Catholic Epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany was included in the church calendar in the middle of the 2nd century and was initially celebrated together with the Nativity of Christ But in the 4th century, the Catholic Church began to celebrate Christmas not in January, but on December 25, but Epiphany remained the same date - January 6 It is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most revered Christian holidays It has slightly different meanings among Orthodox and Catholics The first associate the Epiphany with the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River The second - with the gospel events following Christmas, in particular the worship of the baby Jesus by the Magi Therefore, Epiphany is also called the Feast of the Magi In accordance with Western tradition, solemn masses are held in churches on the day of Epiphany At the same time, incense and chalk are blessed Their parishioners will take them home to write at the entrance to their houses (usually on the doors) the initial letters of the names of the Magi “K+M+V” In this way, the memory of the pagan kings Caspar, Belshazzar and Melchior is honored It was they who came to Bethlehem with gifts for the baby Jesus Catholics believe that letters written near the entrance to a home will scare away evil forces, become an obstacle to bad thoughts and any misfortunes, and protect residents from harm They will become the key to well-being and mutual understanding in the home Blessed chalk should not be thrown away It will be kept in the house all year, just as the Orthodox keep blessed water For Catholics, the celebration of Epiphany includes attending mass This is usually done by the whole family Then the relatives gather at home, at the table, and congratulate each other In the evening, a “Christmas log” is burned in the fireplace This is a special log that remains from a tree cut down a year ago and is stored in a dry place until the holidays It is placed entirely in the hearth and set on fire The Christmas log symbolizes the rebirth of the sun after the winter solstice According to legend, if it burns completely to ashes, then next year will be prosperous for the family If some part remains, you should be prepared for trouble It is customary to collect the ashes and scatter them in the field for twelve nights This should ensure a good harvest The feast of Epiphany brings especially much joy to children, because they receive gifts It's also symbolic Gifts to younger family members represent the gifts that the Magi presented to Jesus Christ who came into our world The festive table does not leave anyone indifferent In a number of countries (Belgium, France, Spain, England) there is always a “magi pie” on it It's a pie with a "surprise" baked into it Initially it was a bean, in our time it is usually replaced by a figurine of the infant Christ or an angel or a coin It is believed that the one who gets the surprise will have good luck in business throughout the next year, wealth and prosperity await him In some Western countries, the tradition of lighting bonfires on the evening of January 6 has been preserved They symbolize the “epiphanic lights” that illuminated the path of the Magi to the baby Jesus Such fires have another meaning This is the personification of the light with which Jesus Christ illuminated those who were previously in darkness Therefore, Epiphany is also called Enlightenment In general, Epiphany does not involve a noisy celebration; it is a family event Of course, you can invite friends or neighbors to visit, but it’s better to do without wild fun An affordable way to celebrate in a traditional, but not over-the-top way is caroling Carolers dress up in costumes of kings and take with them a long pole decorated with a star