"Understanding and Celebrating Epiphany: The Feast of Light and Three Kings Day"
Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day or Theophany, is a Christian feast day celebrated on January 6th by Western churches and on January 19th by some Eastern Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar. The holiday commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, symbolizing his manifestation to the Gentiles, and in Eastern traditions, it focuses on Jesus' baptism. Celebrations vary globally, including parades, gift-giving, and the blessing of waters, where in some cultures, retrieving a cross from water is believed to protect from evil spirits and ensure health for the year.