Story and Facts Behind Epiphany; Three Kings Day

What is Epiphany and when in 2021?

Although New Year’s Day marks the end of Christmas, the remnants of holiday celebrations still exist. The excess food will be used for cooking until it is eaten naturally, but when the Christmas tree and decorations should be taken down is still a thing to debate about. Epiphany is a Christian holiday, generally known as Three Kings Day in the US. According to the “Christian Bible” event, it celebrates the three wise men visiting the little Jesus and remembering his baptism. The United States (US) Virgin Islands has designated this day as a public holiday. Epiphany is on 6th of January this year. 

History Behind Epiphany 

Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian feasts. The Christmas holiday has been celebrated since the end of the second century. It is often called the Twelfth Night, Twelfth Day or Epiphany Day. It means “performance” or “display”. It is also called Theophany (“The Appearance of God”), specifically by the Christians from east. Epiphany also refers to the church season on the next day. 

This day solemnizes the first two times that Jesus showed divinity according to the Christian faith. Firstly three kings visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, and John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Jordan. Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church emphasized the visit of the Magi when celebrating Epiphany. The Orthodox eastern churches focus on the baptism of Jesus.

How Epiphany is celebrated?

-> People of Virgin Islands USA celebrate Epiphany or The Three Kings Day to highlight and preserve their culture and heritage. But, It is not a public holiday in other parts of the country. Many Christians participate in the following Epiphany activities

• Attending Church Service on SUnday with the Parade of Stars
• Organizing parties and get-togethers for cleaning of homes and putting away the decorations of Christmas.
• Treasure hunts for finding out the Baby Christ figure.
• Feast of Epiphany, parties etc for Church and chanting friends.
• School activities for children on Sunday related to epiphany.

->In the UK, the traditional approach is that Christmas decorations last until the twelfth night. This is where the confusion lies. 

• Twelve Nights is a festival in certain branches of Christianity, marking the beginning of an epiphany. 
• The 12th day after December 25th, Christmas day is January 5th. 
• According to the England’s Churches, this day is considered twelfth night. 
• The day when the three wise men arrived was the second day, January 6.

Make Alaska Airlines reservations and spend your days in The US virgin Islands region until twelfth night to see how they celebrate Epiphany.

Important Facts about The Epiphany Feast

• The three kings Caspar, Balthazar and Melchoir who visited baby Jesus represented Arabia,Africa and Europe respectively.
• Roast lamb was traditionally enshrined in Epiphany to commemorate the visit of Christ and the three kings almost Hundred of years ago..
• Whoever finds the baby Jesus statue hidden in the slices of Rosca de reyes has to hold a party  in February at Candlemas.
• In some of the European Countries, Children leave their shoes out during the night, in expectation of gifts.
• While other children would leave the straw for the horses of the three kings.
• According to the tradition of Greek Orthodox churches, the priest would throw water at the cross to bless the water when the worshiper tried to retrieve it.
• Also in Bulgaria, Orthodox priests throw crosses in the sea, while men dive into the water-scrambling to get it first.
• In the late 70s in Venice, the traditional sailing regatta started as a joke and has now been integrated into the celebration of Epiphany Day.
• There is a traditional Three Kings Travels on the Vltava River to commemorate the Epiphany in Prague.
• The El Museo del Barrio Museum in New York celebrates and promotes the “Three Kings Day” tradition and has been holding an annual parade for more than three decades. Thousands of people participated in the parade featuring camels, colorful puppets and floats.
• During the day they sing a festival carol called aguinaldos.

You can verify all these facts by yourself once you make Southwest Airlines Reservations and visit here. They have several traditions in different areas and regions. Know more information so visit here.