Epiphany holiday traditionally is celebrated on January 6th. On this day we commemorate the visit of the
Three Wise Man to the Baby Jesus.
Polish people take small boxes containing
chalk, water, incense,
in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at
home, they inscribe "K+M+B+" and the year with the blessed chalk above
every door in the house, according to tradition, to provide protection
against illness and misfortune for those within.
The letters, with a
cross after each one stand for the traditionally
applied names of
the Three Kings in Polish - Kacper, Melchior and
Baltazar. They remain above the doors all year until they are dusted off or replaced by new markings the next year. Epiphany in Poland also signals the beginning of
the carnival time.
In some cities there are street parades organised to welcome the Wise Men, who often ride on camels. The Wise Men pass out sweets, carols are sung, and living nativity scenes are enacted,
In 2011, by an act of Parliament, Epiphany was restored as
an official
non-working national public holiday in Poland for the first time since
it was cancelled under communism fifty years before.
