Book Blog

Epithany, or Dia de los Reyes

Epithany, or Dia de los Reyes

In some parts of the world the feast of children (celebrating the birth of Christ) takes place on Epithany, January 6th.

My family adhered to German tradition and exchanged gifts on Dec. 24, when at midnight, so the story goes, Christ was born. But because we lived in Guatemala, we also followed the local tradition of having a creche under the Christmas tree. I was in charge of arranging the Nativity Scene, and made sure to place the silvery four-pointed Star of Bethlehem to guide the Wise Men. There was Joseph, Mary, the Baby Jesus in a crib, with a donkey and a cow nearby. The three Wise Men were placed a small distance from the scene; every morning I would move them a bit closer to the manger. On Epithany, January 6th, Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar, following the Star of Bethlehem, arrived at the manger bearing gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts for the Christchild.

That was the day when my Guatemalan friends, who in their homes had also followed the Wise Men’s journey, found their gifts lying by the manger.

RUSSIA-RELIGION-ORTHODOX-CHRISTMAS

Two days ago, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, Patriarch Kirill celebrated the feast of children. He addressed the congregation (upholding the Government’s contention) saying that Russia needed to make a greater effort to have their orphaned children adopted by Russians. His religious element to the political ban on US adoptions was: “The Lord tells his followers that if they want to reach the Kingdom of God they must … share their opportunities with the needy – primarily invalids, the elderly, and children.” Would it not have been wonderful if on Epithany, the day of gifting children, the Russian government would have allowed the little ones who had bonded with their prospective American parents to complete the adoption process? Hopefully, the ban will not be applied to them.

 

0


Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.