The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide or the time of Sundays after Epiphany, is a liturgical period, celebrated by many Christian Churches, which immediately follows the Christmas season. It begins on Epiphany Day, and ends at various points (such as Candlemas) as defined by those denominations. The typical liturgical color for the day of Epiphany is white, and the typical color for Epiphany season is green.
The Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church regards the time after Epiphany as a subset of the Christmas season. The Christmas season ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a feast typically celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany. Although Epiphany is not a distinct season, the Ordinary Form does have specific Masscollects that are used from Epiphany onward.[2] Because Epiphany is, in many places, transferred to the Sunday from January 2 to 8 inclusive, the period during which the Epiphany texts are used forms a de factooctave between the Sunday of Epiphany and the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas season is followed by Ordinary Time.
In the Moravian Church, the Epiphany season runs until the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.[5] While white is the liturgical colour used for the Feast of the Epiphany itself, the Sundays during the rest of the season use green.[5]
In 2000, the Church of England introduced into its liturgy an optional Epiphany season by approving the Common Worship series of services as an alternative to those in the Book of Common Prayer. This optional season begins with Evening Prayer on the day before the Epiphany (which may be celebrated on January 6 or on the Sunday between January 2 and 8) and ends on Candlemas, which celebrates the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.[9] (which may be celebrated on February 2 or on the Sunday between January 28 and February 3).
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Greek Rite
In the Greek Rite (used by various Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches), the Feast of the Epiphany takes place on January 6. The Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated with Vespers on the eve of the feast; and the Vigil is made up of Great Compline and Matins. The Divine Liturgy tells the story of Jesus's baptism. After Vespers and the Divine Liturgy, the Great Blessing of the Water takes place. The celebrant immerses the cross into the water three times and then blesses the people with the water.[13] It is customary in theses churches for the faithful to drink the water and to take it home for use throughout the year.[14]
East Syriac Rite
In the East Syriac Rite (used by churches such as the Syro-Malabar Church), this period is called the Season of Epiphany, also known by its Syriac transliterationDenha. This season begins on the Sunday between January 2 and 6, or on January 6 itself if no such Sunday exists. The season runs until the first Sunday of Lent, which begins seven weeks before Easter (three days earlier than it does in Western Christianity).
The rite celebrates the following feast days on sequential Fridays during Epiphany season:[15]
^"Epiphany". BBC. October 7, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2021. For many Protestant church traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from 6 January until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter.)
^"Common Worship Texts: Times and Seasons"(PDF). Church House Publishing. 2006. p. 64. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 3, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2014. The Christmas season is often celebrated for twelve days, ending with the Epiphany. Contemporary use has sought to express an alternative tradition, in which Christmas lasts for a full forty days, ending with the Feast of the Presentation on February 2.
^"Epiphany". Christian Advocate. 7. United Methodist Publishing House: 15. 1963. Epiphany Day is always Twelfth Night or January 6, and in Methodist usage the Epiphany Season includes all the Sundays between that date and Ash Wednesday, which for 1964 will be February 12, the beginning of Lent.
^"The Methodist Church in Singapore - Seasons of the Church". The Methodist Church in Singapore. Retrieved November 24, 2015. The Methodist Church in Singapore observes seven Christian seasons throughout the year: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide, Pentecost and Kingdomtide.
^"Epiphany". ResourceUMC. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
^"Epiphany". The Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved December 19, 2022.