Epiphany Sunday

Christmas is a season of celebration, rich with traditions that center on the birth of Christ. But for those who follow the Church Calendar, the joy doesn’t stop on Christmas Day. Instead, it marks the beginning of Christmastide, a twelve-day period of feasting, worship, and reflection that culminates in Epiphany Sunday. This ancient celebration commemorates the visit of the Magi and Christ’s appearance to the world as Savior.

I love Christmas! The Advent traditions leading up to Christmas—the singing of Advent and Christmas hymns, the family gatherings, the feasting, candlelight services on Christmas Eve, celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas Day—these are all important traditions. But one of my favorite things about following the Church Calendar is that Christmas doesn’t end on Christmas Day. Christmas Day actually begins the twelve days of Christmas, or Christmastide—an extended period of time celebrating the birth of Christ!

Christmastide concludes with Epiphany Sunday (this year on Sunday, January 5th), which is an important Sunday commemorating the visit of the Magi. 

What is Epiphany Sunday?

Epiphany (from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning “appearance” or “manifestation”) celebrates the first coming of Christ into the world. It is also known as “Three Kings Day” by some Christians, as it remembers the Magi (traditionally, three wise men) who came from the Far East to worship the newborn king. Eastern Orthodox Christians also refer to the day as “Theophany” as they focus on the baptism of Christ on this day. According to church tradition, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana on this day as well.

Epiphany is one of the oldest established Christian celebrations, eclipsed in prominence only by Christmas and Easter, and is celebrated by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Christians all around the world. Epiphany is a day of worship filled with singing and feasting to celebrate Christ’s appearance in the world.

Epiphany Traditions

Epiphany has many traditions amongst Christians. Many Christians will chalk the doors of their homes with a pattern such as 20 + C + M + B + 25 as a way to profess their faith in Christ. The numbers in this example reflect the Year of our Lord 2025, the Crosses represent Christ, and the C, M, and B are initials for the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat (translated “May Christ bless this house”). At Epiphany parties, many Christians eat a King cake, or “Three Kings Cake,” where a small figurine of Christ is baked into the cake. Other festive traditions have included winter swimming and gatherings for large bonfires as the Christmas trees are burned at the conclusion of the Christmas season.

While many of these traditions come from Catholic or Orthodox traditions, Lutherans, Anglicans and many Presbyterians continue to practice Epiphany. 

What does Epiphany Sunday look like at Christ Church Bellingham?

At Christ Church Bellingham, we worship together on Epiphany Sunday in our singing and liturgy. The liturgical fabric is white on Epiphany Sunday, as it is during Christmastide. This is the last Sunday of the year that we sing Christmas carols in our worship (including songs referring to the visit of the Magi), and we reflect on Christ’s first appearance in the world in our liturgy. We encourage our church members to gather with other families that evening to eat and sing together, maybe sharing hot chocolate around a bonfire as they burn their Christmas trees.

After Epiphany

It is a time to celebrate the conclusion of the season of Christmas as we enter a short period of Ordinary Time (our liturgical fabric will turn back to green). In this season of Ordinary Time, we reflect on the ministry of Jesus, and for our sermons, our pastors preach through one of the Gospels. During this season of Ordinary Time, we begin a liturgical focus reflecting on the Sermon on the Mount which continues into Lent, the next season of the Church Calendar.

A Reminder on Why we Follow the Church Calendar

We follow the Church Calendar because at our church, we are working to build a distinctively Christian culture. We believe the Church Calendar is a valuable tool in shaping the life of a Christian, as the Church Calendar tells the story of God’s redemptive plan throughout history, and it shows how our lives and traditions are shaped by that Gospel.

Epiphany Sunday and other Christian holidays reinforce our Christian identity, reminding us of who we are and what story we live in. We regularly celebrate these Christian holidays to show our union with other Christians around the world, and to invite non-Christians into the life and joy of Christ’s Kingdom as we celebrate his rule and reign. 

Just as the Magi traveled from far away to worship Jesus Christ, the newborn king and prophesied Savior of the world, we should spend Epiphany Sunday in worship and thankfulness to a God who took on flesh to save his people from their sin.