The History of Epiphany Celebrations

History of the Epiphany Celebration

The Epiphany is the day Christians believe the three wise men commemorated the birth of Jesus Christ with feasting and presents. It is also said to be the day that Christ's baptism took place, and is the day of his ‘revelation to the Gentiles.' According to the Gregorian calendar, the Epiphany celebration falls on January 6th.

Epiphany also marks the day after the twelfth day of Christmas (which falls on January 5th), and is usually the final celebration of the Christmas holiday. The twelve days of Christmas begin with Jesus' birth on Christmas Day and end with the Epiphany. The only exception to this is for Eastern churches who follow the Julian Calendar, in which Epiphany occurs on January 19th.

Interestingly, many Americans mistakenly believe the twelve days of Christmas start on December 14th since fewer and fewer modern families still celebrate the Epiphany. However, the twelve days of Christmas are still celebrated throughout Europe (including England) and in Latin American countries, who observe Epiphany as an important holiday and have rich traditions associated with its celebration.