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The Gospel records that wise men or the Magi from the East came to Jerusalem in search of the God-child, and that King Herod was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. They travelled that far by following a star that they believed was indicative of Him. Matthew records that the same star later guided them to his birthplace in Bethlehem.

The three gifts they are said to have brought—gold, frankincense, and myrrh were expensive and therefore they later came to be known as the "Three Kings."

Tradition holds it that their names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

In any case, the visit of the three wise men is celebrated on January 6 in the Western Church. In the Eastern Churches, the baptism of Jesus is considered more important on Epiphany. It has been a while since I heard that there is a tradition in the Western Church to chalk a code on the doorposts or the threshold of houses on the feast of Epiphany. The head of the household chalks there C+M+B. These are the initials of their names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. It is a sign that the wise men visited this place. In other words Christ is within. To specify that they visited this year, the year is divided into two parts and added on either side of C+M+B. Thus it will be: 20-C+M+B-26 for this year. (Sometimes it is written in Roman numerals MM-C+M+B-XXVI ).

But only just recently I realized that the one who scribble it does so with a blessing prayer "May the blessing of Christ be upon this house". It was a surprise to know that 'CMB' could also be an abbreviation for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" in Latin, meaning ("May Christ bless this house").

The gentile view (the Magi were gentiles) that the star - a tiny bit of light that gives hope in the darkness - points to Christ/God, once expanded a little further would become the Franciscan view that everything in ycreation - every grain of the universe - points to the Creator.