the tradition is celebrated with parades of kings.

The Catholic Christians take out three floats, one for each King, and tour some municipalities.

Likewise, some families have the tradition of giving toys to children, symbolizing the gifts that these characters brought to the Baby Jesus.

The night before the traditional arrival of the Three Wise MenSalvadoran families usually leave cookies and milk on their tables to receive Their Majesties, who arrive exhausted from their trip. Other families leave traditional foods such as corn atol and tamales.

In Honduras, the holiday is celebrated with dramatizations of the arrival of the Three Wise Men known as “pastorelas.” These performances usually include music and typical dances, becoming a meeting point for communities.

In the three countries, on January 6, after the arrival of the Three Wise Men, the mangers are usually dismantled, closing them. the time of the Nativitywhich commemorates the birth of Jesus, which is seen as the closing of the December holidays.

Additionally, in some homes the traditional “Rosca de Reyes” is prepared, a sweet bread that has a baby-shaped figure inside. The bagel is distributed in homes or workplaces, and whoever finds the figure of the Child Jesus in their portion usually takes tamales days later.

Although the magnitude of the celebration varies in each country, Three Kings’ Day continues to be a tradition that combines the religious beliefs and culture of each country, adapting the traditions to its own identity.

Who were the Three Wise Men?

The three wise men, also known as the wise men of the East or Wizards of the Eastare characters mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew during his visit to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Although the Bible does not mention their names, nor does it specify that there were three of them, Catholic tradition has identified them as three people due to the three gifts they offered: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The first gift symbolizes Jesus’ royalty as king. Incense his divinity because it was used in acts of worship, and myrrh because it announced his death.

“Liturgically, the Three Wise Men represent the manifestation of Jesus to all peoples. According to the story of the scriptures, these mysterious characters come from the East, and represent all the peoples that did not belong to the chosen people of Israel,” he explained to the Voice of AmericaRafael Murcia, Benedictine monk of the Basilica of the Lord of Esquipulas.

The celebration of the Three Wise Men is mainly linked to Christian traditions, especially in Catholic churches and some branches of Protestantism. It was brought to America by the Spanish colonizers, who established it by force after subduing the indigenous civilizations that already lived on the continent.

Judaism, for its part, has its own festivities and celebrations, such as Shabbat, a weekly day of rest; the Jewish Passover or the Day of Atonement, festivities related to its history, culture and religious laws.

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