EPIPHANY

6th January 2024

Christian (Anglican and Roman Catholic)

This is the ‘twelfth day of Christmas’, but in the Church calendar the Epiphany season lasts until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The festival commemorates the first two occasions on which, according to Christian belief, Jesus’ divinity was manifested: when the three kings (also known as the wise men or Magi) visited the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, bearing symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; and when John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the River Jordan. The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches emphasize the visit of the Magi when they celebrate the Epiphany; the Orthodox churches focus on Jesus’ baptism.

Epiphany means manifestation or showing forth. It is also called Theophany (manifestation of God), especially by Orthodox Christians. Some Orthodox churches consider Jesus’ baptism to be the first step towards the crucifixion. The liturgical colour for the Epiphany season is white.

In many parts of Europe, the celebration of Epiphany is at least as important as the celebration of Christmas. While in England and her historical colonies the custom has long been to give gifts on Christmas Day itself, in Italy and other Mediterranean countries, Christians exchange gifts on Three Kings’ Day – the day on which the Wise Men brought their gifts to the Christ Child.

In some European countries, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, children dress as the three kings and visit houses. In their roles as the kings, or wise men, they sing about the birth of Jesus and pay homage to the ‘king of kings’. They are rewarded with praise and cookies.

‘Dia de los Reyes Magos’ is the Latin American celebration of Epiphany, where it is the three wise men and not Santa Claus who bring gifts. Children write letters to the wise men telling them how good they have been and what gifts they want. In France ‘Le Jour des Rois’ (the Day of Kings), sometimes called the ‘Fête des Rois’, is celebrated with parties both for children and for adults. The ‘galette des rois’, or cake of kings, highlights these celebrations. This cake is round and flat, cut in the pantry, covered with a white napkin and carried into the dining room.

Children in Spain often fill their shoes with straw or grain (for the three kings’ horses to eat) and place them on balconies or by the front door on Epiphany Eve. The next day they find cookies, sweets or gifts in their place. In many Spanish cities the ‘three kings’ make an entry on Epiphany Eve, accompanied by military bands and drummers in medieval dress. Some countries in the Mediterranean welcome the ‘magic wise men’ who arrive by boat, bearing presents for children.

The gift of gold was the gift people usually gave to their King. By offering gold they were recognising Jesus as their King. The second gift, frankincense, is a white gum from a tree which, when hardened, will burn giving off a fragrant smell. It was burnt as an offering to God during worship, used as a medicine and a perfume. The third gift, myrrh, also a gum from a thorny tree, was used for healing wounds because it is an antiseptic that soothes redness and relieves pain, and so acts as a symbol of future suffering.

Epiphany is the day when some say that all Christmas decorations should be taken down, since otherwise bad luck will follow.
Matthew 21:1-12.