I’ve never celebrated Epiphany on January 6 — I didn’t know about it until a few years ago when I made a trip to Porto’s Bakery. I asked someone why it was so crowded — and the kind woman explained that everyone was in line to get their King’s Cake for epiphany.
King’s Cake
Epiphany celebrates the day the three wise men visited the Christ Child. The King’s cake is actually a sweet bread in the shape of a circle or an oval — like a crown. Hidden within the cake is a small plastic baby representing the baby Jesus. Whoever gets that plastic baby is the lucky one — symbolic of finding Christ or having Christ revealed. Hmmm, I wonder if I can slip that into someone’s slice of cake, who could use an epiphany.
12 Days of Christmas
Epiphany falls 12 days after Christmas, which is where we got the idea of the 12 days of Christmas. Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, and other Western churches celebrate the coming of the Magi to see the Christ Child. Orthodox Christians link the day to the baptism of Christ and celebrate by swimming out to fetch a wooden cross that the Priest throws into the water. Many traditions center around the birth of Christ, his circumcision, and his baptism.
An Epiphany
I’ve heard of “an epiphany” — meaning a moment of sudden revelation or insight. The word is from the Greek “epiphainein,” meaning “reveal,” — which leads me to think of the word “revelation.” In the ancient temple and tabernacle (in the wilderness during the times of Moses), only the High Priest could go beyond the veil covering the Holy of Holies — the ark of the covenant and mercy seat. It was there that the Lord would reveal himself (if the priest was holy enough — thus the need for a rope around his ankle in case he dropped dead, they could pull him out, according to the Zohar.)
Many of us seek further revelation to learn of our Savior. Tradition says that the three kings, named Melchoir, Caspar, and Balthazar, followed the star of Bethlehem to see the Christ child. They each brought a gift — frankincense, myrrh, and gold. And when they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left by an alternate route. (Matthew 2: 10-12)
Originally posted 2015, updated 2023
