Well today is Epiphany!
Epiphany is that day that the Church has historically celebrated the visit of the Magi or Wise Men to the infant Jesus. (At least the Western Church — and I don’t mean “Cowboy Church” or anything that has to do with John Wayne or cowboy goodness or frontier ethics — but the European/Catholic Church as opposed to the Eastern/Orthodox Church… [they’re celebrating Christmas tomorrow, for heaven’s sake!] One day we should talk about this…)
Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day.
(Somehow the partridge-in-a-pear-tree thing got us celebrating the Twelve Days before Christmas! When we should have been celebrating Advent — in anticipation of the birth of the Messiah. But then our hustle-bustle get-a-gift-give-a-gift mania many of us say TGIO — Thank God It’s Over and are not interested in continuing anything frenetic — or even worshipful — after New Year’s Day! At least we might think it… maybe not saying it out loud!)
In doing some Protestant-boy research, here are some things I’ve found, and could actually be true — even though it’s not all in the Bible:
