The traditional date for the feast of the Epiphany is January 6. However, since 1970, the celebration is held in some countries on the Sunday after January 1. The Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus.
Does your family or heritage have traditions for the Epiphany? Here are a few examples of Epiphany traditions around the world...
According to the Italian legend, La Befana, a witch-like woman riding on a broom, refused to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the baby Jesus. When she regrets her decision, she sets out to bring gifts to the child but never finds him. Instead, she leaves gifts for other children. Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.
In Mexico, the day of the three kings is known locally as El Dia de los Reyes on which locals in Mexico City and elsewhere celebrate the occasion with a special cake called Rosca de Reyes, or the Three Kings Cake. The confection contains a figurine of baby Jesus, and whoever winds up with it in their piece of cake is considered to be Jesus’s “godparent” for the year. France, Poland, Germany and several other countries also have a have Kings Cake as part of their tradition.
In Ireland, Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig Bheag) is one of the traditional names in Ireland for the Epiphany. Little Christmas is also called Women’s Christmas and sometimes Women’s Little Christmas. The tradition is so called because of the tradition of Irish men taking on the very untraditional role of doing all the household duties for the day. Many women hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers and aunts. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.
Epiphany is celebrated with a wide array of customs in Poland. Poles take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, incense and a piece of amber, in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at home, they inscribe the date and “K+M+B+ the year” with the blessed chalk above every door in the house to provide protection against illness and misfortune for those within. Letters stand for the names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (Kacper, Melchior i Baltazar), and also abbreviate the Latin phrase ‘Christus mansionem benedicat’ – ‘May Christ bless the house’.