Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day)
The Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, is celebrated on January 6 and holds significant meaning across various branches of Christianity. It commemorates the manifestations of Jesus' divinity, including the visit of the Magi (Three Wise Men), His baptism, and His first miracle at the wedding at Cana. The day culminates the Christmas season and is sometimes referred to as the Twelfth Day, following the Twelve Days of Christmas. Different cultures observe unique customs surrounding this feast; for example, in some Hispanic and Latin countries, children leave food for the Wise Men's camels and place their shoes out for gifts. The Italian tradition features La Befana, a benevolent figure who brings treats to children. In Bavaria and Austria, children participate in the Star Singers tradition, caroling as kings and collecting donations for charity. The Eastern Orthodox churches focus on Jesus' baptism, marked by the Solemn Blessing of Water. In Roman Catholic traditions, blessed chalk is distributed for families to write symbols over their doorways as a form of blessing. Overall, the Feast of the Epiphany is a rich celebration that highlights diverse cultural practices and deep-rooted religious significance.
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Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day)
Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day)
The Feast of the Epiphany, commemorated in varying degrees by nearly all branches of Christianity on January 6, was first observed before a.d. 194 and predates the celebration of Christmas. It is named for the Greek word epiphaneia (appearance) and refers to the various manifestations of the divinity of Jesus described in the Bible—the visitation of the infant Jesus by three wise men or astrologers from the East (known as the Magi or Three Kings); the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan river, when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and a voice proclaimed Jesus the Son of God; and Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, when he turned water into wine. While the Eastern Orthodox churches focus on the baptism, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate the visit by the Three Wise Men.
The eve of the Epiphany, January 5, is called Twelfth Night, since it is the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Epiphany itself— the culmination of the Christmas season—is sometimes called the Twelfth Day. It was on January 6, 1601, that William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night was first presented in a command performance at Whitehall Palace for Queen Elizabeth I. Although most of the pageantry attached to the Feast of the Epiphany in the past has long since disappeared, the day continues to be observed by Christians around the world.
Some cultures have adopted the French custom of baking a special “king's cake” for the Epiphany, in which is buried a tiny trinket suggesting the baby Jesus. The finding of the trinket symbolizes the discovery of Christ's divinity by the Three Wise Men. The cake is round to resemble a king's crown. (This custom appears in New Orleans during the season of Mardi Gras, which traditionally begins after the Twelfth Night and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.
Hispanic and Latin countries, as well as some European nations, commemorate the feast as Three Kings' Day (el Dia de los Tres Reyes, la Fiesta de Reyes, or el Dia de los Reyes Magos in Spanish; Driekoningendag in Dutch). In Spain and Puerto Rico, on the eve of the Epiphany, children leave food for the Wise Men's camels and place their shoes outside a window so the Wise Men may leave small gifts in the shoes overnight. Italian children wait for La Befana, an old woman or witch who had initially refused the Three Wise Men shelter and help in locating the baby Jesus. According to legend, she had a change of heart, and on the eve of the Epiphany she searches the world on her broomstick for the Christ child, leaving sweet treats in the stockings of children who have been good and coal for those who have been naughty. In the Piazza Navona in Rome, the Befana appears at the toy and sweet market on January 6 to give children their presents in person. From January 1 through 6, children in Bavaria and Austria carry out the tradition of the Star Singers by caroling from door to door while dressed as kings and holding up a large star. They often sing a Three Kings song and are rewarded with sweets or money, which they donate to church charities or underdeveloped countries.
The Byzantine Catholic Church and other Eastern churches perform the Solemn Blessing of Water at Epiphany. This ceremony commemorates Christ's baptism in the Jordan. During the ritual, water is blessed first with incense and then with a Trolca, a lighted triple candle representing the Holy Trinity, and finally with a wooden cross, which is immersed in the water three times. Throughout the ceremony, the bishop reads from scripture and recites the Ektenia of Peace, which contains petitions for the blessing of the water and the homes of the worshipers. At the end, those present fill containers with the water, which they drink in order to purify their bodies and souls.
The Roman Catholic Church commemorates the Epiphany on the Sunday closest to January 6 by distributing chalk that has been blessed with holy water to worshipers at Mass. The people use the chalk to write the year and C + M + B (for Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, the names of the Three Wise Men) over their doorways at home.