Articles about 'Epiphany'
December 1st, 2012
This Christmas song was sent to us from the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It’s sung throughout the Portuguese speaking world.
The carol starts with a child leaving his shoe on the windowsill outside. In Portugal, children do this for the Epiphany (the day that celebrates the Three Kings’ visit to Jesus). Children leave straw and...
December 16th, 2011
Daria (a children’s performer) wrote to me about her husband’s experience as a child in Greece at Christmas time. Here’s what she wrote:
"My husband grew up in Greece and loves to remember caroling with a triangle during the Christmas season. He and his brothers and sisters would go door to door and even on the...
December 11th, 2011
Gian Carlo Macchi wrote about Christmas in Italy and how the one who brings presents to children differs from region to region. Here’s his note:
…About Christmas here in Italy I can add something. Traditionally, it is Gesù Bambino (the Child Jesus)* who gives gifts to children. But some places, for example in Bergamo (Northern Italy),...
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January 2nd, 2008
Ed Gawlinski wrote:
I found among my music an Austrian folk song called “Song of the Three Holy Kings”… but I don’t have the words either in German or English to this. It sounds like a very nice tune. Perhaps someone might recognize it and provide the words.
Ed
Here’s the tune Ed sent me:
Midi Tune...
December 5th, 2007
Ed Gawlinski wrote to me about his family’s holiday traditions. His letter shows how you can be creative and expose your children to many different customs around the world at this time of year…
Lisa,
The Polish Custom is for Saint Nicholas (świętego Mikołaja) to bring children presents on December 6th …. The traditions that go...
January 2nd, 2007
Kings Day is also known as the Epiphany and takes place on January 6th. It’s the day the Three Kings are said to have presented their gifts to Jesus.
In France, Kings Day is called Le jour des rois or La fête des rois. In honor of this day they eat Galette...
January 6th, 2006
Today is Kings Day in France. It celebrates the visit of the three Wise Kings to Jesus.
Monique from France wrote…
Friends generally gather to share a galette or a royaume (kingdom, that’s the way the King’s Cake, a ring cake without filling, is called in Southern France). The one who finds the trinket...
January 5th, 2006
January 6th is the Epiphany. It’s the day the baptism of Christ is celebrated.
January 6th is also the Day of the Three Magi Kings or Wise Men. Their names are Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. The Epiphany is celebrated in some countries as the day the three wise men visited the...
January 4th, 2006
The Twelve Days of Christmas actually start on Christmas and go up to the Epiphany, on January 6th.
Here’s the legend: The Three Wise Men saw the star of Bethlehem on the day Jesus was born. It took them the time between Christmas and the Epiphany to find Jesus and present him with...
January 3rd, 2006
“Befana” is Italian for “Epiphany”. It’s also the name of a character from an interesting legend that strongly influenced the Italian traditions for celebrating this holiday.
On their way to deliver gifts to the baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men came across a woman named Befana. They asked her to come with them, but she...
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