Catholic Epiphany
Description:
The content of the holiday is the church tale of the worship of the baby Jesus of pagan kings - the magicians Kaspar, Melchior and Belshazzar, who came with gifts to Bethlehem. In memory of the appearance of Christ to the pagans, thanksgiving prayers are performed in churches.
On the Feast of the Three Kings, it is also customary to do charity work. Groups of children dressed as three kings who came to worship the newborn Jesus, accompanied by adults, tour Czech homes, sing Christmas carols and raise funds to help those in need. For the first time, the collection of donations by the Three Kings was organized in the Moravian city of Olomouc, and since 2001, the collection of donations in the first days of January has become traditional throughout the republic. Nearly 32 million crowns were raised.
January 6 is the last day of winter holidays, which in Catholic countries, including the Czech Republic, means the beginning of the Carnival (Czech “masopust”). Masopust is a time of entertainment and balls. During this period, concert halls, palaces, castles, schools hold numerous balls, where ladies come in evening dresses, and gentlemen in dresses. The crown dance of all Czech balls is of course a waltz.
The culmination of the Carnival reaches in the last three days before Lent - on "fat" Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. This is a pagan folk festival of the wires of winter and the meeting of spring, its content is not associated with the Christian religion, although the timing and duration of the Carnival are determined by the church calendar.