The Feast Of The Epiphany Or The Three Kings

The Feast Of The Epiphany Or The Feast Of The Three Kings

Today is a day of significance in the church calendar. Traditionally celebrated as the day the The Magi followed the star to Bethlehem to pay homage to Christ as King of the Jews. According to church record the gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh were presented to the Baby Jesus. In my old age I sometimes get a little analytical. I wonder how this couple riding on a donkey to escape Herod's desire to have the new King of the Jews killed transported these gifts and how were they used / stored after the presentation. That is not a part of church record but I am curious. I did learn that gold symbolized his royalty, the frankincense was the incense and myrrh was the bitter perfume used for burial.

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My mother was a very traditional member of our catholic religion. In our home when I was a young child the creche was kept under the Christmas tree. The statues of the Three Wisemen were kept hid behind the creche until January six and then they were in place. That was done early in the morning. This day signified the end of the Christmas season and all decorations were put away for another year including the creche. In those days were had the large lights on a tree which generated heat when kept on very long. I remember the dry discolored spots where lights lay against the branches. What a fire hazard. Thank God for LED lights.

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One year ago we were vacationing in Switzerland with our oldest daughter and family. This day is celebrated much differently than in the United States. Pastry shops bake a special cake called the Kings Cake. It comes complete with a cardboard crown covered with gold foil. Families have a celebration of this day signifying its meaning. Small gifts are given to each other supposedly from the "kings". School resumes on the next school day following the 6Th of January in Italy.

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Growing up in Ohio and in a family of German ancestory, we celebrated December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas. We hung a stocking the night of the 5Th and early in the morning of the 6Th we arose to find a tangerine or candy cane in our stocking. In the world of today, I don't think many children would consider that worth the effort of hanging a stocking. We thought it was a real treat and it often went to school in our lunch.

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In the photo posted today Anna wears the foil crown which came with our cake and our daughter Mary serves the cake while son-in-law Silvano serves the champagne. My husband Don watches as Anna takes some good natured kidding from her papa.