Epiphany season
from wikipedia.org
The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide or the time of Sundays After Epiphany, is a liturgical period, celebrated by some Christian churches, which immediately follows the Christmas season. It begins on the day of Epiphany, and ends at various points as defined by those churches. The typical liturgical color for this season is white.
Western Christianity
Roman Rite Catholicism Ordinary Form
The Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church regards the time after Epiphany as a subset of the Christmas season. The Christmas season ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a feast typically celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany. Although Epiphany is not a distinct season, the Ordinary Form does have specific Mass collects that are used from Epiphany onward. Because Epiphany is, in many places, transferred to the Sunday from January 2 to 8 inclusive, the period during which the Epiphany texts are used forms a de facto octave between the Sunday of Epiphany and the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas season is followed by Ordinary Time.
Extraordinary Form
In traditionalist Catholic communities that use the General Roman Calendar of 1960 as part of the Extraordinary Form authorized by Summorum Pontificum, Epiphany is celebrated with a de facto octave from January 6 to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 13, although the octave was nominally removed in the calendar reforms of 1955. The Sundays which follow are designated "Sundays after Epiphany" until the start of Shrovetide.
Ordinariate Use
In 2015, the Catholic Church authorized a Use of the Roman Rite for the three Personal Ordinariates for former Anglicans. The Ordinariate Use explicitly includes a period called Epiphanytide, which runs from the Monday after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord until the day before Ash Wednesday.
Anglicanism
In 2000, the Church of England introduced into its liturgy an optional Epiphany season by approving the Common Worship series of services as an alternative to those in the Book of Common Prayer. This optional season begins with Evening Prayer on the day before the Epiphany (which may be celebrated on January 6 or on the Sunday between January 2 and 8) and ends on the Feast of the Presentation (which may be celebrated on February 2 or on the Sunday between January 28 and February 3).
Protestantism
Several Protestant churches, including branches of Methodism and Lutheranism, celebrate an Epiphany season that lasts from January 6 until the day before Ash Wednesday.
Eastern Christianity
East Syriac Rite In the East Syriac Rite (used by churches such as the Syro-Malabar Church), this period is called the Season of Epiphany, also known by its Syriac transliteration Denha. This season begins on the Sunday between January 2 and 6, or on January 6 itself if no such Sunday exists. The season runs until the first Sunday of Lent, which begins seven weeks before Easter (earlier than it does in Western Christianity). The rite celebrates the following feast days on sequential Fridays during Epiphany season:
- St. John the Baptist
- Sts. Peter and Paul
- The Evangelists
- St. Stephen
- The Greek Fathers
- The Syriac Fathers
- The Patron of the Church
- Commemoration of the Dead