Epiphany
The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In many Western churches, it celebrates the arrival of the wise men bringing gifts to the Christ child at the manger in Bethlehem. Actually, though, the Bible says they arrived at "the house". In terms of time sequence, it may actually have been as much as three years after Jesus' birth. In any case, in coming to honor Jesus, they "revealed" Jesus to the world as Lord and King.
Epiphany goes by other names in various church traditions. In Hispanic and Latin culture, as well as some places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings’ Day (Spanish: el Dia de los Tres Reyes, la Fiesta de Reyes, or el Dia de los Reyes Magos; Dutch: Driekoningendag). In the Eastern churches it is known as the Theophany. The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions that Jesus' birth, the visit of the Magi, and his baptism were once all celebrated on January 6th.
The gifts
The tradition of giving Christmas gifts stems from the Wise Men (Magi). Their gifts to Jesus were quite costly... gold, incense (frankincense), and myrrh. Bringing gifts was very important in the ancient East when visiting a superior. The gifts of the wise men foreshadowed the reality of Jesus, as below.
Gold
Gold was a gift fit for a King.
Frankincense
Frankincence is a glittering resin obtained from several trees. It has a wonderful smell when burnt, so it was used in worship at the Temple.
Myrrh
Myrrh was a sweet-smelling spice, probably the aromatic gum exuded from the leaves of the cistus rose. Its oil was used in beauty treatments, and it was sometimes mixed with wine and drunk to relieve pain.
It had one other use - a perfume used in embalming. It was used in preparing Jesus' body for burial.
The Wise Men may have also brought myrrh for the baby Jesus for another reason -- it was used as a salve for skin irritations. Babies often get skin rashes (we'd call it "diaper rash".)
Both frankincense and myrrh are still expensive today.
The official day
Epiphany is the climax of the entire Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are counted from December 25th until January 5th. This day before Epiphany is the twelfth day of Christmas, and is sometimes called Twelfth Night, which some cultures observe by feasting. People in some other cultures bake a special King's Cake as part of the festivities of Epiphany, which begins on January 6th.
Traditional Christian churches celebrate Christmas as a season of the church year, not just one day. The season of Christmas begins with the First Sunday of Advent and concludes with Epiphany. The one or two Sundays between Christmas Day and Epiphany are sometimes called Christmastide. In many Protestant denominations, the season of Epiphany extends from Epiphany until Ash Wednesday. Other traditions, especially the Roman Catholic tradition, observe Epiphany as a single day, with the Sundays following Epiphany counted as "Ordinary Time".
The cast
The key cast members
at Epiphany include, of course, the magi ("wise men" or
"astrologers"). But they were not actually "kings",
despite the well-loved hymn and tradition. And the Bible does not
tell us the number of wise men. The number three is just a tradition, as are
their names -- Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
We also traditionally assume that the shepherds were present at the same time as the wise men. Actually, they would have arrived after the birth since the heavenly host of angels announced the birth while they were still in the fields tending their sheep on a cold winter's night. We assume that since it was a stable area, there were some animals around, which has lead to some fancifuil stories too.
An
angel, the little drummer boy, the littlest
donkey, ... The original Biblical cast has swelled over the
years as creators of imaginative cartoons and authors of children's books
invented new ones. There is even a report of a "Christmas
goat" who supposedly breathed on baby Jesus to keep him warm through
the cold night.
Extras ...
Below is an authentic French recipe for Epiphany Cake, emailed to us by "Muddy in France".
Galette des Rois (Cake of kings)
For the authentic French tradition, make this for Epiphany, which is also the day the Christmas tree is traditionally taken down in France.
- Mix together the following ingredients:
100 grams butter
125 grams ground almonds
125 grams icing sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of rum (optional)
teaspoon of almond essence - Mix in a "feve"; originally a bean, but now a tiny ceramic figure. The person who gets the feve is king for the day! If you buy these in bakeries or stores in France they come with cardboard crowns.
- Put this mixture between two rounds of puff pastry in a deep dish pie pan (glass or metal) or quiche dish.
- Score with sharp knife and paint with an egg yolk.
- Cook in 200° F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Related links
The following links are to off-site pages and open in a new window.
- Christmastide (Wikipedia)
- Christmas Recipes Roundup (Southern U.S. Cooking)
- Epiphany Cake (two recipes)
- The Magi in Christian tradition (WikiPedia)
- Magi (Catholic Encyclopedia)
- Meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" song
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Online resources for the Christmas season (many links to historical images).
