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Three Kings' Day (January 6th)

On the eve of January 6th, the letters KMB were written over the door of each household. These letters honored the three kings who came to greet the newly-born Jesus. On this day, costumed kings with retinues visited all of the farmsteads. Their clothes were seldom actually regal; they consisted of long furs, hats woven from thick sheaves of straw decorated with berry branches and so forth. The kings visited each house to greet its inhabitants with the news of Christ's birth, to herald the new year and to wish them a good harvest. In order to guarantee that the kings' blessings would be fulfilled, farmers showered them with gifts.


next previous contents
Next: Shrove Tuesday (Seven Weeks before Easter) Previous: New Year's Day (January 1st)

"LITHUANIAN ROOTS", Edited by Rytis Ambrazevicius

Copyright ©, 1996 Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre.