What Is Epiphany?

While some Christians are packing up their Christmas decorations and setting their resolutions for the coming year, others are gearing up to celebrate another important biblical event. 

The holidays don’t end with New Year’s for everyone. In some denominations, the season of Christmas extends 12 more days through January 6, a date known as Epiphany. Most often associated with king cake, this religious holiday is more than the start of Carnival season.

What Is Epiphany? 

Epiphany, also called Little Christmas, Theophany, or simply Three Kings' Day, is one of the oldest festival days in Christianity. The Feast of the Epiphany is a holiday that marks the arrival of the Magi: The three wise men, or three three kings, sent to Bethlehem “from the East” by Roman King Herod.

The Gospel of Matthew recounts the Magi’s journey, guided by a bright star, to see the prophesied new king of the Jews. Despite their skepticism, the Bible says the wise men fell to their knees to worship the infant Jesus, bestowing upon him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

“Since they were not Jewish, the fact that the Magi saw Jesus as worthy of worship is considered proof that the baby was God's manifestation on Earth—central to the idea of epiphany,” explains National Geographic. 

So, to put it simply, Epiphany is the celebration of the moment when Jesus was recognized as the human incarnation of God.

When Is Epiphany?

The traditional date is January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas), though in some countries Epiphany is celebrated on the first Sunday in January. 

How Is Epiphany Celebrated?

In the United States, epiphany is perhaps best known for kicking off the Carnival season. Traditional celebrations often involve king cakes, those yellow, green, and white-frosted desserts containing a figure of a baby that have become synonymous with Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. 

A tradition known as "Chalking the Door” is also done to bless one’s home. Using chalk, people write patterns of letters and numbers on their door frame that combine the calendar year and the initials of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar (CMB).

In many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries, Epiphany is celebrated as Día de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings’ Day. Though it tends to be viewed as a lesser holiday in America, here it is seen as the culmination of the 12 days of Christmas, and is when children receive the majority of their gifts. This is done in remembrance of how the wise men brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

Fernando Laspina, who runs El Maestro, a nonprofit educational center in New York City told USA Today that Three Kings Day is basically a "second Christmas" in Latinx communities. 

"We celebrate it just as much as Christmas, it's another opportunity to be with family, food, and gifts, which are three things we love," Laspina explained.