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Poland celebrates Feast of Epiphany

06.01.2024 09:15
Hundreds of colorful street parades are set to occur in over 800 towns and small localities across Poland and abroad on Saturday to mark the Roman Catholic Church’s Feast of the Epiphany.
An Epiphany parade in Warsaw
An Epiphany parade in Warsaw Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

The Feast of Epiphany, also commonly referred to as Three Kings' Day, holds great significance in the Roman Catholic Church and is celebrated as a public holiday in Poland. It is a cherished tradition that has been observed for centuries.

Celebrated every year on January 6, it commemorates the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem to pay tribute to the baby Jesus 12 days after his birth. The day has been a public holiday in Poland since 2011 when it was reinstated after a hiatus of more than five decades.

This year’s Epiphany feast is expected to see processions taking to the streets of 800 cities and towns around the country, and abroad. The processions will feature people of all ages, wearing paper crowns, as well as richly dressed actors portraying the Three Wise Men from the Bible—Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

The first procession of the three kings in Poland began in 2009. This year, the event will be held in many Polish cities as well as in several abroad. They will set off in the USA (Niles), in Germany (Munich and Neviges), in France (Lissieu), as well as in Africa in Nyakinama in Rwanda, in Burhynyi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Esseng in Cameroon, in Zambia in Lusaka and the city of Mansa.

(aj)

Source: PAP