History of Epiphany:
Ends the 12 Days of Christmas?
from billpetro.com
by Bill Petro, January 5, 2020
HISTORY OF EPIPHANY
Epiphany occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6. It signifies the event of the
Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus, and is known in some Latin cultures as
Three Kings Day. In the Eastern (Orthodox and Oriental) churches, it is known as the
Feast of Theophany (God Manifest), commemorating Jesus’ baptism with the attendant
appearance of the Holy Spirit as a dove and the voice of God the Father. This story is recounted in
all four Gospels of the New Testament. This date is also tied to Jesus’ miracle of changing the
water to wine at the Wedding at Cana in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2.
Christmas vs. Advent
So, the "12 Days of Christmas" don’t end at Christmas, Advent does. Instead, the 12 days
start with Christmas and end with Epiphany. These 12 days are sometimes called
Christmastide. The subsequent “season” of Epiphany lasts from January 6 through the day
before Lent. Some Latin American and European cultures extend this season to February 2 or
Candlemas.
In the East
Epiphany is a Greek word that means manifestation, appearance, revelation, or showing
forth. Historically, Epiphany began in the Eastern Church as the celebration of the nativity of
Jesus Christ. As the celebration of Christmas spread eastward, Epiphany changed to its present
meaning. It is ironic that in years when Chanukah overlaps Christmastide, that Epiphany is so close
to Chanukah. We recall that the villain in the Chanukah history was Antiochus Epiphanes IV, or
“Antiochus, God made manifest.”
In the West
In the Western churches (Protestants, Catholics, and Anglicans), Epiphany commemorates the
“adoration” of the Christ Child by the Magi as they presented their gifts. In this way, they were
“revealing” Jesus to the world as Lord and King.
Twelfth Night
The preceding evening is sometimes called the “Twelfth Night,” being the 12th Day of Christmas.
William Shakespeare‘s play by the same name sometimes called “What You Will,” is believed to
have been written as entertainment for this last day of Christmas.
There remains some confusion on which date Twelfth Night actually occurs. The older tradition,
based on the custom during the Middle Ages, that the beginning of a day started the evening before
places Twelfth Night the eve of January 5. Later traditions, where the day begins at midnight, have
Twelfth Night on January 6 with a party and the exchange of gifts. The Russian church’s Christmas,
or “Feast of the Nativity,” is celebrated on January 7. Many Eastern Orthodox churches
follow the older Julian Calendar rather than the more widely accepted Gregorian Calendar. The
Julian Calendar December 25 corresponds to approximately January 7 in the Gregorian Calendar.
January 5 is Paramony, the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany, paralleling the December 24
Feast of Christmas Eve.
Also, you may now take down your Christmas decorations.
Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com
About billpetro:
Bill Petro is a technology sales enablement executive with extensive experience in Cloud Computing, Automation, Data Center, Information Storage, Big Data/Analytics, Mobile, and Social technologies.
Epiphany occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6. It signifies the event of the
Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus, and is known in some Latin cultures as
Three Kings Day. In the Eastern (Orthodox and Oriental) churches, it is known as the
Feast of Theophany (God Manifest), commemorating Jesus’ baptism with the attendant
appearance of the Holy Spirit as a dove and the voice of God the Father. This story is recounted in
all four Gospels of the New Testament. This date is also tied to Jesus’ miracle of changing the
water to wine at the Wedding at Cana in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2.
Christmas vs. Advent
So, the "12 Days of Christmas" don’t end at Christmas, Advent does. Instead, the 12 days
start with Christmas and end with Epiphany. These 12 days are sometimes called
Christmastide. The subsequent “season” of Epiphany lasts from January 6 through the day
before Lent. Some Latin American and European cultures extend this season to February 2 or
Candlemas.
In the East
Epiphany is a Greek word that means manifestation, appearance, revelation, or showing
forth. Historically, Epiphany began in the Eastern Church as the celebration of the nativity of
Jesus Christ. As the celebration of Christmas spread eastward, Epiphany changed to its present
meaning. It is ironic that in years when Chanukah overlaps Christmastide, that Epiphany is so close
to Chanukah. We recall that the villain in the Chanukah history was Antiochus Epiphanes IV, or
“Antiochus, God made manifest.”
In the West
In the Western churches (Protestants, Catholics, and Anglicans), Epiphany commemorates the
“adoration” of the Christ Child by the Magi as they presented their gifts. In this way, they were
“revealing” Jesus to the world as Lord and King.
Twelfth Night
The preceding evening is sometimes called the “Twelfth Night,” being the 12th Day of Christmas.
William Shakespeare‘s play by the same name sometimes called “What You Will,” is believed to
have been written as entertainment for this last day of Christmas.
There remains some confusion on which date Twelfth Night actually occurs. The older tradition,
based on the custom during the Middle Ages, that the beginning of a day started the evening before
places Twelfth Night the eve of January 5. Later traditions, where the day begins at midnight, have
Twelfth Night on January 6 with a party and the exchange of gifts. The Russian church’s Christmas,
or “Feast of the Nativity,” is celebrated on January 7. Many Eastern Orthodox churches
follow the older Julian Calendar rather than the more widely accepted Gregorian Calendar. The
Julian Calendar December 25 corresponds to approximately January 7 in the Gregorian Calendar.
January 5 is Paramony, the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany, paralleling the December 24
Feast of Christmas Eve.
Also, you may now take down your Christmas decorations.
Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com
About billpetro:
Bill Petro is a technology sales enablement executive with extensive experience in Cloud Computing, Automation, Data Center, Information Storage, Big Data/Analytics, Mobile, and Social technologies.