The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is one of the oldest Christian feasts. The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning to appear or to reveal.
The feast commemorates principally, but not solely, the coming of the Magi (Wise Men and the first Gentiles) to see the baby Jesus.
Long after the rest of the world has taken down decorations and has packed Christmas away, Catholics celebrate the real meaning of the holiday well into the new year! Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the United States, this feast has been moved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.
In the early Church, Christians, particularly those in the East, celebrated the advent of Christ on Jan. 6 by commemorating Nativity, Visitation of the Magi, Baptism of Christ and the Wedding of Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany. By the fourth century, both Christmas and Epiphany had been set as separate feasts in some dioceses. At the Council of Tours in 567, the Church set both Christmas day (the revelation of Christ to Israel in His birth) and Epiphany (the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles), as feast days on the Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, respectively, and named the twelve days between the feasts as the Christmas season.
Over time, the Western Church separated the remaining feasts into their own celebrations, leaving the celebration of the Epiphany to commemorate primarily the Visitation of the Magi to see the newborn Christ on Jan. 6.
The Epiphany has always been considered one of the major feast days of the year owning as much to its antiquity, which goes back to the 4th century, as to the great mystery the feast day forever commemorates. That is why the Church celebrates it with extraordinary solemnity. What, then is its purpose? It is to remember the call of the Gentiles to Christianity and to be the yearly remembrance of this marvelous event!
In many parts of Europe, the celebration of Epiphany is at least as important as Christmas. In Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean countries, Christian’s exchange gifts on Epiphany – the day on which the Wise Men brought gifts to the Christ Child. The traditional sweet is King cake and is a favorite in this house!
