What is Epiphany?

[LDSmomma]

Over the last few weeks, I've heard a few different things about Epiphany:

Catholics do not remove the Christmas decorations from their home until after a church service celebrating Epiphany, which this year happened on Jan 1.

Northerners don't remove decorations until after Epiphany.

Epiphany commemorates Jesus' baptism.

Epiphany commemorates the three Kings' visit to the baby Jesus.

Epiphany commemorates the moment at which Jesus & God became one.

Each person who's told me one of these things has never heard of the other explanations about Epiphany. I looked online, and got more confused!

[lilyka]

:

We don't celebrate Epiphany...that said I was told it was the celbration of Christs baptism and when the Holy Spirit decened upon Him and His true nature was revealed.

the definition of epiphany is: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b : a revealing scene or moment

which would fit with this but everything I read said the magi visiting. Also everything I read said the 6th of january which is when we celebrate Theophany which IS the Baptism of Christ. I've always been told they were the same celebration with just different names. (wiki says the same but who can trust wiki....)

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by LDSmomma

Over the last few weeks, I've heard a few different things about Epiphany:

Catholics do not remove the Christmas decorations from their home until after a church service celebrating Epiphany, which this year happened on Jan 1.

Northerners don't remove decorations until after Epiphany.

Epiphany commemorates Jesus' baptism.

Epiphany commemorates the three Kings' visit to the baby Jesus.

Epiphany commemorates the moment at which Jesus & God became one.

Each person who's told me one of these things has never heard of the other explanations about Epiphany. I looked online, and got more confused!

Epiphany (Theophany) is always January 6. January 1 is the Catholic feast of the Holy Name, as it commemorates Christ's being given the name Jesus at his circumcision, 8 days after birth, as required by the Jewish Law. In Orthodoxy, Jan. 1 is the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.

Epiphany in Western Christianity is the Feast of the Three Kings. You know the carol, "We Three Kings of Orient Are"?

Theophany, as it is called in Orthodox Christianity, is also observed on January 6, but for us, it's the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. It's BIG STUFF! Christ's baptism in Catholicism and Anglicanism is commemorated on one of the Sundays of Epiphany season (goes from Epiphany through the Sunday before Ash Wednesday).

For the Orthodox, Theophany is the first visible manifestation of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Christ is baptized, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove. Main Orthodox hymn for Theophany:

When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You,
calling You His Beloved Son;
and the Spirit in the form of a dove
confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ our God, You have revealed Yourself,
and have enlightened the world, glory to You.

As for Epiphany commemorates the moment at which Jesus & God became one, that's nowhere in traditional Christian belief. Jesus was ALWAYS God - He became incarnate when He was born. Fully God and fully Man. From the Nicene Creed (aka the Orthodox "statement of faith"):

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages,
Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made,
of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man;

Epiphany season as I experienced it as a Catholic and Episcopalian before I became Orthodox showed the manifestations of Christ to the world - His baptism in the Jordan, the wedding at Cana which was His first miracle (water into wine), etc.

Sometimes Orthodox will call the Feast of Christ's Baptism in the Jordan Epiphany, but the more correct term is Theophany - "theo" indicating God.

The Orthodox remember the visit of the magi on Christmas Day.

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by Tradd

Epiphany (Theophany) is always January 6. January 1 is the Catholic feast of the Holy Name, as it commemorates Christ's being given the name Jesus at his circumcision, 8 days after birth, as required by the Jewish Law. In Orthodoxy, Jan. 1 is the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.

Epiphany in Western Christianity is the Feast of the Three Kings. You know the carol, "We Three Kings of Orient Are"?

Theophany, as it is called in Orthodox Christianity, is also observed on January 6, but for us, it's the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. It's BIG STUFF! Christ's baptism in Catholicism and Anglicanism is commemorated on one of the Sundays of Epiphany season (goes from Epiphany through the Sunday before Ash Wednesday).

For the Orthodox, Theophany is the first visible manifestation of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Christ is baptized, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove. Main Orthodox hymn for Theophany:

When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You,
calling You His Beloved Son;
and the Spirit in the form of a dove
confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ our God, You have revealed Yourself,
and have enlightened the world, glory to You.

As for Epiphany commemorates the moment at which Jesus & God became one, that's nowhere in traditional Christian belief. Jesus was ALWAYS God - He became incarnate when He was born. Fully God and fully Man. From the Nicene Creed (aka the Orthodox "statement of faith"):

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages,
Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made,
of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man;

Epiphany season as I experienced it as a Catholic and Episcopalian before I became Orthodox showed the manifestations of Christ to the world - His baptism in the Jordan, the wedding at Cana which was His first miracle (water into wine), etc.

Sometimes Orthodox will call the Feast of Christ's Baptism in the Jordan Epiphany, but the more correct term is Theophany - "theo" indicating God.

The Orthodox remember the visit of the magi on Christmas Day.

Yeah, that is exactly what I was taught. But with one slight disagreement. I (educated Roman Catholic, although not Catholic still) was taught that Jesus was God from the moment He was conceived in Mary's body, not from the moment of his birth.

[moonshoes]

Excellent answers as usual! As a Catholic, here is an excerpt from NewAdvent.org:

The antiphon to the Benedictus runs: "Today the Church is joined to her celestial spouse, because in Jordan Christ doth wash her sins; the Magi hasten with gifts to the royal marriage-feast, and the guests exult in the water turned to wine." O Sola refers to the Magi only. The Magnificat antiphon of Second Vespers reads: "We keep our Holy Day adored with three miracles: today a star led the Magi to the crib, today wine was made from water at the marriage, today in Jordan Christ willed to be baptized by John to save us."

I do not take my decorations until Epiphany, which, BTW, is the major "Christmas" holiday in many Latin American countries. Children will leave boxes of hay under their beds for the camels and await their gifts from The Three Kings.

Also interesting to note, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the days between Christmas and Epiphany. These are the supposed symbols of the Twelve days in the song:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus Christ
Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments
Three French Hens - The three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
Four Calling/Collie Birds - Four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five Golden Rings - First five books of the Old Testament
Six Geese-a-Laying - Six days of creation before God's rest on the seventh day
Seven Swans-a-Swimming - Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Eight Maids-a-Milking - Eight Beatitudes
Nine Ladies Dancing - Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
Ten Lords-a-Leaping - Ten Commandments
Eleven Pipers Piping - Eleven faithful disciples
Twelve Drummers Drumming -Twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

Many Catholics put up their tree and decorations on Christmas Eve. I don't, but I do wait until the second SUnday of Advent, just to make sure it lasts until Epiphany.

[MyLittleWonders]

To add to the information, my boys and I just read Old Befana by Tomie dePaola yesterday and learned that in Italy, Old Befana visits on the Epiphany. Now my boys are excited to see if Old Befana visits here.

[lilyka]

there are so many fun traditions around this time of year. it is too bad they all get smashed into Christmas day.

[LDSmomma]

Wow, what great information! Thanks so much for clearing this up for me.

My grandmother & I had been wondering why we'd never heard of a celebration of Jesus' Bris, but I'm glad to learn there is one! Thanks!

[JMJ]

Wow, it sounds like it's a little different for some other traditions, but here's a brief listing of the Christmas holidays from a post-Vatican II Catholic perspective:
December 25: Birth of Christ and first day of Christmas
Dec 26: 2nd day of Christmas..... etc.
Sunday between Christmas and New Year's: Feast of the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus)
January 1: Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (Jesus being God, she wasn't the mother of God the Father), World day of Peace, 8th day of Christmas, etc.
January 5: 12th and final day of Christmas
January 6: Epiphany, celebration of the Magi coming, the truth of Christ being revealed to all peoples of all nations This can be celebrated on the nearest Sunday which was January 3 this year.
Sunday after Epiphany: Baptism of the Lord, last day of the Christmas season, even though the 12 days of Christmas have been finished for several days. The next day begins the first week of "Ordinary Time"

Many Catholics will leave Christmas decorations up until after Epiphany. My mom leaves her manger scenes up until after the Baptism of the Lord.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by Llyra

Yeah, that is exactly what I was taught. But with one slight disagreement. I (educated Roman Catholic, although not Catholic still) was taught that Jesus was God from the moment He was conceived in Mary's body, not from the moment of his birth.

Yeah, that's what I MEANT to say. Sleep.... ZZZZZZZZ

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by moonshoes

Also interesting to note, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the days between Christmas and Epiphany. These are the supposed symbols of the Twelve days in the song:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus Christ
Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments
Three French Hens - The three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
Four Calling/Collie Birds - Four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five Golden Rings - First five books of the Old Testament
Six Geese-a-Laying - Six days of creation before God's rest on the seventh day
Seven Swans-a-Swimming - Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Eight Maids-a-Milking - Eight Beatitudes
Nine Ladies Dancing - Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
Ten Lords-a-Leaping - Ten Commandments
Eleven Pipers Piping - Eleven faithful disciples
Twelve Drummers Drumming -Twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/chris...sic/12days.asp

[journeymom]

January 6: Epiphany, celebration of the Magi coming, the truth of Christ being revealed to all peoples of all nations

Ah, now I get it. The Magi or Kings from different nations come and see that this is the Christ child, then go back and spread the word.

Growing up I wasn't aware of the Epiphany celebration, either. I learned about it when I became an Episcopalian and was enthusiastically adding ritual to our Christmas season. I get a kick out of putting the magi across the room from the nativity scene and having the kids move them a little closer periodically, until they finally get there on January 6.

[ThirdEyeMom]

Originally Posted by LDSmomma

Over the last few weeks, I've heard a few different things about Epiphany: ... Each person who's told me one of these things has never heard of the other explanations about Epiphany. I looked online, and got more confused!

I am soooooo glad to see this question and all of the great replies it has received. I have long felt that we as a country do not generally pass along traditions and customs as they appropiately should be. As a consequence, holidays are celebrated as a duty, without meaning, smooshed together as one poster mentioned. I actually feel sorry for people who don't have this sense of reason to celebrate for as long as it was meant to last. I learned that Christmas was attached to Epiphany from my Dad who said Grandma didn't take down the Christmas decorations until Epiphany (Little Christmas). Yes, I went to church, but didn't get the entire connection until I was an adult and as a new family, we decided upon the ways we would celebrated the Christmas season (about a month long). I found a book on Christmas customs at the library to enhance our celebration. For more discussion on the Christmas to Epiphany holiday see:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Feat...stmas/faqs.asp. Moving the Wise Men from across the room to the manger is a great way to start and explain to children the reason for it. They do this in my church, too. I should clarify what I said about lack of understanding and celebrating customs--some cities do celebrate Three Kings Day. Here is are two sites: http://www.aleida.net/parades-en.html and http://www.letsgoarts.org/Page.aspx?pid=298. I think the latter celebrates all the holidays enveloped in the Christmas and Hannakah season. What better way to explain all the customs to--not only kids--but all of us?

[MammaG]

We're Episcopalian and as a family, we celebrate Epiphany (or Three Kings' day). That's when we open our Christmas presents, in memory of the Three Kings' gifts to the infant Jesus. We do stockings on Christmas morning, but we usually open little presents throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas and then do our family presents to one another on Epiphany morning. We move our Magi closer every day to the Creche, too...the kids love it (they parked a matchbox Porche in there this year as the kings approached, I guess thinking that frankensence is a bit of a boring gift?!).

We also have a Twelfth Night party usually (skipped it this year with a newborn in the house!) We make foods from the (undoubtedly inaccurate!) traditional homes of the Magi: North India, North Africa and the Middle East. This makes for a festive and yummy buffet! We make a King Cake and bake an almond into it...whoever gets the almond is King of the Revelry. We also invite our guests to bring their Christmas greens and we burn them in a big bonfire. The fire reminds us of the star which guided the Magi.

In the Middle Ages in Northern Europe, people celebrated all twelve days of Christmas and Twelfth Night (5 Jan) was the biggest party of all...it also kicked off the party season that culminated in the masked balls associated with Shrove Tuesday and ended on Ash Wednesday.

I recently read that it was traditional until quite recently, at least in England, to leave decorations up until Candlemas (2 Feb). People put candles in their windows on that night...something that's now prevelant around here in New England for Chrsitmas. My Mum always told me that she grew up with the superstition that it was bad luck to leave decorations up after Epiphany, so I rather obsessively take ours down right after our Epiphany celebration!

One more date of note during Christmas is Dec 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, commemorating the deaths that Herod is said to have ordered to try to kill the infant king. This one is dear to us because it's our anniversary.

ETA: And of course, for those of us with an English background 26 Dec is Boxing Day...someone usually has a party that day, too. I've heard different explanations for this day...the usual one is that servants were given their gifts (in boxes) on that day. Sometimes it's confused with the tradition on 12th Night of servants and masters exchanging places... interestingly (to a geek like me), in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, if you listen carefully to the lyrics, the Feast of Fools is on 6 January...I've also read that 12th night is either the 5th or the 6th...we stick to the 5th! I love this stuff!

[Bluegoat]

As far as smooshing the holidaies together, I think that part of the reason no one wants to keep the celebration going after Christmas is that they have been doing Christmas since Thanksgiving, or Halloween here in Canada, when the stores first start pushing it.