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CHRISTMASTIME
For most, Christmas is over by December 26 and life has resumed its
normal activities. The Church, on the other hand, observes an Octave
of Christmas until January 1 (after the Jewish practice of an 8 day
celebration) and an extended Christmastime until January 6, the
Feast of the Epiphany. (It is now celebrated on the Sunday between
January 2 and January 8.) The popular Christmas song, "The Twelve
Days of Christmas," is rooted in the festive celebration of
Christmastime and a celebration of the Catholic faith, from a time
in England and Ireland when Catholics had to disguise their Catholic
beliefs.
During Christmastime, there are feasts of three martyrs: St. Stephen
on December 26, who represents those who went to their death
willingly; St. John the Evangelist on December 27 who represents
those who were willing to die but were not put to death, and the
Holy Innocents on December 28, representing those who were put to
death without their choice, recalling the events surrounding the
Birth of Christ.
On the Sunday between Christmas and January 1, the Church celebrates
the Holy Family. This feast is especially important today as many
families today face struggles and challenges in living their Faith.
Epiphany
Epiphany is normally celebrated on January 6, although it can be
celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and 8, as is done in the
United States and many other countries. It may also combine the
celebration of all three epiphanies ("showing forths") of Christ –
His epiphany to the Magi at His birth, His epiphany to St. John at
His baptism in the Jordan and His epiphany to the disciples and the
opening of His public ministry by the miracle of Cana.
However, its primary significance is the closing of the Christmas
season with the celebration of the visit of the Magi to the manger
(Matthew 2:1-12). The Messiah is thus shown to have come to all
people, not just the Jews. The three kings represent the three major
races:
Melchior, an old white man with a long white beard, bearing the
gift of gold for Christ’s royalty;
Caspar, young and of darker hue, carrying incenses for Christ’s
divinity; and
Balthasar, a black man, offering myrrh for Christ’s suffering and
death.
The names of the wise men are not given in the Bible, but were
supplied by later story tellers to enrich the meaning and
celebration of the Epiphany.
Blessing of Homes
A tradition associated with Epiphany is the blessing of homes with
holy water and incense. Using blessed chalk, a parent or priest can
mark the inside of the main door of the house with the initials of
the Magi and a code of the current year connected with crosses:
20+C+M+B+02. Another explanation of the initials (C-M-B) are the
fist letters of the blessing: Christus mansionem benedicat (Latin,
"May Christ bless the house").
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