The Christmas glow

If you’re not ready to take the Christmas decorations down, leave them up!

Move those Wise Men closer to the manger scene so they can get an up-close look at the Christ Child and deliver their gifts. Put a log in the fireplace and let the glow from the fire and Christmas lights be part of the heavenly glow that comes from the Epiphany, which highlights the divine and majestic nature of Christ.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word “epiphania,” or “manifestation.” The feast of Epiphany, also known as “three kings day,” is traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, Jan. 6. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8. This year’s solemnity will be celebrated Jan. 3.

As early as the third century, the Eastern Church, celebrated the birth of the redeemer, primarily as the manifestation of God to man. The name Epiphany was given to the feast. Toward the end of the fourth century, as the feast gradually came to be known and celebrated in the West, the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi or Wise Men was stressed.

The Catholic meaning of the gifts the Wise Men bring to the Christ Child is of symbolic importance: the gold represents kingly power, incense the great high priest and myrrh the burial of the Lord. 

In the early church, Christians, particularly those in the East, commemorated the Epiphany as the Magi’s visitation of Christ at the manger, his baptism in the Jordan River and  his miracle at the wedding feast at 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 Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, respectively, and named the 12 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. The Eastern Churches’ celebration of Theophany celebrates Christ’s baptism and is one of the holiest feast days of the liturgical calendar.

One traditional way to celebrate Epiphany involves using blessed chalk (by a priest) to mark the doorways of homes with the current year and the initials of the traditional names of the Three Wise Men: Caspar (C), Melchior (M) and Balthasar (B). The practice invokes a blessing on those who live in the house and – in remembrance of the Magi – all visitors to the home.

Another Italian tradition is of the “Befana.” In many parts of Italy and other countries gift-giving takes place on Epiphany. In Italy it typically includes the figure if an elderly lady named Befana.

According to legend, the Magi, on their way to find the Christ Child, stayed one night at the home of a hard-working elderly woman, Befana. She took wonderful care of the travelers. They told her they were on their way to find the divine child and invited Befana to accompany them. But she was carrying out the chores and explained she had too many other things to do.

After the Wise Men left, Befana regretted her decision. She gathered many gifts and left her house with her broom in hand. She spent her life searching for this special child. On Epiphany, Befana gave gifts to children, hoping that one of the children to whom she gave a gift was Christ.

So learn a lesson from Befana, don’t let the glow of Christmas fade too soon, follow that Christmas Star and watch the beginning of many unfolding “epiphanies” of Christ throughout the year: “After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.  They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mt. 2: 9-11).