"On the twelth day of Christmas...I finally took down the decorations, and a partrige in a pear tree."
When I was younger, Christmas always started just after Thanksgiving and ended the day after Christmas on the 26th of December. However, there were times when the real tree that was taken down was left in the yard for at least a month. =) But, things have changed. Christmas starts on the 25th of December and ends on January 6th...the day of Epiphany.
Although we have nativity scenes that depict the wise men at the birth of Christ, it is a well known and widely accepted fact that the wise men didn't arrive to bring Christ gifts until he was around the age of 2. So, on this day, January 6th we celebrate the coming of the 3 wise men.
Epiphany: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way. This moment, of the bearing of gifts to Christ, is the first acceptance or knowledge of the Savior to the Gentiles or Eastern world. Around the world, this holiday is celebrated in many different ways.
Such as in: Bulgaria, a wooden cross is thrown into a lake or body of water by a priest and young men then race to get the cross. This is considered an honor to whichever young man retrieves the cross. In India, it varies as to the festival, but it is most usually called the Three Kings Festival, with parties and families coming together to cook porridge. In Wales, they celebrate with the baking of bread into a large loaf. This loaf is cut up into three pieces representing Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the 3 wise men.
Christians around the world celebrate this feast day very differently; however, the meaning is the same. It is the moment Christ transcended the small town of Bethlehem into the rest of the world. It is a representation of the vastness of Christ's reach.
Also, on this day, we remember the 3 gifts that were brought by the wise men. First, gold which was a representation of the kingship of Christ. They also brought frankincense which is a symbol of high quality or deity. Lastly, the myrrh which was an embalming oil used for the dead. All three of these gifts were representations of the life of Christ: His kingship, His deity, and His death.
What a beautiful holiday that we embrace and celebrate. Happy Epiphany everyone!
When I was younger, Christmas always started just after Thanksgiving and ended the day after Christmas on the 26th of December. However, there were times when the real tree that was taken down was left in the yard for at least a month. =) But, things have changed. Christmas starts on the 25th of December and ends on January 6th...the day of Epiphany.
Although we have nativity scenes that depict the wise men at the birth of Christ, it is a well known and widely accepted fact that the wise men didn't arrive to bring Christ gifts until he was around the age of 2. So, on this day, January 6th we celebrate the coming of the 3 wise men.
Epiphany: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way. This moment, of the bearing of gifts to Christ, is the first acceptance or knowledge of the Savior to the Gentiles or Eastern world. Around the world, this holiday is celebrated in many different ways.
Such as in: Bulgaria, a wooden cross is thrown into a lake or body of water by a priest and young men then race to get the cross. This is considered an honor to whichever young man retrieves the cross. In India, it varies as to the festival, but it is most usually called the Three Kings Festival, with parties and families coming together to cook porridge. In Wales, they celebrate with the baking of bread into a large loaf. This loaf is cut up into three pieces representing Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the 3 wise men.
Christians around the world celebrate this feast day very differently; however, the meaning is the same. It is the moment Christ transcended the small town of Bethlehem into the rest of the world. It is a representation of the vastness of Christ's reach.
Also, on this day, we remember the 3 gifts that were brought by the wise men. First, gold which was a representation of the kingship of Christ. They also brought frankincense which is a symbol of high quality or deity. Lastly, the myrrh which was an embalming oil used for the dead. All three of these gifts were representations of the life of Christ: His kingship, His deity, and His death.
What a beautiful holiday that we embrace and celebrate. Happy Epiphany everyone!
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