Bavaria's holiday buyer flock to Holy-Drei-Könige to Hessen!

on the "Heilige three kings" holiday on January 6, 2025, retail in Bavaria is closed, which causes numerous Bavarian customers to travel to the neighboring Hesse region, where the shops are open to public intercourse. This situation means that popular shopping destinations in Primaveraland, such as the Department of Mittel in Seligenstadt, the Hanauer Forum and the Höffner furniture store in Gründau-Liebslos, record rain.
The expectation of numerous vehicles with license plates from Aschaffenburg, Alzenau and Miltenberg is high because many people take the opportunity to shop in Hesse. The hardware stores Andre and Oestreicher in Zellhausen and Babenhausen also expect a rush of Bavarian customers. Purchasing in Hesse is particularly convenient for the residents of Kahl because they can easily reach the shops in Großkrotzenburg by bike or on foot.

The celebrations for the Three Kings on January 6th have a long tradition. The holiday is legally recognized in three federal states in Germany: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. He is also committed in Austria and some cantons in Switzerland. Supermarkets, banks and the mail remain closed in the holiday federal states on this day. However, some bakers and flower shops have limited opening times: Bakers are only open for three hours in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, in Saxony-Anhalt for five hours. Petrol stations may be open all day in all three federal states.
The origin of the holiday goes back to the three kings Melchior, Balthasar and Caspar, who brought gifts to the Christ Child in Bethlehem. The holiday is officially referred to as the "appearance of the Lord" or "Epiphany". While the Catholic Church dedicated the festival of the "Sterneuther", the Evangelical Church dedicates the day to the kings.
The names of the kings symbolically stand for the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe, whereby the exact assignment remains unclear. An important custom, the "Dreikönigsingen", was introduced in 1959 and is based on a medieval tradition. The so -called Sternsinger collect money for a good cause and label the doors with the year and the initials C+M+B, which stand for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" (Christ bless this house).