The Three Kings have inspired countless customs and traditions, and no nativity scene would be complete without them. A look at the newborn baby Jesus’ three wondrous visitors and their backstory. In Christmas cribs, they are always the last figures to appear: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, the Three Kings bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh who followed the star of Bethlehem to find the Christ Child, arriving at the scene of the nativity on 6 January, marking the end of the Christmas period. It is worth taking a closer look at the story behind these three distinguished visitors and their appearance for they were not always known as kings, but were often commonly referred to as magi, stargazers or wise men. The manner in which they are depicted has also changed over the centuries to reflect the zeitgeist of the time – and continues to do so today. Swissinfo regularly publishes articles from the Swiss National Museum’s blog dedicated to historical topics. The ...
