The Three Wizards will have something extra to carry in addition to the gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh – when they travel this Christmas to worship the newborn Jesus Christ: the COVID-19 health pass.
Craftsmen along San Gregorio Armeno Street, in the historic center of Naples in Italy, have become famous for adapting the manger decoration to modern times.
“Last year was the year of using the mask and so the figures of the Virgin, Joseph and the Three Magi all wore masks … This year it seemed right to continue to follow this direction,” says the craftsman, Marco Ferrinio.
The Green Pass, which indicates that someone has been vaccinated with at least one dose of coronavirus, that they have a negative diagnostic test or that they have recently become ill, is mandatory in Italy to travel from city to city, but also to access a number of cultural and entertainment venues.
“Because the Three Wizards have a long journey to make to the manger, I gave them the Green Pass so they have the documents they need to travel,” explains Ferrinio.
Neapolitan mangers evolved into an art form in the Baroque era.
Many families in Italy have a manger in their homes at Christmas time.
The reaction of the tourists for the Wizards who will be provided with a Green Pass, which will normally carry the QR code, in order to be able to follow the star without any problems, was mainly positive.
“We all have the Green Pass. Why not the Three Wizards? They come from so far away and cross so many countries … It’s a good message for people. We should all have the Green Pass,” says tourist Massimiliano Jangrosi.
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