The Twelfth Day of Christmas: Building our own Epiphany traditions

Epiphany has long held a special place in my heart. A dear Belgian family friend would hold a glorious Epiphany tea every January 6.   In my married life, especially as my children get older, Epiphany has become the Christmas of our domestic church.

We are fortunate to have so much of our extended family living within a day's drive and celebrate from Christmas Eve thru New Year's Day with them. Although Epiphany Sunday was celebrated on January 3, my husband and I opted to hold our celebration on the 6th because we got back in town late Saturday night and were exhausted/not prepared/waiting for packages to arrive. 






Last night (January 5, the vigil), we held a procession through the house with censer, candles, and bells, chalking the exterior doors 20+C+M+B+16 on our route.

Most of the Christmas decorations save the Nativity set and the tree have gradually been making their way back to the attic. I found this great image of the Adoration of the Magi in an old calendar and taped on our front door (we do have a storm door, so it's holding up well).

Tonight's celebration will start with Lessons and Carols, assisted by a set of discarded Worship hymnals. I developed this order of service based on this template. Then we will exchange gifts within our nuclear family- three for each of something you want, something you need, and something to read.















I find inspiration for my Epiphany menu in that the Magi came from the East. Some years, we have ordered Chinese take-out, but this year I am trying out slow cooker biryani- an Indian rice pilaf. Friends from the neighborhood will be joining us. I'll round out the meal with a winter vegetable slaw, and cheater's Buche de Noel- a chocolate rehrucken cake with a plastic baby Jesus hidden inside, plus chai and any leftover Christmas chocolates.

Happy Epiphany, from our family to yours!

Image source: Juan Reixach, Adoration of the Magi, 1450-90
Image source: Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Twelfth Night, c.1619

Some Christmastide books that we are enjoying

Some of my favorite books from the Christmastide half of my family's Christmas book basket...



 Jan Brett, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Jan Brett, Tomie dePaola, and Trina Schart Hyman are my three favorite children's book illustrators. It was a very happy day when I found this book at the thrift store for a dime- but nothing compared to fellow Church Lady Mary Liz when she got to meet Jan Brett a few weeks ago.

Jan Brett, Gingerbread Baby.
A unique retelling of the classic tale. I appreciate how the dialogue is much less repetitive in this version than most.

Tomie dePaola, Christmas Remembered
In chapter-long reminisces, Tomie dePaola reflects on Christmas past, from childhood holidays in New England to time spent at a Benedictine abbey and life in the American Southwest. As a fan, it was interesting to learn more about his life.









   

Tomie dePaola, Tony's Bread.
A sweet story about the origin of panettone, an Italian Christmas bread.

"Merry Christmas" chapter from The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Last winter, my family listened to this book on CD while traveling to visit family at Christmas.  The Ingalls' family's hardships were incredible. At some points, the cost of groceries were inflated to the point of today's costs- nearly 150 years later. Yet Ma still managed to make Christmas Day special for her family.










Books were either purchased myself or checked out from the library.

Celebrating Sunday: Epiphany of the Lord

Reflection:

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
[Ps 72, 10-11]

Recipe:
Crockpot Indian Butter Chicken

Other Epiphany Links:
2011 Epiphany Proclamation

Epiphany Blessing for the Home

Epiphany Baking

Image: Pieter Aertsen, Adoration of the Magi, 1560.

About Celebrating Sunday

2011 Epiphany Proclamation

Dear brothers and sisters,

the glory of the Lord has shone upon us,

and shall ever be manifest among us,

until the day of his return.

Through the rhythms of times and seasons

let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.

Let us recall the year's culmination,

the Easter Triduum of the Lord:

his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial,

and his rising celebrated

between the evening of the twenty-first day of April

and the evening of the twenty-third day of April,

Easter Sunday being on the twenty-fourth day of April.

Each Easter -- as on each Sunday --

the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed

by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death.

From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent,

will occur on the ninth day of March.

The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated

on the second day of June.

Pentecost, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter,

will be celebrated on the twelfth day of June.

And, this year the First Sunday of Advent will be

on the twenty-seventh day of November.

Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the passover of Christ

in the feasts of the holy Mother of God,

in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints,

and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come,

Lord of time and history,

be endless praise, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Before calendars were readily available, it was the custom to proclaim the date of Easter and other celebrations that flow from it to all the faithful on Epiphany.

The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (118) says this "solemn proclamation of Easter and the principal dominical feasts" is "ancient in origin and rich in spiritual content." "Its revival in many places would be opportune since it serve[s] to make the connection between Epiphany and Easter, and orientate[s] all feasts toward the greatest Christian solemnity." Whether you hear this proclamation at your parish on Epiphany or not, you can read it here, update your calendars, and take a few moments to meditate on the wonder of the fullness of God's plan!

Today's Word: Procession

Procession (pro-SEH-shuhn) - Sacred parades, either inside or outside the church, in which clergy and faithful travel from one place to another, giving praise, thanks, and worship to God.

You may be familiar with traditional Advent Posadas, have fond memories of May Crownings or have participated in city-wide, elaborate Corpus Christi processions, but remember, you can also duplicate the very Catholic tradition of the procession in your domestic church.

Epiphany is the traditional time to bless your home, but I also know of families who place a figure of the Christ Child in their creche on Christmas Eve with procession and song and some who return the "Alleluia" to their family prayer table at Easter with a joyful procession. It's important to consider the age and attention span of your kids when planning your event, but even very small children can appreciate the solemnity of the occasion.

I suggest you map out your route ahead of time (following the simplest progression through your home) and that you give each family member something relevant to carry. At least one candle is a must, but safety is primary - use glass globes (tested ahead of time to make sure they don't get hot on the bottom), or electric flameless candles. A Crucifix, icon, or other relevant picture works well, as does a Bible, a container of holy water, or even incense.

It is traditional to sing as you walk and I'm sure you'll have no trouble coming up with appropriate songs that your family knows. You can simplify even further by singing the same song more than once. If you have a budding musician, make their Advent practice assignment a song you can use.

At each stop (even if there's only one), you want a short time of prayer. Of course this can be spontaneous prayer, but it may be more in keeping with the occasion to have something prepared. Assign a leader and begin with the Sign of the Cross. Your procession will have a more liturgical feel if you begin each stop the same way ("A reading from the book of Luke," or "Our hope is in the name of the Lord/who made heaven and earth," or even "Peace be with you/and also with you.") You could break up an appropriate Bible story and read part at each stop, or if you are blessing your home at Epiphany, stop at each room and ask the Lord's blessing for the intended use of each. ("Lord bless this dining room and all our activities here." Then invite anyone to add a petition.)

Conclude by asking the Lord's blessing on all of you, and by blessing your children by tracing a small cross on their foreheads.

The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc. CCC 1674

See also the Directory on Popular Piety, paragraph 118.

Belated Epiphany baking

I held my annual Epiphany party this past weekend (much belated because the local schools weren't in session.)

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Mid'ian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
[Is 60, 6]

My vintage cookie press has a camel plate.
What better time to use it?

The marzipan top for the cake. A few other people also brought desserts, so I skipped making the traditional buche de noel, and made a layer cake instead. I stuck the plastic baby Jesus in after baking.

And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
[Is 60, 3]

I supplemented the flowers with clementines around the vase.

An Epiphany Welcome!

Welcome to our new readers from The Anchoress!

The custom of assigning patron saints is an old and venerable ones. Some cultures and communities have done this before the First Sunday of Advent, others on the feast of the Epiphany.

The Church Ladies have been assigning patron saints for the new year. This year's theme is the Year for Priests; saints are chosen randomly from within our master list. Please email us at psochurchladies(at)gmail(dot)com to receive one. We are also happy to share the list so you can hold your own drawing with your school or family.

As you celebrate the Epiphany today, keep in mind the Directory of Popular Piety's exhortations for today:

• the solemn proclamation of Easter and the principal dominical feasts

• the exchange of "Epiphany gifts"

• the blessing of homes, on whose lintels are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which can also be interpreted to mean Christus mansionem benedicat, written in blessed chalk; this custom, often accompanied by processions of children accompanied by their parents, expresses the blessing of Christ through the intercession of the three wise men and is an occasion for gathering offerings for charitable and missionary purposes;

• initiatives in solidarity with those who come from afar; whether Christian or not

• assistance to the work of evangelisation
  

• the assignation of Patrons

Image source: Durer, The Adoration of the Magi