Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is the star in the East. On Dec. 24th it aligns with the three brightest stars in Orion's belt which are called (and have been called since ancient times) the three kings. The three kings line up perfectly with Sirius pointing to the exact spot in which the Sun will rise the next morning. The larger constellation in which this takes place was known to the ancients as the manger or the cradle which is visible just before dawn on Dec. 25th. So the three kings or three magi effectually follow the star in the East to the manger, the birthplace of God's Sun at the Winter Solstice. Easter also derives from the Eastern Star Sirius. The three gifts of the magi are Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. Frankincense is an amber resin that was burned at solar temples, Myrrh was known as tears of the Sun, and Gold too long represented the Sun in the ancient world.