What are people doing for the Epiphany season?
ChastMastr
Shipmate
in Heaven
Happy Epiphany! So what do you do, have done, or plan to do for the Epiphany season? 💜💛💚
Comments
But then, in my tradition, there is no “Epiphany Season.” Epiphany is a day, and to the extent that there might be a “season,” it extends only until the following Sunday (the Baptism of Christ). Between that Sunday and Ash Wednesday is Ordinary Time, or Time after Epiphany. I believe that’s the case for the current Roman Catholic calendar as well.
I’d put an Epiphany Season and Mardi Gras in completely separate categories. Beyond King Cakes, which can relate to both Epiphany and Mardi Gras, I see Mardi Gras as more connected to Lent.
In addition, we will have the three kings selected. We give out small pound cup cakes. Three of them have something in them--like a nut or figurine. Nothing special about this. Just something fun to do.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_season
Somewhere hidden in the cake there is a little porcelain figurine (the fève), and the person who finds it is the king or queen and wins a paper crown.
We are holding a galette party next weekend (you can have them until the end of January). The traditional cake in some parts of the South is not the frangipane galette mentioned above, but a ring shaped brioche, also with a fève. I'm going to make one of these because at least one of our guests doesn't like frangipane.
The one exception to the above is if you should ever find yourself invited to a galette party at the Elysée by the President. The galette there has no fève because there is no king in the Republic.
In the world of commerce, the next big event is Saccharinetide (aka St Valentine's Day), and the tat is already in the shops - well, the Great Day is only just over a month away. It will be fairly closely followed by Bunnytide (aka Easter) tat, though that auspicious time is rather late this year.
CHOCOLATE, anyone?
I'm thinking liturgically, rather than the outer culture--the C of E seems to at least celebrate it until Candlemas-- https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons-1#mmm72
Yes, the commerce thing is the same here with Valentine's Day and secular aspects of Easter, followed instantly by Mother's Day, Father's Day, and especially the Fourth of July stuff probably in shops right after Easter.
Our Place uses white vestments at Candlemas (which falls on a Sunday this year), and will probably use white for The Baptism of Christ this coming Sunday, but IIRC they then go back to green for a while. Not too sure about that - I'll try to remember to ask Madam Sacristan (my Spy).
FWIW, I prefer keeping Epiphany up until Candlemas, as the latter acts as an important *hinge*, looking away from the Crib, and towards the Cross.
UPDATE: It was against tough competition. There were so many chilies this year. In the end, I got the FAN FAVORITE AWARD. I think this is the second time in as many years I got that award. I was trying to go for the most Unique, though. It placed second on the most spicey list too, Not that it was hot, but in that it had a unique blend of spices.
It was a Pepperoni Pizza Chili. Here is its recipe.], A couple of modifications. I used only one pound of hamburger along with regular Italian Sausage. The original recipe called for two pounds of hamburger and one pound of hot Italian Sausage.
If I do it again, I would also have done it in a slow cooker for ten hours.
I won our chili cook-off one year with chili that included beer and chocolate. I should make it again.
Chili peppers and chocolate? Holy molé!
Awesome! ❤️ Billy Batson would be proud!
You shared the recipe here. I made it, and the whole family loved it 😊.
#fightingthegoodfightwithallmymight
Rotfl! Or if you go into the right shops, beginning sometime in October…
Meanwhile, is anyone else familiar with Epiphany Words/Star Words? They seem to have become common in a lot of Presbyterian churches and circles, though I know they happen in other churches of other traditions, too. The gist is that at Epiphany, there are paper cut-out stars on a table or in a bowl or dish, each with a word written on the side facing down. Everyone picks a star, and the word on the star is treated as a “guiding word” for the coming year.
My word for the coming year is a bit unusual; I’ll need to spend some time pondering it.
* “All Things Rite & Musical” focuses on liturgy and music from an Anglican—specifically 1979 Book of Common Prayer Episcopal—perspective. The two podcasters are an Episcopal priest and an Episcopal organist-choir master. In a connection to the Ship, the organist-choir master serves at the parish where our own Rossweisse sang in the choir, and was there when she was. I believe he played her funeral. The podcast started when the priest with whom he co-hosts was also serving that parish. Now that the priest has moved elsewhere, new episodes are, alas, not as frequent as they once were.
Oh, what denomination?
I resumed writing it in my 40s. Couldn't not do so now.
@Telford, these seasons and festivals only make sense, I think if you are involved with a church that follows a particular liturgical calendar. Otherwise...
@Gramps49 nice to hear about the chilli but I wondering what it has to do with Epiphany.
Gold, frankincense and guacamole?
@ChastMastr for those on the old Gregorian calendar it's now Theophany.
The rest of the Orthodox world celebrated that a few weeks ago.
Theophany tends to coincide with the Western Epiphany.
I have no idea why the Christian East celebrated the baptism of Christ at this time and why the West plumped for commemorating the visit of the Magi.
Incidentally, I have a soft spot for Candlemas and feel it's a shame it isn't observed more widely.
As an aside, a friend who spent some time living in the USA and attending a non-denominational church there told me that US churches of that ilk were more inclined to mark 'special days' than their UK equivalents. Not in terms of historic liturgical feasts and fasts nor even things like Father's Day - which they did make a big deal of - but ones they concocted themselves, often to celebrate people with particular roles within the congregation.
I was intrigued by this. Nature abhors a vacuum and if we do away with liturgical dates and calendars we only end up inventing new ones.
I'm not saying that's right, wrong, good, bad or indifferent.
But it is a thing.
Whilst I was Christened in a Church of England Church I have never been a regular attendee of such a church. I don't have a denomination as such as it was an independent church with Pentecostal leanings.
I have heard, from multiple sources (which could all be wrong, but I am convinced...), that January 6 was a huge Feast in the early Church: Christ's Baptism, His Birth, the Shepherds, the Magi... were all celebrated as his manifestation to the world.
Christmas on December 25, which started in the west and moved east (we have a sermon from St John Chrysostom the first time it was celebrated in Constantinople (I think...may be Antioch). I know there are many histories about the choice of that day, but I tend to believe the one that is complex and involves conflicting Easter dates, a non-existent in reality belief Christians thought Jews had that prophets died on the date of their conception, and a calculation forward... But many I respect go for the "replace a pagan day" history.
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I was travelling and trying to set a good prayer life so I tried to pray Matins and Vespers as often as I could with the hymns for the forefeast (4 days), feast itself and post-festal days (8). I also listened to a podcast on St John the Forerunner (as he is called in Orthodoxy, forerunning and preaching Christ on earth and in Hades!). Plenty to ponder; Christ's condescension and John's "trembling" brought out in hymnody:
What did the wise guys bring to the Baby Jesus? Spice? What is a key ingredient in Chili? Spice--though not too hot for me.
Another traditon my congregation has during Epiphany is called, "A Place at the Table." Members of the congregation divide up to have dinner at other member's homes.
And we finish off with Fat Sunday (not Tueday) with a congregational pancake feed. And, then it is Lent--which brings up another thread topic.