What to do with blessed chalk on Epiphany

[KimC1998]

On Epiphany my family will do a traditional door blessing for the first time using blessed chalk. I read elsewhere on an old thread on this forum that you shouldn’t throw out the chalk after using it – that you should bury it or return it the parish.

What if I plan to use it next Epiphany? Can I just store the chalk away?

 

[FrDavid96]

On Epiphany my family will do a traditional door blessing for the first time using blessed chalk. I read elsewhere on an old thread on this forum that you shouldn’t throw out the chalk after using it – that you should bury it or return it the parish.

What if I plan to use it next Epiphany? Can I just store the chalk away?

Yes. You can just store the chalk for use next year.

 

[tbtcom1213]

You inscribe on top of your door or other suitable place
20+C+M+B+12

CMB stands for the names of the three kings Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.

CMB also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat meaning may Christ bless this house

Epiphany is traditionally a time for house blessings in both eastern and western practices.

Water, chalk, gold, frankincense and myrhh have special blessings.

 

[KimC1998]

Yes. You can just store the chalk for use next year.

Thank you!

 

[TrueLight]

Is there anything else we are supposed to do with the chalk?

Are there any other special Epiphany rituals?

Without this website, I’d be totally lost.

 

[paperwight66]

This thread is very interesting, as this custom in unknown in the UK.

I wonder which culture/nationality it comes from?

 

[TimothyH]

My father in-law, a deacon, blessed my house with holy water before we moved in.

But I never heard of blessed chalk or the 20+C+M+B+12 formula. What do the numbers signify?

-Tim-

 

[paperwight66]

It’s the year’s number (i.e.2012) split up by the initials of the three kings, isn’t it?

So it’s custom unknown in the Deep South, is it? I wonder if it is connected with patterns of immigration of the various nationalities?

 

[w_s_s]

It’s the year’s number (i.e.2012) split up by the initials of the three kings, isn’t it?

So it’s custom unknown in the Deep South, is it? I wonder if it is connected with patterns of immigration of the various nationalities?

It is very well known and still widely practiced in Germany. Perhaps it was imported into the USA via German immigration.

 

[CaptCrunch73]

I’m sorry but I’m completely lost here and there seem to be multiple threads on this. Could somebody enlighten me on the Epiphany and chalk? Thank you in advance.

 

[FrDavid96]

This thread is very interesting, as this custom in unknown in the UK.

I wonder which culture/nationality it comes from?

It’s very popular in Eastern Europe.

Ever been to Bavaria? They do it on the outside of the doors there. It’s quite a site driving or walking around and seeing so many doors marked.

Here in the US, it was brought over mostly by people from Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, etc.

I think it’s done in other parts of Europe as well (like Italy), but for some reason, that custom just didn’t make it over the Atlantic from other countries, so we see it here mostly among people of Eastern European descent.

 

[FrDavid96]

It’s the year’s number (i.e.2012) split up by the initials of the three kings, isn’t it?

So it’s custom unknown in the Deep South, is it? I wonder if it is connected with patterns of immigration of the various nationalities?

Yes it is.

Sometimes, one can tell the ethnicity of the family in the house by the letters.

In Polish homes, it’s Kaspar
In the more western languages it’s Caspar
In the more eastern ones it’s Gaspar (or the -er ending for all 3)

 

[FrDavid96]

I’m sorry but I’m completely lost here and there seem to be multiple threads on this. Could somebody enlighten me on the Epiphany and chalk? Thank you in advance.

There’s a custom of blessing water on Epiphany which goes back to the connection between the Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ by John. The “epiphany” was the the Father’s words “this is my beloved son…” In the West, the Epiphany later became the visit of the maji.

From that, we get the custom of blessing homes using the Epiphany water. The priest blesses the homes and marks the lintel of the primary entrance above the door (front door, back door, whatever is used most) with the year and the initials of the 3 maji and crosses using blessed chalk (also blessed on Epiphany). So it would look like this:

20 + G + M + B + 12
20 + C + M + B + 12
20 + K + M + B + 12
(one of the above)

each year, of course the last 2 digits represent the current year.

PS: the traditional names of the 3 maji are Casper, Melchior and Balthasar.

 

[Batfink]

This thread is very interesting, as this custom in unknown in the UK.

I wonder which culture/nationality it comes from?

I don’t know where it comes from, but I do it in the UK. I’m ‘native’ British (half Irish but born and brought up in England). We didn’t do it as kids, I picked it up from someone at uni. I know other English people who do it, mostly Trads, of various nationalities.

 

[CaptCrunch73]

There’s a custom of blessing water on Epiphany which goes back to the connection between the Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ by John. The “epiphany” was the the Father’s words “this is my beloved son…” In the West, the Epiphany later became the visit of the maji.

From that, we get the custom of blessing homes using the Epiphany water. The priest blesses the homes and marks the lintel of the primary entrance above the door (front door, back door, whatever is used most) with the year and the initials of the 3 maji and crosses using blessed chalk (also blessed on Epiphany). So it would look like this:

20 + G + M + B + 12
20 + C + M + B + 12
20 + K + M + B + 12
(one of the above)

each year, of course the last 2 digits represent the current year.

PS: the traditional names of the 3 maji are Casper, Melchior and Balthasar.

Thank you!

 

[CSUNGerrie]

Two questions:

1. Can lay people (i.e., fathers of the household) do this blessing?
2. Is this only suppose to be done on Epiphany?

thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[FrDavid96]

Two questions:

1. Can lay people (i.e., fathers of the household) do this blessing?
2. Is this only suppose to be done on Epiphany?

thanks for your thoughts on this.

1. They can mark their homes, but the homes won’t be “blessed.” Instead, it would be a prayer based on the blessing ritual.
2. Essentially “yes”–at least it should be done after Epiphany (since the priest really should use the Epiphany water, but not "must), but before Lent begins. The proper day for blessing the chalk is also Epiphany, so it “should” happen on or after Epiphany.