The Procession of The Three Kings
After a big New Year's Party on the Market Square in Kraków, where the crowds of citizens and visitors were celebrating until dawn, no one dare say that the New Year 2020 was not welcomed appropriately. However, it is not the end of artistic events in the former capital city of Poland.
Like every year on January 6, the Procession of the Three Kings will go through the streets of Kraków to give their gifts and honour the Baby Jesus. But this year the event will be special, because it takes place for the 10th time! The jubilee procession, whose main theme is 'Miracles, miracles they're announcing!', will get through 3 different routes.
The red procession (called European) leaves from the Wawel Castle and it follows the Star of Bethlehem through Grodzka Street. The green procession, which symbolizes the Asian continent, leaves from Dębniki district and goes through Dębnicki Bridge, Planty Park and Szewska Street, whereas the blue procession (the African one) starts from Matejki Square and continues through Floriańska Street. As the custom is, all the processions eventually will meet on the Main Square, where the Holy Family will be waiting for them.
The Procession of Three Kings will be traditionally accompanied by numerous carol singers, children and youth dressed in costumes of knights and court ladies, musicians, as well as the legendary Lajkonik! The event will be culminated in Christmas play (Jasełka) and carolling on the Main Market Square. The procession will be also the opportunity to raise donations for charity, such as the St. Padre Pio Foundation.
The Procession of the Three Kings is considered as one of the biggest street Christmas pageant in the world. According to the data provided by the organizers, in 2019 this event was held in almost 800 places in Poland and abroad and it was attended by 1,2 million participants. In 2020, the Procession of the Three Kings will take place in 18 locations on different continents.