!!!Dreikönig

Epiphany: Festival celebrated on January 6 to commemorate the 
adoration of the magi and the first manifestation of Jesus Christ; 
until the 4%%sup th/%  century this day was celebrated as the day of 
the baptism of Christ (which was regarded as the actual birth) and was 
also regarded as the beginning of the year. In 1164, the bones of the 
three wise men, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar (originally 
astrologers) were transferred from Milan to Cologne, where they were 
venerated with particular fervour. In Austria, the visit of the Magi 
to the infant Jesus was reflected in numerous traditions and customs 
such as Epiphany plays, Epiphany rides or the custom of "Sternsingen" 
("star singing"), which have been revived in Oberndorf, Gmunden, 
Heiligenblut, Bad Ischl, Scheibbs and St. Gilgen. Since 1954, 
small groups of children from "Jungschar", the Catholic Children's 
Association (one child holding the star), have been making these 
rounds, singing carols and collecting money for Third World projects 
in small groups. This custom of "Sternsingen" is connected with a 
renewed interest in the blessing of houses with consecrated incense, 
or the writing of the initials K+M+B (Gaspar, Melchior, Balthasar) 
with consecrated chalk on doors).

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Various masked parades take place during the night before Epiphany, 
the last of the 12 Holy Nights. For example, the Perchten processions 
in Pongau or the "Gloecklerlaeufe" in the Salzkammergut region (in 
particular in Ebensee). Here, the "Goeckler", young men dressed in 
white with large head covers which are illuminated from within and 
bells around their waists, run from house to house. This tradition 
originated in the 1860s, the name "Gloeckler" is derived 
from "klocken" ("to knock") and refers to older alms-begging 
traditions with masks.

!Literature
R. Fochler, Von Neujahr bis Silvester, 1971; E. Hoerandner 
and F. Jary, Mitfeiern! Festland Oesterreich, 1983; H. M. Wolf, 
Das Brauchbuch, 1992. - Wissenschaftlicher Film des OeWF: H. 
Fielhauer, "Maulgab", "Raeuchern", 
"Sampermilch", 1969.


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