The Epiphany: a premier celebration of Christmas'
writes Demetrios Moschos, Lecturer in General Theology Church History Department, University of Athens
"On January 6 closes a richer religious events, traditional customs and ...
Twelve long established habits, linked to key elements of the Christian Gospel: the birth of the flesh, the Circumcision and Baptism of Jesus Christ, which are key stations incarnation of God in the world. In parallel, the first of the year celebrated the memory of the great Father of our Church, Kingdom .....
Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. The combination of all these factors make this period a pole festive and ritual in the heart of winter, supplemented by the corresponding spring, namely that of lilac festivals. How did the celebration but historically this group?
1. The principle of the Epiphany
For festivals and worship of the early Christians our sources is of course the New Testament books, then the so-called Apostolic Fathers, who were students and "akoustai" of the Apostles, as Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome and others, then others Christian writers of the second and third century texts and rules, prompts and teachings that were written then.
In these distinguish Easter and the Sunday Liturgy, daily prayers and the baptism of new Christians, who were collectively the Holy Saturday evening. For this period of winter, the first evidence we are of Clement of Alexandria in the second half of the second century (ie 150-210), who informs us that the followers of Vasileidi (which was the sect of the Gnostics) celebrated the day "baptism of the Lord" with vigils and readings, but not everyone agrees on the date - others were placed in 6 and others on January 10.
As younger experts conclude from this period, starting perhaps from Alexandria, by mid-fourth century throughout the East, January 6 celebrated a triple celebration: the birth of Christ, the Adoration of the Magi and the baptism . The word "area" covers three festivals, is the revelation of God as an infant to people in general and in specific Magi, the manifestation of Divinity in the Jordan bears witness to the Father and the Spirit. But why on January 6?
The origin probably is exovivliki: it is known that Egyptians love a mystical religion celebrated the appearance of Saturn, or Time through the waters of the Nile on January 6. This was one of the many pagan "Surfaces". It is obvious that Christians began to Egypt to give their own answer to what the actual "surface" of God through the waters: that the baptized Jesus. By His example and His command later baptized beliefs not just now "in water" (as in the religious practice of many religions anatolikomesogeiakon, where little water is always considered providential purgatory), but "the Spirit," Christ it established unique historical "surface" of God in a story straight, not repeated. Instead, the "surface" of water or the sun-god (solis invicti) in the West during the winter solstice, was the apotheosis of the circular flow of natural world.
2. The highlight of Christmas Day
What is certain is that until mid-fourth century the Epiphany or "lights" or surface also involved the celebration of Christmas, a combination that still responds to the holiday calendar of the Armenian Church. At the time of Basil the Great (+ 379) and Gregory the Theologian attested in Asia Minor, the first cases of separation of the two feasts, where Christmas began to be celebrated on December 25 by influence of the Church of Rome.
Rome had begun the first decades of the fourth century (ca. 330-340) the celebration of Christmas as a response to pagan Vroumalia or Saturnalia, which was the worship of renascent Sun, where (most notoriously in northern climates) began to regrows the day after the winter solstice. Christians in the worship of the "reborn Sun" of the natural cycle, they answered with the birth of the "invisible Sun of Justice". Around 375 were being celebrated Christmas and Syria in 386, John Chrysostom, presbyter in Antioch, expressed in the Word of "In the days Birth of Christ" the joy that at last December 25 officially entered the city almanac . By 432 the feast had arrived in Alexandria.
While in the West Area are so far mainly with the Adoration of the Magi in the East continued to be celebrated with great pomp: in Jerusalem at the time, tells us the itinerary of Ether (Travel Guide a pious Moor Mrs. late fourth century ) that for one week after the January 6 celebrated a Liturgy every day in certain major temples of the city by the bishop and monks.
Known to us all wishes of the Great Sanctification clearly Exorcist character and show the triumph of winning the Son of God became man (and thus, ultimately, human health, united with God) on the "gray" world of spirits, scams, invisible "negative" forces (as we say today), etc. Very well has therefore been linked to popular perception, the expulsion of goblins or "Paganion" with the blessing of the waters. Gradually, the period of 40 days before Christmas and 40 days thereafter until the Presentation in the Temple, was a brilliant holiday chain, which today has unfortunately degenerated into an excuse consumerism. "
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