What is the Epiphany? Celebrating the Epiphany in Germany

January 6, the Epiphany, or Dreikönigstag, is a public holiday in Germany. What is the Epiphany? In the Church Calendar, January 6 is the day that the Wise Men or Three Kings arrived at the stable in Bethlehem to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. The day is celebrated with special church services. In Catholic areas, children dress as Star Singers and go door to door collecting treats and coins. Or, you may see men dressed as kings walking door to door and blessing houses using chalk to write C + M + B near the door. The Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas, and for many, it is the signal for the end of the holiday season.

What is the Epiphany?

Before the Fourth Century, the birth of Christ, Jesus’s Epiphany, which means appearance in Greek, was celebrated on January 6. Pope Julius I officially shifted the date to December 25. (The date wasn’t arbitrary. Mary learned she was pregnant with the Son of God on March 25, the Annunciation and December 25 is nine months later… so for those counting on their fingers, it makes sense.)

In the Bible Gospel Matthew, the Magi, or Wise men (sometimes called Kings), learned of Christ’s birth, then traveled from the east following a star. We celebrate January 6 as the day the Magi arrived at the stable in Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ Child. The Kings are not named in the Bible, but they have come to be known as Melchior, from Persia, Balthezar, an Arab Scholar and Caspar, from India. Three gifts were given: Frankincense (a perfume or incense), Myrrh (an anointing oil), and Gold.   The gifts were important; these were items that would never be given to an ordinary man. These were gifts for a King, so according to the Bible, the Wise Men acknowledged Jesus as the King of Kings.

Today, an ornate gold shrine containing the bones of the Magi holds a place of honor in the Cologne Cathedral. Legend has it that St. Helena found them in Constantinople and brought them home. They were housed in Milan until the Emperor Barbarossa brought them to Cologne in the 12th century. (Maybe that’s why Germans feel so strongly about these Epiphany celebrations?) The shrine is quite large, and the altar has a special lift to raise and lower it. (Read more it HERE–> Cologne Dom)

Celebrating the Epiphany in Germany

Why is C + M + B chalked on Houses?

In some areas of Germany, groups of three men dressed as kings will go door to door, offering New Year’s blessings. The initials C + M + B, along with the year, are chalked above the door or on the wall next to the door of homes. And while C M B stands for Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, they officially mean “Christus Mansionem Benedicat,” May Christ Bless this House.”  Many families, like my Aunt and Uncle, have line after line of these initials chalked on their house wall, slowly fading with time. It is a source of pride and is not washed off.

Sternsinger

You will find Sternsinger or Star Singers in Southern Germany and much of Austria. Children dress up as the Magi (Three Wise Men), complete with robes, crowns, and props representing gifts for the Christ Child. They follow a leader carrying a star on a pole and stop at homes and apartments where they sing special Carols and recite a poem. After singing, one of the children will write the initials C+M+B and the date on the door frame. The children collect donations for a children’s charity and often receive treats.

Interestingly, this tradition began in the 16th century. After the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church had less income, so the children sang to help support their schools. By the 19th century, the tradition faded away. In 1958, the Sternsinger program was reborn with the support of the Federation for German Catholic Youth (BDKJ). The organized processions raise funds for charitable children’s mission projects at home and internationally. Click here for MUCH more information about the Sternsinger

The 12th Day of Christmas

Since the Epiphany signals the end of the Christmas Season, it is also when families put away decorations and take down the Christmas Tree. In some communities, trees are collected into a pile for a huge bonfire. Kids get to plunder the trees before the fire begins to search for any remaining sweet treats used as ornaments left on the trees. Often, a few extra wrapped chocolates are hidden in the pile to make the search more fun.

Some Families also celebrate by baking and eating a Dreikonigs’ Kuchen, Three Kings’ Cake.

You can find recipes here—->Three Kings’Cake and here  Three Kings’ Cake

And then, it’s January 7, and it’s time to let Christmas go and move on to  Karneval, Lent, and Easter!