The Three Wise Men
And There Was Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar
The story of the three wise men dates back to the birth of Jesus. In the Bible their names are not referenced or mentioned. They were mentioned as magi, but over time they were known as The Three Wise Men.
Their names were Melchor from Persia, Gaspar from India and Baltasar from Arabia. The Three Wise Men followed a star that led them to Jesus, who was born right under the star. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to give to him. The gold represented his status as King of the Jews, frankincense represented his divinity, and the son of God, and the myrrh represented Jesus’ mortality.
Some Latin-American countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Paraguay celebrate the Day of the Three Wise Men instead of Christmas. Many popular representations make it look like they arrived on Christmas, but they arrived 12 days after Christmas, so it is celebrated on January 6th.
Instead of having Santa Claus bring them presents, the Three Wise Men bring them presents. At night, you put your shoe under the tree or outside on your porch, and by the next day presents will be right next to them. The Three Wise Men are historical and religious figures, but bring a lot of joy to kids all across Latin-America.
