Epiphany

I've posted so many pictures lately, any newcomers will think this is a photography blog.  Where's the witty CONTENT?  Well, it's coming back, I'm sure.  But, I have had so many cutie-patootie pictures to post!

My favorite Christmas tradition is Epiphany.  When I was a kid my parents started celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas (which if you are a reader of this blog, you know is the 12 days after Christmas and not before) and Epiphany, which is January 6.  Epiphany means manifestation and it is the day we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus, specifically the day that the Wise Men found and worshipped Jesus.

This is very important because of all the players in the Christmas epic, the only non-Jews that worshipped Jesus were the Wise Men, who came from the East.  This is significant for all us Gentiles who are Jesus worshippers.  It means, simply, that Jesus came for all people, of all races and people groups.

Not coming from a liturgical church, over the years we've developed our own traditions and observances of this holy day.

We've begun inviting other families to celebrate with us, so we can spread the joy of this happy closing of the Christmas holidays.  We're just not the kind of people who sigh with relief that Christmas is over.  We want to squeeze all the fun we can out of it!

First, we light all the candles we can find.  The mom (me!) lights the candles because a mother (Mary) brought the Light into the world.  The kids spread them out throughout the house.

What comes next?  The Feast!

 It's always Asian food (Chinese take-out, sushi, etc.) because......wait for it............

 The Wise Men came from the EAST!  This year we enjoyed a fusion of different ethnically Asian food.  Our friends brought some sushi and seaweed salad.  We also had wontons, egg rolls, shrimp with vegetables stir fry, fried rice, and Korean beansprouts.  We drank sake and Tsingtao.

And the kids get to eat with chopsticks, which is entertainment in itself.

 After dinner, the adults have to clear away and clean up while the kids plan a Christmas pageant!  This production involves no parental help or oversight.  So, the result is sometimes moving and sometimes downright hysterical.

They stage the production between dinner and dessert:

Taking a final bow

Epiphany just happens to also be Saraa's birthday!  We celebrated her birthday with a tasty breakfast and presents in the morning.  But, her "cake" which was a chocolate chip cookie trifle, we enjoyed by candlelight that night.

After dessert, we have some Scripture reading.  Every one who is a reader participates as we prepare our hearts for His manifestation.  The Scriptures begin in Genesis and take us all the way through Christ's Second Coming.  Then we sing We Thee Kings (of course!).

Then, although the night is getting late, we always watch The Fourth Wiseman.  If you've never seen this movie, I really encourage you to make this gem part of your movie library.  We watch it every year.  And every year without fail, I cry.

Before the evening is over, we give our gifts to Jesus.  For the Gombojavs this means that each of us writes on a piece of paper what we will endeavor to give to Jesus this year.  We put in a special stocking that is "Jesus' stocking."  Next Christmas we'll take the papers out and evaluate whether or not we were true to our intentions.

A blessed Epiphany to you--throughout the whole year!