Friday November 08, 2024

Epiphany


Three Kings visiting Jesus as Baby

The next upcoming Epiphany is on Monday January 6th, 2025.


This day is not a Federal Holiday in the United States so government and business offices will remain open to the public.

Celebration\ Observance

This Christian holiday celebrates as a feast day honoring Jesus Christ, God's son, in human form, the visit from the Magi (Three Kings or Wise Men) to baby Jesus, and Jesus' physical revealing to the Gentiles. Also commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. People will celebrate the day by attending church services, singing, eating Three Kings Cakes, chalking the door or having your house blessed. Some on the Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve) will remove their Christmas decorations while others will remove them at the end of Epiphanytide (Candlemas).

History

The origins of Epiphany are difficult to nail down but somewhere around 200 A.D. according to Clement of Alexandria and Basilides a Christian Gnostic in Alexandria the Baptism of baby Jesus in the River Jordan was discussed and out of these discussions was the date of January 6th. Later in 361 A.D., Ammianus Marcellinus has the date of January 6th twice listed as a date for a celebration of a feast of baptism and the birth of Jesus. St Gregory of Nazianzus with a sermon delivered on December 25 380 A.D. referred to the day (January 6th ot 7th) as Theophany celebrating the baptism of Christ.


Related Holidays



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