Epiphany Day procession attended by thousands in Poznan

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Kids, playing members of one of the wise men's entourage, watch with attention as the actors recreate the scene of gift-offerings for Baby Jesus.

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Two children take part in the Three Wise Men procession watch the final recreation of gift-offering for Jesus.

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Chester, a camel born in the Gobi dessert, is brought to Poznan and is a star of the Three Wise Men Procession. Many kids have come to the procession just to see the camel on the streets of the city.

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A schoolkid carrying a smaller star from the Balthasar wise man's entourage watches with attention the final scene of gift offering for Jesus. After the recreation a special mass was preached in a nearby church.

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Stars and yellow-red flags are important symbols of the Epiphany Day celebrations. The Three Wise Men procession takes part in more than 90 cities in Poland.

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One of the children taking part in the procession watches with a lot of attention as actors playing the wise men offer their gifts to Jesus.

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Despite rainy weather, Old Market Square in Poznan has been crowded with few thousand attendees of the procession. The Epiphany Day is a bank holiday in Poland and almost no shops are opened.

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Three Wise Men (from the left: Balthasar, Melchior and hidden Kasper) prepare to recreate a scene of gift-offering for Baby Jesus. Kasper has been played by a man, who has won a charity auction beforehand.

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The Three Wise Men Procession, opened with a golden star symbolically showing the way, enters the Old Market Square in Poznan during the main part of the ceremony.

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One of the younger spectators of the Three Wise Men Procession gets bored with the plot and takes out her mobile phone, pushed against the safety bars.

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Despite rainy weather, many families have come to the procession. A small kid sits on parent's arms with an umbrella over its head.

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A scene of devil tempting the wise men to abandon Jesus. An actor spits out fire and shouts "Do not go to Bethlehem!".

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An actor playing king Melchior, one of the wise men, in the middle of the procession, followed by hundreds of participants. According to Polish tradition, the wise men are depicted as kings from the west, east and south.

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Schoolchildren carry a golden star, leading the Three Wise Men Procession, as it goes through one of the busies streets in Poznan on its way to the Market Square.

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A schoolkid is playing a Roman guard in one of several theatrical scenes along the way of the procession. Here the entrance of the wise men to Jerusalem is recreated on the historical walls of the Poznan castle.

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Melchior, one of the three wise men, rides on a horse in the procession and waives to the spectating citizens.

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A very young kid sits on his parent's arms taking part in the Three Wise Men Procession. Poznan's city library is visible in the background.

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Despite rainy weather, many families have come to the procession. Pictured is a very young girl sitting on the arms of her father, both are wearing paper crowns.

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Schoolchildren carry a golden star, opening the procession and are followed by the local archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki (purple hat), vice-mayor of Poznan and members of the Poznan chapter of the Knights of Columbus.

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During the procession Christmas carols are sung. Every participant, along with a paper crown, has received a songbook of carols.

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Teenagers from one of the Poznan's schools lead the procession, carrying a golden star. According to the Christian tradition, the Wise Men have found the birthplace of Jesus thanks to a gold shining star.

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Actor playing Balthasar, the African Wise Man, sits atop Chester, a camel which is a star of the procession. According to Christian tradition, Jesus Christ was greeted by Wise Men from Africa, Europe and Asia.

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Members of the Knights of Columbus Christian organisation participate in the procession. Polish chapter of the Knights of Columbus is only few years old.

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The organisers of the Three Wise Men Procession have prepared few thousand paper crowns for the participating citizens.

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Children from various schools in Poznan take part in the ceremony, dressed in colorful cloaks, and lead the procession. One of the kids carries a box symbolizing gifts that the wise men gave Jesus according to the tradition.

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A few thousand citizens of Poznan attended a traditional procession on the Epiphany Day, known as the Three Wise Men Procession. Together with some 90 other cities in Poland, Poznan celebrated this national religious holiday.