On the Twelfth Day…

06 январь 2018

On the day of the Epiphany or “Fota” (meaning Lights), in the Orthodox Church, the baptism of Jesus Christ is celebrated. The word "Theophania" means Revelation of God and refers to the apocalypse of the Holy Trinity that occurred during the Baptism of Christ.

In some parts of Greece, on the Epiphany Day, people release three pigeons, as soon as the priest drops the Holy Cross into the water. These pigeons symbolize the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit that was revealed in the form of a dove when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.

Epiphany, however, is also the day when the goblins leave the earth fearing of the priest's sanctification.

On Epiphany Day, loukoumades (round fried donuts), the traditional sweet of that day, are served. After the owners of the house eat loukoumades, they throw some on the roof of the house, for the goblins to find, eat and return to the holes they had come out 12 days ago.

On Epiphany Eve, at midnight, the heaven opens and all the wishes of people come true.

In the Catholic and Orthodox Church, the Day of Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, is called Feast of the Kings or Twelfth Night and is the day when Christians remember the Three Kings who visited the newborn Christ.

In Spain, this day is important and is known as the Fiesta de los tres Reyes Mages which means "The Three Magic Kings Festival". It is the day when many Catholic children receive their gifts, as if the Three Kings were giving them!

In Spain, that morning the local bakers bake Roscón, a ring-shaped special cake usually stuffed with cream or chocolate and decorated with a paper crown.

In France, you can enjoy that day Galette de Rois, a kind of almond cake, in which there is is a small toy, a small crown.

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