What are you gonna do with a new testament?

[helkat]

Comments

[fireflycvx]

Actually, Epiphany is celebrated to mark the date when the Wise Men meet the baby and bring gifts. Its the 12th day of Christmas, traditionally speaking the 12 days of Christmas are the days between Christmas day and Epiphany. Not the days leading up to Christmas like popular idea says. Its also the day when Jesus gets named and circumstized(sp?) because back then if a baby made it a week, or so, it was pretty likely they would continue to live for awhile (longer).
My contribution to the convo. :)

[terilou6983]

I was raised Baptist, and so Epiphany is not something I know anything about.

[fireflycvx]

It's something we crazy Presbyterians celebrate. ;)

[helkat]

I played basketball once against an elementary school called Epiphany (we lost - they were awesome) but that's all I know. Do you guys actually celebrate this, like Christmas, or do you just observe it, like Presidents Day?

[fireflycvx]

Its celebrated, kind of in a crazy (again) way. What you do, is its like the first Santa. The night before, (Jan 5) the kids put out their shoes/slippers by the fireplace and the wise men/3 Kings will leave you presents. Usually its something little, not like Christmas 2.0 or anything. Its to represent the gifts given by them to the baby Jesus.
Then that marks the end of christmas, time to put everything back away and get on with daily life. I think other denominations celebrate it also, Lutherns and Episcepalians. (sp?)Catholics too probably, since they celebrate everything.

[helkat]

Lutherans don't - at least, we never did.

[terilou6983]

I had a couple of friends in high school who were Mexican and Catholic, and they celebrated Three Kings Day in early January, and they got presents again that day. I had it in my head as January 6th--this is probably related.

[helkat]

Teri, Mexican is not a religion :-)

[terilou6983]

I swear I replied to this already.

Yeah, I know, but they called it "Tres Reyes" and I never knew if that meant it was a Mexican (cultural) thing or a Catholic (Religious) thing.

[fireflycvx]

yeah, Epiphany and Three Kings Day are the same thing.

[dumbsarah]

I know the Catholic Church recognizes Epiphany, but since my dad's family is sort of lazy Catholic, I don't know if the church in general just recognizes it or if it's generally considered another holiday with it's own celebrations and such.

[dumbsarah]

My Lutheran church celebrates it, but more of in a President's way kind of recognizing it, not so much doing anything special to celebrate it. Usually the readings during the service on the first Sunday in January are about the Wise Men and the sermon usually focuses on some aspect of their visit, but that's really it, and I'm assuming when I was younger, that would have been what we talked about in Sunday School that week.

[charlesthegnu]

The naming and circumcision is actually 8 days after the birth. In the orthodox church we have a HUGE feast day 8 days after christmas (or the closest sunday). And babies born in the church are traditionally named on the 8th day, but they don't circumcize anymore.