Hundreds of thousands joined the Three Kings’ Epiphany processions across Poland

06/01/2025
Culture

The Three Kings’ processions passed through the streets of 905 cities across Poland. This year the event is held under the slogan “Bow down kings!”. According to VaticanNewsPL, more than 2 million people participated in the celebrations. Some 600,000 crowns and 170,000 songbooks with carols have been prepared for participants.

The motto of this year’s Orszak Trzech Króli or Three Kings Epiphany procession ‘Bow down kings!’ comes from the pastoral song ‘Do szopy, hej pasterze’, which was first published in 1931 in the Polish city of Lwów.

The most important moment of each procession is the bowing to the newborn Jesus.

“This year, referring to the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of Prince Bolesław Chrobry as King of Poland, we want to point out that a true king on this earth can bow down to the Supreme King who lies in a stable,” Orszak Trzech Króli Foundation chairman Piotr Giertych told the Polish Press Agency.

Mr Giertych informed that 600,000 crowns and 170,000 songbooks with carols had been prepared for the procession participants.

The Epiphany processions will pass through the streets of 905 cities in the country and abroad, including the United States, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Kongo, and Kazakhstan.

The Feast of the Three Kings takes place in the Catholic Church on 6 January. It is one of the first celebrations to be established by the Church – (in the 3rd century in the Eastern Church, and the 4th century in the Western Church).

Since 2011, it has been a public holiday in Poland, as well as in other countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Austria and Switzerland.

The celebrations are accompanied by the staging of nativity plays and so-called herod performances. The first procession of the three kings in Poland took place in 2009.