What Is Epiphany?

While some Christians are packing up their Christmas decorations and setting their resolutions for the coming year, others are gearing up to celebrate another important biblical event. 

The holidays don’t end with New Year’s for everyone. In some denominations, the season of Christmas extends 12 more days through January 6, a date known as Epiphany. Most often associated with king cake, this religious holiday is more than the start of Carnival season.

What Is Epiphany? 

Epiphany, also called Little Christmas, Theophany, or simply Three Kings' Day, is one of the oldest festival days in Christianity. It is celebrated by Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Christians. The Feast of the Epiphany is a holiday that marks the arrival of the Magi: the three wise men, or three kings, sent to Bethlehem “from the East” by Roman King Herod.

The Gospel of Matthew recounts the Magi’s journey, guided by a bright star, to see the prophesied new king of the Jews. Despite their skepticism, the Bible says the wise men fell to their knees to worship the infant Jesus, bestowing upon him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi saw Jesus as worthy of their worship, which is considered proof Jesus was the manifestation of God on earth. So, to put it simply, Epiphany is the celebration of the moment when Jesus was recognized as the human incarnation of God.

Why Epiphany Is 12 Days After Christmas

The traditional date is January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas), though in some countries Epiphany is celebrated on the first Sunday in January. It is celebrated this day because it took 12 days for the Magi to reach Jesus to meet him after his birth on Christmas Day.

What Does Epiphany Mean?

It comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning revelation, appearance, or manifestation. People say they've had an epiphany when they realize something. The Epiphany marks the three wise men's visit to Jesus and commemorates when Jesus was revealed or shown to the world as God's son.

How Is Epiphany Celebrated?

Starting Carnival Season

In the United States, Epiphany is perhaps best known for kicking off the Carnival season when parades and other festivities celebrate the time before Lent, the 40 days of fasting and prayer leading to Easter. Carnival season runs from Epiphany until Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday and when fasting for Lent begins.

Eating King Cake

Traditional celebrations often involve king cakes, those yellow, green, and white-frosted desserts containing a figure of a baby that have become synonymous with Mardi Gras in New Orleans. King cakes are first eaten on Epiphany through the night of Mardi Gras. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. 

Chalking The Door

A tradition known as "Chalking the Door” is also done to bless one’s home. Using chalk, people write patterns of letters and numbers on their door frame that combine the calendar year and the initials of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar (CMB).

In Eastern cultures, baptism is popular during Epiphany to commemorate Jesus' baptism, and homes are often blessed with holy water.

Taking Down Christmas Trees

For many, the Christmas season begins on Christmas day and lasts through January 6. Because of this, Epiphany is when to take down your Christmas tree to properly end the 12 days of Christmas.

Exchanging Gifts

In many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries, Epiphany is celebrated as Día de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings’ Day. Though it tends to be viewed as a lesser holiday in America, here it is seen as the culmination of the 12 days of Christmas, and it is like a second Christmas in Latinx communities when children receive the majority of their gifts and there are celebrations with family and food. This is done in remembrance of how the wise men brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.