Epiphany

Y7 researched the Ephinany before the holidays. They took notes and recorded their notes on a Thinking Map (this time they used a Tree Map - which helped organise the notes into sub-headings). Primary 7 then wrote a report on the Epiphany.

Epiphany

The Epiphany is the twelfth and final day of Christmas. It is an important Christian festival all over the world.

Meaning

The word Epiphany comes from the Greek epiphania, meaning manifestation. It symbolises three events: The Three Kings presenting gifts to Jesus (this is why the Epiphany is usually connected with the Wise Men), John the Baptist baptising Jesus in the Jordan River and Jesus` first miracle - turning water into wine at the Wedding Feast at Cana. The earliest recording of Epiphany being a Christian feast was in 361 AD.

Three Wise Men

The Wise Men were looking at the stars and constellations when they noticed a new star in the sky. This led them to the Baby Jesus. The Wise Men were very clever and understood religious writings and books. They are sometimes called the “Magi” because Magi means priests or clever men. No one knows how many Wise Men there actually were but people assume three gifts means three men. The Wise Men were called Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar. Balthazar was a King of Arabia, Melchior of Persia and Caspar a King of India.

Where They Came From

The Wise Men came from the East. No one knows exactly where they came from but we think they might be from Persia, which we now call Iran.

Gifts

The Wise Men brought three gifts: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Gold was a sign of love to Jesus as their King, Frankincense was a strong smelling gum from an African tree and could be burned as incense. It showed Jesus` priesthood and that the Wise Men had faith. The third gift was Myrrh. Myrrh was less expensive than Frankincense but was still of great value. It was used in perfumes, oils, medicines and was burned as incense at burials. Myrrh was a symbol of suffering and some people thought this was a prediction of the suffering Jesus would have to go through.

Traditions Around the World

The Epiphany is celebrated differently all over the world. For instance, in some parts of Ireland, on The Epiphany they celebrate Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Christmas. Women get a day off and the men have to do the cleaning and cooking. In Belgium, children dress up as the Wise Men and go around houses, kind of like trick-or-treating. Austrian people put a special sign over their doors. They spilt the digits in the year and put in the initials of the Wise Men. For example, 2019 would be 20*B*M*C*19. Eastern Christians call Epiphany “Theophany”, meaning “manifestation of God”. In Russia, children believe that their presents are brought by Babushka, an old woman who the Three Wise Men met on their way to Bethlehem. According to legend, she was going to come with the Three Wise Men to see the Baby Jesus but she wanted to tidy her house first. By the time she finished cleaning her house, the Wise Men were long gone. She tried to find them, but she was unable to. Babushka still wanders Russia to this day, giving presents to children hoping that they are the Baby Jesus.

This is how people throughout the world celebrate the Epiphany. Different countries have different traditions. Maybe you have a different tradition. However, they all have one thing in common. Everyone celebrates them on the sixth of January.

Image: Dylan

Report: Conor Mc