life in this republic

Tři králové Three Kings

January 6th

It is a tradition in the Czech Republic that on Epiphany (or Three King's Day) Kašpar, Melichar and Baltasar (better known to us as Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar), go door to door collecting money for charity. On January 6th the girls and I had planned to go into town for shopping and lunch. We were just getting in the car when little versions of  Kašpar, Melichar and Baltasar were seen walking up the sidewalk by our driveway. I waved at them to go past so I could drive off and they misinterpreted my wave as one of "come here" and so I experienced  probably what is the first and only drive-thru Three Kings song and dance routine. I opened my window and Kašpar, Melichar and Baltasar peered in. They sang a song for me and I passed money through my window into their mittened paws. It felt strangely like a McDrive transaction though what I received in return  was not cheeseburger goodness but two restaurant packets of sugar and a small card with a 2012 calendar printed on the back. Surreal.

When we got home we noticed that Kašpar, Melichar and Baltasar had tagged our house with this:

After a Wikipedia search I discovered these letters, both representing Kašpar, Melichar and Baltasar and the Latin phrase  (C+M+B) "Christus mansionem benedicat" – let Christ bless this house. Pluses are in fact crosses. The inscription is written with chalk (consecrated in church) every year on the 6th of January in order to give each home symbolic protection.