Epiphany (Día de los Reyes)

Epiphany or Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) is a holiday observed by Eastern and Western Christians that recognizes the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus twelve days after his birth.

Why is it important?

Epiphany, also called Feast of the Epiphany, Theophany, or Three Kings' Day, (from Greek epiphaneia, "manifestation"), is a Christian holiday commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity, as it occurred at his baptism in the Jordan River and at his first miracle, at Cana in Galilee.

Epiphany is one of the three principal and oldest festival days of the Christian church (the other two are Easter and Christmas). Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and other Western churches observe the feast on January 6, while some Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Epiphany on January 19, since their Christmas Eve falls on January 6.

Origins and History

The Eastern Church

The festival originated in the Eastern church, where it at first included a commemoration of Christ's birth.

In the East it primarily commemorates the baptism of Jesus and celebrates the revelation that the incarnate Christ was both fully God and fully man.

The Western Church

In Rome, by 354 Christ's birth was being celebrated on December 25, and later in the 4th century the church in Rome began celebrating Epiphany on January 6.

In the Western church the festival primarily commemorates the visit by the Magi to the infant Jesus, which is seen as evidence that Christ, the Jewish Messiah, came also for the salvation of Gentiles.

On Epiphany some denominations commemorate Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana, signifying the manifestation of Christ's divinity and his divine power as well.

Epiphany comes from Greek epiphaneia meaning "appearance," "manifestation," or "revelation"

The term is commonly linked in Western churches with the visit of the wise men (Magi) to the Christ child (Matthew 2:1-12)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

... And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Tarpon Springs, Florida traditions

The "blessing of waters" and "diving for the cross" ceremonies are long-held traditions in Greek Orthodox communities. In Tarpon Springs, a large numbers of high school students will skip school each year on Epiphany to see many of their classmates — young men age 16 to 18 of the Greek Orthodox faith — dive into the chilly waters of Spring Bayou to retrieve a crucifix.

The one young man who has the honor of recovering the cherished cross receives a traditional full year's blessing from the church, not to mention a good deal of fame in the community.

After more than 100 years of celebrating this tradition, the annual Greek Orthodox festival in Tarpon Springs continues to draw large crowds.

European Traditions

Today in Europe, Epiphany celebrations are sometimes just as important as Christmas, with celebrants exchanging gifts on Epiphany instead of Christmas, or on both holidays.

La Befana

In Italian folklore, the Befana (pronounced [be╦êfa╦Éna]) is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to Santa Claus or the Three Magi Kings.

In popular folklore, the Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good, or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. In many poorer parts of Italy and in particular rural Sicily, a stick in a stocking was placed instead of coal.

She is usually portrayed as a hag riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children's houses through the chimney.

The legend told of her is that, having missed her opportunity to bring a gift to the child Jesus together with the Biblical Magi, she now brings gifts to other children on that night.

Trzech Króli

In Poland, Epiphany, or "Trzech Króli" (Three Kings) is celebrated in grand fashion, with huge parades held welcoming the Wise Men, often riding on camels or other animals from the zoo, in Warsaw, Pozna┼ä and over 2,000 other cities.

The Wise Men pass out sweets, children process in renaissance wear, carols are sung, and living nativity scenes are enacted, all similar to celebrations in Italy or Spain, pointing to the country's Catholic heritage. Children may also dress in colors signifying Europe, Asia, and Africa (the supposed homes of the Wise Men) and at the end of the parade route, church leaders often preach on the spiritual significance of the Epiphany.

Poles take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, incense and a piece of amber, in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at home, they inscribe "K+M+B+" (Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar) and the year with the blessed chalk above every door in the house, to provide protection against illness and misfortune for those within.

Epiphany and Mardi Gras

In Louisiana, Epiphany is the beginning of the Carnival season, during which it is customary to bake King Cakes: a round pastry filled with cinnamon, glazed white, and coated in traditional carnival color sanding sugar. The person who finds the doll (or bean) must provide the next king cake.

The interval between Epiphany and Mardi Gras is sometimes known as "king cake season", and many may be consumed during this period. The Carnival season begins on King's Day (Epiphany), and there are many traditions associated with that day in Louisiana and along the Catholic coasts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Three Kings Cake

Modern American Carnival traditions are seen in New Orleans. In the mid-twentieth century, friends gathered for weekly king cake parties. Whoever got the slice with the "king", usually in the form of a miniature baby doll (symbolic of the Christ Child, "Christ the King"), hosted the next week's party. Traditionally, this was a bean for the king and a pea for the queen.

Hispanic Traditions

In Spain and some Latin American countries, Epiphany day is called El Día de Reyes, the day when a group of Kings or Magi, as related in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, arrived to worship and bring three gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star in the heavens.

In Spanish tradition on January 6, three of the Kings: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Arabia, the Orient, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

Festivities in Spain

Most towns in Spain arrange colorful parades representing the arrival of the Reyes Magos to town so children can see them on their camels or carriages before they go to bed. The oldest of these parades is held in Alcoi, Alacant – Alicante (Valencian Community) which has hosted an annual parade since 1885. Sweet wine, nibbles, fruit and milk are left for the Kings and their camels.

In Spain, children typically receive presents on this day, rather than on Christmas, though this tradition has changed lately, and children now receive presents on both days.

Before going to bed on the eve of January 6, children polish their shoes and leave them ready for the Kings' presents to be put in them. The next morning presents will appear under their shoes, or if the children are deemed to have misbehaved during the year, coal (usually a lump of hard sugar candy dyed black, called Carbón Dulce.

Rosca de Reyes

The Epiphany bread/cake is known as Roscón, Tortell de Reis in Catalan, and in Mexico as Rosca de reyes.

Rosca means wreath and reyes means kings. The Rosca de Reyes has an oval shape to symbolize a crown and has a small doll inside, which represents baby Jesus, hiding from King Herod's troops.