Happy New Year, my friends, and a blessed weekend and January 6th – Day of Epiphany -to you.
Do you celebrate Epiphany? It’s only been in the last several years that I am learning the beauty and importance of this special observance. Though I’m certainly no expert, I would love to pass along some of what I’ve learned so far.
Did you know that the traditional 12 days of Christmas are not the 12 days leading up to Christmas, but the 12 days afterward? In most of the Western church culture, the 12 days of Christmas begin either on Christmas night (Dec. 25) or the next morning (Dec. 26) and extend through January 6th, which is known as Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings.
January 6th is also known as the Twelfth Day, and some families have an additional gathering including sharing sweets and gifts on this occasion. Fun!
January 6 is also the day that many families finally take down their Christmas decorations. (So if you feel behind… just claim Epiphany – haha.)
One thing I just learned this year is that each country has its own variation of a round sweet bread, sweet-roll, or almond bread ring that Epiphany celebrators will eat on this day. {YUM!} This sweet bread is decorated by a paper crown – either a larger crown placed inside the ring or smaller gold colored crowns decorating the top. Some of the cakes have a small figure of a king or a baby (representing baby Jesus) hidden inside. Sound familiar? {Our Mardi Gras King Cakes.}
Another centuries-old custom is The Chalking of the Doors, where a special sign is written above the door in chalk. This sign looks like a strange equation, but once you know how to read it, the meaning is beautiful. The equation is the current year split in half, with the letters and symbols +, C, +, M, +, B, and + placed in between.
The letters are said to represent the names of the three symbolic Magi who visited Jesus in His first home, Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar. But the letters actually abbreviate the Latin phrase: Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, “May Christ bless the house.”
The “+” signs separating the letters represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “19” at the end, mark this current year. This equation symbolizes a request for Christ to bless the homes so marked, and all who enter.
A traditional prayer or blessing is said over the home, usually by the head of the family. An example of this blessing is:
May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.
I love this, and have written it over our doors for the past several years. Traditionally the chalk writing remains through Easter. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help to remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who come and go belong to Christ. (It’s also a wonderful conversation starter with guests and the UPS man!)
Epiphany means “to show,” “to make known,” or “to reveal.” It is a part of the Christmas season where we are challenged to reflect on how the wise men sought out the Christ-Child, brought Him gifts, and revealed Jesus to the on-looking world as the Real Lord and King.
Epiphany is to be a time where we focus on the truth that those who seek Jesus will find Him, just as the Wise Men did.
“You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
When the Wise Men bowed down to Jesus and presented Him their valuable gifts, they acknowledged Him as King of all Kings… not just King of the religious people, but King of everyone, of you and of me. PTL!
Our home will celebrate a “Season of Epiphany” beginning on January 6, and lasting through Ash Wednesday. During this time, we will reflect upon the life of Jesus, the Gift of Jesus, and the mission of Jesus and His church body in light of the Nativity…what it means to belong to Him, to be filled by Him, and to be poured out for His glory.
Honestly, I want to live in observance of this season of Epiphany. How about you?
Epiphany trumpets the call for all of us to become wise men (and women) who seek Jesus, searching for Him with all of our hearts (Jer. 29:13) as we present ourselves to Him as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
“When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts – gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11 (Amp)
As we move ahead into 2019, let’s do it with a wiseman’s mindset of Epiphany…of seeking and finding Jesus and bowing before Him in all things.
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;”
Lamentations 3:25
Happy New Year, and a blessed Season of Epiphany to you all ~
PS: If you’d like to learn more about Epiphany, this is an excellent web article. Also, This is a wonderful website about all of the Christian observances during the church year. I highly encourage you to visit and study through this site, link by link. I promise, you’ll be blessed! 🙂
