Epiphany and Protestants

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wynd said:
Interesting question. We (Orthodox) certainly have a great feast on January 6th, but we call it Theophany (“the showing-forth of God”) and it’s all about the Lord’s baptism. I don’t see or recall any mention of the three kings/magi in the hymns of the feast. If you had asked me what feast included that narrative I would have said Christmas.
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But you would’ve had a knowledge of the Epiphany, right? Or isn’t that word used as reference to the Magi?
 
on_the_hill said:
But you would’ve had a knowledge of the Epiphany, right? Or isn’t that word used as reference to the Magi?
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In the Orthodox tradition, no. January 6th actually is referred to as the Epiphany by some Orthodox. However, regardless of whether January 6th is called Epiphany or Theophany, it is a commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord, not of the visitation of the Magi.
 
RyanBlack said:
In the Orthodox tradition, no. January 6th actually is referred to as the Epiphany by some Orthodox. However, regardless of whether January 6th is called Epiphany or Theophany, it is a commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord, not of the visitation of the Magi.
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The reformed Novus Ordo calendar has added a separate Baptism of the Lord feast the Sunday following Epiphany, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Roman Rite liturgical texts for the day traditionally refer to three mysteries: the revelation of the Christ to the Magi, the baptism of the Lord and the wedding at Cana. The feast primary celebrates the revelation of Christ as God to the gentiles.
 
wynd said:
Interesting question. We (Orthodox) certainly have a great feast on January 6th, but we call it Theophany (“the showing-forth of God”) and it’s all about the Lord’s baptism. I don’t see or recall any mention of the three kings/magi in the hymns of the feast. If you had asked me what feast included that narrative I would have said Christmas.
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Yes, Epiphany and Theophany refer to the same concept: the revelation of the God-man to the world. It’s a very ancient feast universal to Christianity. The Armenians celebrate Epiphany but never adopted the later feast of Christmas.
 
twf said:
The reformed Novus Ordo calendar has added a separate Baptism of the Lord feast the Sunday following Epiphany, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Roman Rite liturgical texts for the day traditionally refer to three mysteries: the revelation of the Christ to the Magi, the baptism of the Lord and the wedding at Cana. The feast primary celebrates the revelation of Christ as God to the gentiles.
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In the Roman tradition, yes. However, in the Byzantine tradition–both Orthodox and Catholic–the Feast of Theophany commemorates the revealing of Christ as God in his baptism.
 
Wesrock said:
Even as a Catholic growing up, I didn’t have a strong education in what Epiphany is. That said, it would be nice if we could get broader recognition of that and the real “twelve days of Christmas”. Seems like most people celebrate Christmas the last few weeks of December instead of *starting *the celebration on Dec. 25 and going through Epiphany.
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Many folks get rid of their Christmas tree the day after Christmas. I think this is due to the secularization of our society. The merchants have redefined Christmas as after Thanksgiving until Dec 25. Advent is gone. If you follow along up until Christmas you are feasting, as opposed to fasting. By the time Christmas itself rolls around most folks have had their fill. Given the success of the effort I’m surprised anyone really pays attention to Epiphany.
 
Indeed, Christmas has been completely taken over by secular interests so that there is no such thing as Advent or Epiphany or the Twelve Days of Christmas. So much so that it feels odd to still be singing Christmas carols after Dec. 25.

We put up our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and use it to celebrate Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. During Advent we decorate it with purple decorations and add rose on Guadete Sunday. Christmas Eve we put up our Christmas decorations and leave the tree up through Epiphany. Our crèche we leave out until the Presentation of the Lord, which rounds out the seasons for us.

I asked about purple decorations for Advent at a local craft store one year, drawing a complete blank from the salesgirl helping us. She was utterly clueless even after I explained what Advent is. At another store we bought some purple globes for the tree, eliciting a comment from the check-out gal, who declared, “Oh, purple Christmas decorations, that’s a nice idea.” Once again I explained about Advent, and once again I got a blank stare in return. When I was a child almost all Christians of our acquaintance knew about Advent and Epiphany, but no more. I have to wonder how many Christians have abandoned traditional Christian practices or are just plain ignorant these days.
 
RyanBlack said:
In the Roman tradition, yes. However, in the Byzantine tradition–both Orthodox and Catholic–the Feast of Theophany commemorates the revealing of Christ as God in his baptism.
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Though even in the Roman Rite the revelation of Christ as God at His baptism is part of the Epiphany celebration. With the institution of the separate feast of the Lord’s baptism several days later, I’m not sure if the Mass texts still explicitly reference His baptism, but the liturgy of the hours definitely does.
 
Peter_J said:
To be fair, I’ll bet there are a good many Christian Catholics out there who are unfamiliar with it as well.
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Maybe, but they’d probably have absorbed something about it, wouldn’t they? Maybe not.

I was surprised that my friend wasn’t familiar with it because she is very active in her church. But now I know.

Thanks for the replies. 👍
 
When I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, and later a Pentecostal church, there were two religious holidays, and ONLY two: Easter and Christmas. Those were the beginning, middle, and end of the “Christian calendar” (if such a phrase had been in use). It’s fascinating, as an adult, to encounter people familiar with any other religious days of observance, much less “seasons.”
 
Le_Cracquere said:
When I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, and later a Pentecostal church, there were two religious holidays, and ONLY two: Easter and Christmas. Those were the beginning, middle, and end of the “Christian calendar” (if such a phrase had been in use). It’s fascinating, as an adult, to encounter people familiar with any other religious days of observance, much less “seasons.”
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When I was a member of the Assemblies of God, the only one of those two holy days we attended church services for was Easter. Christmas was considered a family day. We’d have a Christmas pageant or choral service near Christmas day–usually the Sunday before, but the day itself we stayed at home. Was it like that for you, too? 🙂
 
Fascinating thread; thank you.

I in many ways "have " to start Cnristmas early, as I trade at Christmas Fairs

But after December 11th this year when the last one is, I keep the silence of Advent, and no more celebrations then until later, I will visit our Cathedral 's amazing Crib often and just buy what is needful, then after the Day the intensity of the Epiphany in soittude here,
It was a part of my Anglican upbringing and has stayed,

Cannot imagine life else,
 
As an Anglican, we were aware of Epiphany. It was marked by moving the statues of the three kings (who’d been lurking on window sills at the back of the church since before Christmas) to join everyone else at the crib. There wasn’t a sense of it being a special feast, or anything like that, just another point in the liturgical year. I’m sure some Anglican churches would give it more emphasis than mine did, and some less.
 
Della said:
When I was a member of the Assemblies of God, the only one of those two holy days we attended church services for was Easter. Christmas was considered a family day. We’d have a Christmas pageant or choral service near Christmas day–usually the Sunday before, but the day itself we stayed at home. Was it like that for you, too? 🙂
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Yeah, Christmas was never a “go to church day” unless it happened to fall on a Sunday. So I guess, strictly speaking, there was only ever one single “holy day of obligation” (though we certainly wouldn’t have phrased it that way).
 
Le_Cracquere said:
Yeah, Christmas was never a “go to church day” unless it happened to fall on a Sunday. So I guess, strictly speaking, there was only ever one single “holy day of obligation” (though we certainly wouldn’t have phrased it that way).
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Christmas was on a Sunday in 2011. I remember lots of Protestant churches in my area canceling services so the pastors could be at home with their families.

Christmas is also on a Sunday this year. I wonder if we’ll see more of the same?
 
Le_Cracquere said:
Yeah, Christmas was never a “go to church day” unless it happened to fall on a Sunday. So I guess, strictly speaking, there was only ever one single “holy day of obligation” (though we certainly wouldn’t have phrased it that way).
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In the LDS church we typically celebrate Christmas as a congregation for 3 hours the Sunday before Christmas (church is usually 3 hours). We then celebrate it again as families the day of.

If Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday (like this year) church is shortened to 1 hour, so that people may go home an also celebrate with their families.
 
jane_doe said:
In the US, Lent is almost exclusively practiced by Catholics. I’ve never met an Evangelical who practiced Lent, and have actually heard many speak out against it.
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My sister is a Pentecostal and she observes Lent each year. I’m actually hearing more about Advent and Lent from my family members who attend Non-Denominational type churches.
 
In Louisiana, I would wager that most everyone knows about Epiphany! This is when the King Cakes appear in bakeries and stores and Carnival Season begins!! :D. Carnival Season ends on Mardi Gras and Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (the following day). It isn’t uncommon here for both Protestants and Catholics to celebrate Epiphany as well as receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.
 
marbleartist said:
In Louisiana, I would wager that most everyone knows about Epiphany! This is when the King Cakes appear in bakeries and stores and Carnival Season begins!! :D. Carnival Season ends on Mardi Gras and Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (the following day). It isn’t uncommon here for both Protestants and Catholics to celebrate Epiphany as well as receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.
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I just realized why more people in my area know about Lent. The Polish have a tradition on Fat Tuesday to make wonderful and tasty donut like sweets called Pazckis! Yummy and definitely a good way to use up all the sugar and other ingredients not allowed during Lent.
 
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