EPIPHANY and the 12 DAYS of
CHRISTMAS
Christmas is over and New Year’s
passes, time to take down the festive decorations and Christmas tree
correct? No. The “12 days of Christmas” are celebrated from
December 25 to January 5, culminating in the “Epiphany” on January 6. So if you are a Christian, consider keeping
up those decorations and nativity scenes and Christmas trees through JANUARY 6.
“Epiphany”: (simple modern definition)
A moment when you suddenly understand something in a new clear way. The word comes from the greek word
epiphainein which means “reveal” and the latin word epiphania (revelation,
appearance, manifestation).
Early Christians celebrated a Feast
of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The feast is officially on January 6 but in mass is celebrated on the Sunday
that falls between January 2 and January 8.
Epiphany appears to have originally celebrated the nativity of Jesus, the
visit by the “wise men”, the baptism of Jesus, and the first miracle of Jesus,
all revelations of God to man:
·
Nativity: God is revealed in the physical nature
of man and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow before him.
·
Visitation of the 3 magi or wise men: Christ’s
divine nature is revealed to the gentiles (non-jews).
·
Christ’s baptism: The holy spirit is revealed,
declaring Jesus as the “son” of God.
Jesus was Baptist when he was approximately 30 years old and then began
to evangelize teaching men and women about our Creator.
·
Wedding in Cana: Christ reveals divinity through
the performance of one (of many) eye-witnessed miracles.
In the English lands (former
colonies of Great Britain such as the USA, Australia, etc), the custom has been
to give gifts on Christmas when we all serve in honor of Saint Nicholas (Santa
Niclaus), but in some countries the custom is to give gifts on the Epiphany
(January 6) representing when the visitors (wise men) brought gifts to Jesus
and his family. In northern Europe some
give gifts throughout the 12 days of Christmas (i.e. gifts from Santa on
Christmas, then small gift every day through Epiphany).
The period from Christmas to
Epiphany is also known as “Christmastide”.
Today Orthodox (Eastern)
Christians, Catholic Christians, and Anglican Christians observe Epiphany,
although the custom is not well known among Protestant Christians.
Epiphany is sometimes referred to
as “Three Kings Day” (El Dia de los Reyes) or “Feast of the 3 Kinds” or the “Twelfth
Day” or “Festival of the the 3 Magic Kings” (Spain) (Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes
Mages).
Christmas day is the celebration of
the birth of Christ, and this ushers in the 12 days of celebration of Christ
ending on the Epiphany. Each day has
been a celebration of a particular saint:
·
Dec. 25: Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
·
Dec. 26: Celebrate Saint Stephens; the first
Christian martyr.
·
Dec. 27: Saint John the Apostle
·
Dec. 28: The feast of holy innocents (the baby
boys King Herod might have ordered killed in Judea)
·
Dec. 29: Saint Thomas Becket, ArchBishop of
Canterbury murdered in Dec. 29, 1170 for challenging a king’s authority over
the church.
·
Dec. 30: Saint Egwin of Worcester.
·
Dec. 31: Pope Sylvester 1 (4th
century pope) and New Year’s Eve.
·
Jan. 1: Mary, mother of Jesus.
·
Jan. 2: Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory
Nazianzen (4th century Christians).
·
Jan. 3: Feast of the holy name of Jesus.
·
Jan. 4: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first
American saint (18th-19th century Christian).
·
Jan. 5: Saint John Newmann, first American
Bishop (19th century).
So remember why
we celebrate Christmas (birth of Christ), but remember to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas in the period
through Epiphany.
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