We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. 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. The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophesies that have the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah , Psalm , and Psalm Early readers reinterpreted Matthew in light of these prophecies and elevated the Magi to kings. By AD all commentators adopted the prevalent tradition that the three were kings. And the text never says there are three — we just infer that from the number of gifts.
But in any case, we are celebrating the visit of the first Gentile worshippers of the Savior. At least we know the names of the Magi. But those names are only used in the West. After they visited Jesus, the Gospel says that they returned home by another way so as to avoid King Herod. Do we know what happened to them? In short no, but there are many traditional stories about what happened to the Magi. In one account, one of the Magi is baptized by St. The pastor says the visit from the Wise Men was the first time Jesus was exposed to the whole world, signifying spreading the gospel to everyone and making it good news for all.
Many Christian groups, such as Eastern Orthodox, and Latin churches celebrate the end of the season. Those who celebrate Epiphany as a single day often end it in a feast. Sartison says often during this time people's homes, especially in eastern Europe, will be blessed. Epiphany Lutheran Church often uses the event to bless their space for the new year.
In Germany, children go carolling and some race sleds. In the Philippines, children leave their shoes out overnight to receive gifts from the kings. In Puerto Rico, children gather grass, putting it under their beds as a gift for the camels the Wise Men ride on.
In exchange, the Wise men are to give them gifts. In Russia, Christians take a dip in icy waters to commemorate Jesus' baptism. While there is no official Epiphany greeting, the pastor is a fan of wishing his congregation a "Happy Epiphany, Epiphany.
Epiphany signals the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the beginning of the next church season. Advertise With Us Submit News. While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know. Easter Sunday is an important day in the Christian church calendar because it celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection, according to Christian belief. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday. Thanksgiving Day in the United States is traditionally a holiday to give thanks for the food collected at the end of the harvest season.
Sign in. Is Epiphany a Public Holiday? Epiphany is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. Although it is not a public holiday in other parts of the United States, many Christians take part in Epiphany activities such as: Star processionals on the Sunday closest to January 6 for church services Parties or get-togethers to clean up homes after the festive season and put away Christmas decorations.
Treasure hunts to find a figure of the Christ child. Epiphany luncheons, parties and celebrations among churchgoers.
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