Epiphany

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord commemorates the visit of the magi to worship the baby Jesus as told in the Gospel of Matthew: “Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’”

The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, which means "to manifest," “appear,” or “make known.” The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus, the Son of God, to the world. The magi, or kings, or astrologers, or seekers from the East, stand in for all the peoples of the earth, for Jesus comes not just for one group of people but for all. 

“The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation.” CCC 528

Although the magi have been given names, Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior, the Gospel doesn’t actually include their names or even that they are kings. Other than the fact that they are from the East, even their countries of origin aren’t known.

Origins of the Church's Celebration

The celebration of the Epiphany dates back to the early centuries of the Church. Originally, it included the celebration of Christ’s birth. It wasn’t until 336, under the reign of Emperor Constantine, that the Church began celebrating Christmas separately, on December 25, creating the 12 Days of Christmas which continued through the Feast of the Epiphany. The actual date of the Feast of the Epiphany is January 6, in the United States, the celebration of the feast is transferred to the weekend closest to that date.