Today, Jan. 6, is Three Kings Day, or Epiphany.
The day marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas and is celebrated by many around the world.
While celebrations vary, the day marks the time when the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. The day officials marks the end of the Christmas season.
Here’s what to know.
Three Kings Day is an ancient Christian holiday that actually predates the celebration of Christmas, according to history.com.
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Epiphany has marked the end of the 12 days of Christmas for centuries, history.com said.
“Although Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season, it is also a beginning. For many cities around the globe, including New Orleans, the holiday starts the season of Carnival in the lead up to Mardi Gras.”
The 12 days marks “the amount of time that spans the birth of Jesus, and according to tradition when the magi visited Mary, Joseph, and their child,” according to thecrossingchurch.com.
“In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, Epiphany celebrates the revelation that Jesus is the son of God,” according to catholicwitness.com.
Most places around the world celebrate Epiphany on the holiday’s traditional date, Jan. 6, according to history.com.
However, according to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Epiphany falls on Jan. 19, because these churches still use the Julian calendar.
The day is known as Theophany in the East, according to catholicwitness.com.
Epiphany is derived from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning manifestation, or to reveal.
“The early Christian church established the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6 to commemorate several miraculous events that ‘manifested’ Jesus’ divinity.”
The Three Kings, or Maji — the wise men — arrived with gifts for baby Jesus.
Named in the Bible, they are Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, and they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Carnival season begins on Epiphany, Jan. 6, ending on Fat Tuesday on Feb. 17.
Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday.
Weeks of activities, including parades, parties, costumes, king cakes, beads and plenty of music, according to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Here’s a peek at how Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, is celebrated around the world, according to history.com: