Feast of the Epiphany - January 6th

On January 6th, in our Liturgical calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, otherwise known as Three Kings Day. The day the three kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar brought a gift for Baby Jesus, the King of kings. Here is how we celebrated the Epiphany in five fun steps:

First, we moved our wise-men to the front of our nativity:

Second, we blessed a piece of chalk with the following prayer:

"Bless, O Lord God, this creature chalk to render it helpful to your people. Grant that they who use it in faith and with it inscribe upon the doors of their homes the names of your saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, may through their merits and intercession enjoy health of body and protection of soul.
Through Christ our Lord."

Third, we then used the chalk to write "20 + C + M + B + 11" over the door of our house. It represents the year, and the blessing "Christus mansionem benedicat" (May Christ bless this house). The four crosses represent each season of the year.The letters represent the traditional names of the Wise Men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. So basically, it's 20 for 2011, C M B for the three kings, and 11 for 2011.

Fourth, we sang "We Three Kings"

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

Refrain

O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshiping God on high.

Refrain

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Refrain

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain

Finally, we baked a delicious Three Kings Ring.



:

• To make the Dough, you will need:
  2/3 c. warm milk
  1/4 c. warm water
  2 eggs, room temp
  3 T. butter, cut up
  4 c. bread flour
  1/2 c. sugar
  1 t. salt
  2 t. yeast

• To make the filling, you will need:
  1/3 c. sugar
  2 t. cinnamon
  1 c. dried fruit (I used raisins)
  1/4 c. butter softened

• To make the orange icing, you will need:
  1 c. confectioner's sugar
  1/4 t. vanilla
  enough o.j. (3-4 t.) to make icing of a drizzling capacity

:



1. Mix dough ingredients together and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
2. Roll dough into a ball and put in lightly oiled bowl and cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.

3. When dough has risen,take out and roll into a 15 x 10 in rectangle.
4. Brush dough with the softened butter and top with the sugar/cinnamon and raisin filling.

5. Now roll the dough into a long cylinder. Place it on the baking pan, seam down. Bring the ends together to form a ring and pinch the ends together to seal it.
6. Using a sharp knife make 12 slashes in the top of the dough all the way around (represents the 12 days of Christmas).


7. Cover the dough and let rise again until doubled in size, about another hour.

8. When ring has doubled place in oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 35-40 min or until bread sounds hollow on bottom when tapped. If necessary loosely cover with foil at end to prevent overbrowning.

9. When done remove from oven and drizzle with the orange icing. (I also put some colored sprinkles on mine). You may also hide a coin or bean in the dough before baking ( I used a coin) and the one who finds it is "king/queen" for the remainder of the day.

That's it! Not only was it Liturgically sound but it was yummy!

What did your domestic church do to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany?