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When is Epiphany?
Epiphany falls on Wednesday, January 6, 2027.
About Epiphany
Epiphany falls on January 6 every year and is one of the oldest Christian feasts. It commemorates the visit of the Magi, the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, to the infant Jesus. In Western Christianity, Epiphany closes the 12-day Christmas season, while in Eastern Orthodox tradition the focus is the baptism of Jesus. The day is a major public holiday in Spain, where it is called Día de los Reyes Magos, in Italy, where the feast of La Befana is kept, and in Greece, Austria, parts of Germany and many Latin American countries. Across much of southern Europe and Latin America it is the day when children traditionally receive their main Christmas gifts. Common customs include Three Kings' parades, special cakes such as the rosca de reyes and the galette des rois, and the chalking of doorways.
In Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries, Epiphany, or Día de los Reyes Magos, is celebrated with the Cabalgata de Reyes, a large parade in which the Three Kings throw sweets to children. In France and Belgium families share the galette des rois, a puff pastry cake that hides a small porcelain figurine, and whoever finds the figurine in their slice is crowned king for the day. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition the day centres on the baptism of Jesus rather than the Magi and is known as Theophany. Many Orthodox communities mark it by blessing bodies of water, sometimes throwing a cross into a river or the sea for swimmers to retrieve. In parts of Italy the chief gift-bringer of the season is not Father Christmas but La Befana, a kind old witch who leaves sweets for good children and coal for bad ones on the night before Epiphany.
Frequently asked questions
What is Epiphany?
Epiphany is a Christian feast held on January 6. The word comes from a Greek term meaning "manifestation" or "showing". In Western churches it remembers the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, the moment Christ was shown to the wider world beyond Israel. In Eastern Orthodox churches the same day focuses on the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. Epiphany is one of the oldest feasts in the Christian calendar, older than the December 25 celebration of Christmas, and it brings the Christmas season to a close.
What is Three Kings' Day?
Three Kings' Day is another name for Epiphany, used because the feast remembers the Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Tradition counts three of them, drawn from the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and later custom gave them the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. In Spain and Latin America the day, Día de los Reyes Magos, is the main gift-giving occasion of the Christmas season, with children leaving out shoes or treats for the Kings much as other countries treat Christmas Eve and Santa Claus.
Why is Epiphany the twelfth day of Christmas?
The Christmas season in Western Christian tradition runs for twelve days, starting on December 25 and ending on January 6. Epiphany is the twelfth day, and the evening before is Twelfth Night. The count reflects the gap the church placed between the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi. The "Twelve Days of Christmas" song lists gifts for each of those days. By old custom, Christmas decorations are taken down by Twelfth Night or Epiphany, and leaving them up later is sometimes thought to bring bad luck.
Is Epiphany a public holiday?
Epiphany is a public holiday in a number of mainly Catholic and Orthodox countries, including Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia, along with parts of Germany and Switzerland and several Latin American countries. In those places January 6 is an official day off, with shops and offices closed. In countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States it is not a public holiday, and January 6 is a normal working day, though some churches still mark it. Where it is observed, the date is fixed and does not move.
What food is eaten on Epiphany?
A special cake is the most widespread Epiphany food. In France and Belgium it is the galette des rois, a puff pastry cake with an almond filling and a hidden figurine. In Spain and Latin America it is the rosca de reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruit. In New Orleans the related king cake is eaten from Epiphany through the carnival season. Most versions hide a small token inside, and the person who finds it is named king or queen for the day, or is expected to host the next gathering.