Celebrating the Epiphany of Emmanuel

Traditionally, Western Christianity recognized a Christmas Season of twelve days from December 25 through January 5.  
And January 6 is universally recognized as Epiphany. 

Epiphany is one of the three oldest festival days of the Christian Church. 
It commemorates, according to tradition, "the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles."

Epiphany, January 6 is also known as "Little Christmas," or "Three Kings Day."  
In some cultures, the gifts (which represent the gifts given by the Magi to Jesus, or the gift of Jesus) are given on this day, rather than on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
For some, this is a day of special feasting with elaborate traditional foods.

In the churches of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the recognition of Christ's divinity occurs first at his baptism by John in the Jordan River. For these churches this was the
breakthrough moment, the occasion on which it was recognized that this man was in fact the Son of God.
In churches of the West the evening preceding Epiphany is called Twelfth Night.  
Hence, the twelve days of Christmas.

In an article on About.com, Charles Henderson wrote:
"Personally, I like the idea that Christmas is actually a season  which stretches out from December 25 all the way through to the  New Year, culminating in Epiphany. 
This simple fact allows one  to separate the secular and commercial Christmas from the more  reflective period in which the actual significance of Jesus  Christ can be contemplated. 
A period of twelve days allows an  appropriate amount of time in which to probe to a deeper level  of understanding. 
Thus, Epiphany may redeem Christmas, and this  time of the year can indeed by an occasion for illumination and  discovery, a breakthrough moment in which those things that are  most real (and thus most divine) in human life come shining  through."

Traditionally, the word epiphany means "a showing forth" or "manifestation." 
In common usage it sometimes refers to a sudden recognition of something that was there all along, but for which there was only a vague intuition. 
Often the new recognition can be seen to have a cosmic dimension and can certainly be life-changing.
This cosmic aspect of a seemingly insignificant event is well-represented by the Epiphany day story of the Magi who followed a star in search of a new-born king whom they finally discovered in a very unlikely Jewish home.

During Advent we often heard the word Emmanuel and the phrase "God with us" as a way to describe the birth of Jesus Christ.
Epiphany is a time for discovering what this phrase truly means.
 
Check out NewCelebrations.com