Epiphany Ends Christmas Season
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the Three Kings Bring Gifts
The word “epiphany” means a manifestation or appearance, often of a supernatural being, or a sudden revelation.
The festival of Epiphany celebrates the revelation to the Gentiles – in the form of the Three Kings from the East -- of Jesus as the son of God. According to tradition, it was on this day that Balthasar, Caspar and Melchoir, also known as the Three Magi, arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Kings had been guided by a mysterious star to the birth place of Jesus.
In some traditions where a crèche is set up on Christmas Eve to celebrate Jesus’ birth, the Three Kings are placed far from the manger. As the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany pass, the Kings are moved closer and closer, until on January 6 they are placed next to Jesus’ crib, representing their final arrival in Bethlehem.
Roots in Eastern Churches
According to the website, "Religious Facts," Epiphany was first celebrated in the Eastern European churches where its origins are traced to the Jewish Feast of Lights. It celebrated both the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Three Kings. In Eastern Orthodox religions, the day is known as the Feast of the Theophany, from a Greek word meaning “God Shining Forth.”
The Western (Latin) churches set December 25 as the birthday of Jesus, leading to the concept of the Twelve Days of Christmas, ending on Epiphany.
Day of Gift-Giving
In Spain, Italy and many Latin American cultures, Epiphany, rather than Christmas, is the day gifts are exchanged. In Mexico, it is known as El Día de Reyes (Kings Day).
The eve of Epiphany, known as Twelfth Night, dates back to the Roman Saturnalia. It ended the winter solstice celebrations that included revels, masquerades, and gift-giving. In the Roman tradition, a mock king was chosen from the slaves to lead the festivities. The tradition continued into Pagan traditions of Europe with a “Lord of Misrule,” to lead festivities which ran to wild reveling. In some European traditions, children in masquerade led parades through the fields with torches, bells and horns to scare off demons. Huge bonfires in agricultural England served to ward off evil spirits.
As Christianity spread through Europe, the celebration changed to a religious one, often with a reenactment of the Three King’s presentation of their gifts to the infant Jesus. In parts of Germany, boys dressed as the Three Kings roved through the village carrying a star aloft and singing.
Sources:
A Merry Christmas Herbal, by Adelma Grenier Simmons, William Morrow & Company, New York, N.Y., 1968.
"Epiphany," Religious Facts
Three Kings Visit the Infant Jesus
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