This feast has been celebrated since the third century. Epiphany, which means manifestation or revelation, has also been called the Theophany, the revelation of God. In Christianity, the day is about God’s own revelation of himself in the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. In Western tradition, the gospel reading of the Epiphany is about the Wise Men, or Magi, who came to pay their respects to the newborn Jewish king. The Magi came as representatives of other nations, which is thought to signify that Christ is a light to all nations of the world.
The Theophany is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. In the Catholic Church, the Epiphany of Our Lord is one of the 24 most important liturgical feasts. For Catholics, the Sunday after Epiphany is the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.
