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Christmas Series: Epiphany

History of Epiphany and Twelfth Night

Ending the 12 Days of Christmas?

Bill Petro
ILLUMINATION
Published in
3 min readJan 5, 2025

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Epiphany, by Fernando Gallego. Image: Wikimedia

Twelfth Night is on January 5, the eve of Epiphany, which occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6.

Epiphany signifies the event of the Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus. In some Latin cultures, it is known as Three Kings Day.

In Eastern (Orthodox and Oriental) churches, it is known as the Feast of Theophany (God Manifest). This feast commemorates Jesus’ baptism, with the attendant appearance of the Holy Spirit as a dove and the voice of God the Father. The story is recounted in all four Gospels of the New Testament. This date is also tied to Jesus’ miracle of changing the water to wine at the Wedding at Cana in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2.

Christmas vs. Advent

The 12 Days of Christmas don’t end at Christmas; Advent does. Instead, the 12 days start with Christmas and end with Epiphany. These 12 days are sometimes called Christmastide.

The subsequent “season” of Epiphany lasts from January 6 through the day before Lent. Some Latin American and European cultures extend this season to February 2 or Candlemas.

Epiphany In the East

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ILLUMINATION
ILLUMINATION

Published in ILLUMINATION

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Bill Petro
Bill Petro

Written by Bill Petro

Historian, technologist, blogger/podcaster. Former Silicon Valley tech exec. Author of articles on history, tech, pop culture, & travel. https://billpetro.com

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