Want to know the history behind the Feast of the Epiphany?
Washington D.C., Jan 6, 2019 / 01:01 pm ().- While the hustle and
bustle of Christmas ends for many people on Dec. 26, throughout Christian
history Christmas lasts for twelve days – all the way until Jan. 6.
This
feast marking the end of Christmas is called “Epiphany.”
In the
Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, Epiphany celebrates the revelation that
Jesus was the Son of God. It focuses primarily on this revelation to the Three
Wise Men, but also in his baptism in the Jordan and at the wedding at Cana.
In the
Eastern rites of the Catholic Church, Theophany – as Epiphany is known in the
East – commemorates the manifestation of Jesus' divinity at his Baptism in the
River Jordan.
While the
traditional date for the feast is Jan. 6, in the United States the celebration
of Epiphany is moved to the next Sunday, overlapping with the rest of the
Western Church’s celebration of the Baptism of Christ.
However,
the meaning of the feast goes deeper than just the bringing of presents or the
end of Christmas, says Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo, a Melkite Catholic priest and
founding executive director of the Virginia-based Institute of Catholic
Culture.
“You
can't understand the Nativity without Theophany; or you can’t understand Nativity
without Epiphany.” The revelation of Christ as the Son of God – both as an
infant and at his baptism – illuminate the mysteries of the Christmas season,
he said.
“Our
human nature is blinded because of sin and we’re unable to see as God sees,” he
told CNA. “God reveals to us the revelation of what’s going on.”
Origins
of Epiphany
While the
Western celebration of Epiphany (which comes from Greek, meaning “revelation
from above”), and the Eastern celebration of Theophany (meaning “revelation of
God”), have developed their own traditions and liturgical significances, these
feasts share more than the same day.
“The
Feast of Epiphany, or the Feast of Theophany, is a very, very early feast,”
said Fr. Carnazzo. “It predates the celebration of Christmas on the 25th.”
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 and Epiphany 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. Meanwhile, the
Eastern Churches' celebration of Theophany celebrates Christ’s baptism and is
one of the holiest feast days of the liturgical calendar.
Roman
Traditions
The
celebration of the visitation of the Magi – whom the Bible describes as learned
wise men from the East – has developed its own distinct traditions throughout
the Roman Church.
As part
of the liturgy of the Epiphany, it is traditional to proclaim the date of
Easter and other moveable feast days to the faithful – formally reminding the
Church of the importance of Easter and the resurrection to both the liturgical
year and to the faith.
Other
cultural traditions have also arisen around the feast. Dr. Matthew Bunson, EWTN
Senior Contributor, told CNA about the “rich cultural traditions” in Spain,
France, Ireland and elsewhere that form an integral part of the Christmas
season for those cultures.
In Italy,
La Befana brings sweets and presents to children not on Christmas, but on
Epiphany. Children in many parts of Latin America, the Philippines, Portugal,
and Spain also receive their presents on “Three Kings Day.”
Meanwhile,
in Ireland, Catholics celebrate “Women's Christmas” – where women rest from
housework and cleaning and celebrate together with a special meal. Epiphany in
Poland is marked by taking chalk – along with gold, incense and amber – to be
blessed at Mass. Back at home, families will inscribe the first part of the
year, followed by the letters, “K+M+B+” and then the last numbers of the year
on top of every door in the house.
The
letters, Bunson explained, stand for the names traditionally given to the wise
men – Casper, Melchior and Balthazar – as well as for the Latin phrase
“Christus mansionem benedicat,” or, “Christ, bless this house.”
In nearly
every part of the world, Catholics celebrate Epiphany with a Kings Cake: a
sweet cake that sometimes contains an object like a figurine or a lone nut. In
some locations lucky recipient of this prize either gets special treatment for
the day, or they must then hold a party at the close of the traditional
Epiphany season on Feb. 2.
These
celebrations, Bunson said, point to the family-centered nature of the feast day
and of its original celebration with the Holy Family. The traditions also point
to what is known – and what is still mysterious – about the Magi, who were the
first gentiles to encounter Christ. While the Bible remains silent about the
wise men’s actual names, as well as how many of them there were, we do know
that they were clever, wealthy, and most importantly, brave.
“They
were willing to take the risk in order to go searching for the truth, in what
they discerned was a monumental event,” he said, adding that the Magi can still
be a powerful example.
Lastly,
Bunson pointed to the gifts the wise men brought – frankincense, myrrh and gold
– as gifts that point not only to Christ’s divinity and his revelation to the
Magi as the King of Kings, but also to his crucifixion. In giving herbs
traditionally used for burial, these gifts, he said, bring a theological “shadow,
a sense of anticipation of what is to come.”
Revelation
of God
Fr.
Hezekias Carnazzo explained to CNA the significance of the feast of the
Theophany – and of Christ’s Baptism more broadly – within the Eastern Catholic
churches.
“In our
Christian understanding in the East, we are looking at creation through the
eyes of God, not so much through the eyes of Man,” Fr. Carnazzo said.
In the
feast of the Baptism of the Lord, he continued, there is special divine
significance.
With this
feast day, the pastor explained, “God has come to reclaim us for himself.”
Because of original sin, he continued, humanity has inherited “a human nature
which has been dislocated from its source of life.”
Sin also
effected parts of creation such as water have also been separated from their
purpose and connection to God’s plan for life, Fr. Carrazzo said, because its
original purpose is not just to sustain our bodies, but our souls as well.
“With the
fall, however, it has been dislocated from its source of life, it is under the
dominion of death- it doesn’t have eternal life anymore. So God comes to take
it to himself.”
“What
Jesus did was to take our human nature and do with it what we could not do –
which is, to walk it out of death, and that’s exactly what He did with His baptism.”
As it is so linked to the destruction of death and reclaiming of life, the
Feast of Theophany is also very closely linked to the Crucifixion – an
attribute that is reflected in Eastern iconography of both events as well.
The feast
of the Theophany celebrates not only Christ’s conquering of sin through
baptism, but also God’s revelation of Christ as his Son and the beginning of
Christ’s ministry. “The baptism of the Lord, just like the Nativity, is not
just a historical event: it’s a revelation,” Fr. Carrazzo said.
To mark
the day, Eastern Catholics begin celebrations with Divine Liturgy at the
Church, which includes a blessing of the waters in the baptistry. After the
water is blessed, the faithful drink the water, and bring bottles of water to
bring back to their homes for use and not only physical but spiritual healing,
he explained. Many parishes hold feasts after Liturgy is over. In many Middle
Eastern cultures, people also fry and eat awamat – dough that is fried until it
floats, and then is covered in honey.
During
the Theophany season, priests also try to visit each home in the parish to
bless the house with Holy Water that was blessed at Theophany. Fr. Carrazzo
invited all Roman Catholics to come and become familiar, “to be part of a
family” and join in celebrating Eastern Catholic traditions.
This
article was originally published on CNA Jan. 6, 2017.
