Three Kings Day

One of our family's favorite read-alouds during the holiday season when Dawn and Ross were little was Tomie DePaola's The Story of the Three Wise Kings.

Every parent knows that kids say and do the most amazing, amusing, and/or annoying things on a daily basis.  Most we forget, but some make a lasting impression. 

In this picture book, the kings ask Herod, "Where is he that has been born to be king of the Jews?"  Apparently this made quite an impression on Ross.  One cold January day when we were in McDonald's waiting for his Happy Meal, I propped him up on the counter while I paid.  He would have been close to 2 years old at that time.  The place was not very busy, but during a rare hush in the crowd, Ross threw out his arms and loudly proclaimed to all, "I  AM  KING  OF  THE  JEWS!"  Not just once either...

Ahhh, memories... however, I don't remember what I said to Ross to clarify this King of the Jews concept.  I think the Happy Meal arrived and I hustled him out of there pronto.

Today I got to thinking about my dad using chalk that had been blessed to mark our doorframe with the initials K + M + B (for Kings Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar) on Three Kings Day when I was little.  We also got a tiny manila envelope with incense at church.  Here's what I found out about this Polish custom after doing a little internet research:

The Epiphany or Feast of the Three Kings - Trzech Kroli
On Twelfth Night, Jan. 6, Poles take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, incense and a piece of amber, in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at home, they inscribe the date and "K+M+B" with the blessed chalk above every door in the house to provide protection against illness and misfortune for those within. For 2011, it would look like "20 K+M+B 11." The letters, with a cross after each one, stand for names of the Three Kings -- Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They remain above the doors all year until they are inadvertently dusted off or replaced by new markings the next year.  (from about.com)

Hmmm, I always thought the + signs meant "and"!  I remember wanting to use the chalk on our blackboard and dad telling me that it was blessed chalk and not for playing.  I wonder what happened to all that holy chalk over the years...

Happy Three Kings Day!