Epiphany

     Happy Epiphany! Merry 12th night! Good Theophany! Merry El Dia de los Tres Reyes! Happy Three Kings Day! What country you're in determines what it's called but, it's a much more joyous holiday then yesterday's Tevet 10.

  Whatever you call it, Epiphany is the last day of the twelve days of Christmas. It celebrates the day the Magi/three wise men/three kings visited the baby Jesus. Although the Eastern Christians, like the Greek Orthodox prefer to celebrate it as the day Jesus was baptized. In some countries (Spain for one) children leave their shoes outside the house for the three wise men to fill with sweets as they pass by, or the Magi leave gifts (representing the gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh they brought to the baby Jesus) to be opened Epiphany morning (similar to our Santa Clause).

    Traditionally, Epiphany is observed by blessing the home, exchanging gifts and feasting on a "King Cake".

     We started our day off with Happy Epiphany's! and King Cake (cinnamon rolls covered with green, gold and purple icing). The custom is whoever gets the piece with the trinket inside gets to be the a King for the day. Guess who got it? Yup. Eira-lynn. She was so excited to be the "Royal King". Over our cake I told her the story of the Magi meeting the baby Jesus.

     We blessed our house, Epiphany style. I let Eira-lynn write the 20+C+B+M+12 over the door (the letters have two meanings, the initials of the three wise men; Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar and, the abbreviate the Latin phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat translated to may Christ bless this house. The 20 in the front and 12 at the end make up the year and the + represents the protection of the Christ.) while I read the house blessing prayer-

     May God bless our home and all who live here. May we be filled with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, love, and thanksgiving. Help us love and respect one another and make your presence known by the way we care for others. May this blessing remain upon this house and upon all who live here. Amen.

 Christmas kind of wiped us our financially so I skipped the gift giving aspect and we made king crowns for each other instead.

These past two days are probably the most religious I've ever been in my life. It feels kind of strange praying, especially while using the words God, Lord or Jesus. Usually the only time I use the word God is with a "damn it" after it or a "oh my" in front of it. I kind of like it though. Afterward I feel peaceful and more connected.

Next up- January 9 is Martyr's day (Panama) and Coming of Age day (Japan)