Chalk The Doors!!! Jan 6th

Write 20+C+M+B+26 (for the year and the names Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar) above doors to bless the home.

The traditional initials of the three wise men, which are surrounded by the first two and last two digits of the current year (e.g. 20 ✝ C ✝ M ✝ B ✝ 26)

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Dec 24th - Jan 5th

We are on the precipice of The Twelvth Nite - the ending of Christmas tide. Jan 5th. Today is the last day of merryment and final joy of the season. Ephinay Eve.

I’ve written about this in years past.

Jan 6th is the day you take down and put away your Christmas decor. You dont want to leave up your decor past Ephinay day.

The next portion of time is readying for Feb 1st and the first sightings of spring and preparing for Lent. But befor then, celebrating health and finding joy in life.

(We put our Christmas decor away yesterday and I swept and mopped the house.)

Jan 5th was a day of singing carols, wassailing, taking down decorations, and sometimes burning greens or blessing homes with incense and holy water, all leading up to Epiphany (Jan 6th).

It signals the End of Christmas: the final festive day before returning to ordinary life.

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Traditions:

The Twelfth Night Cake: A dense fruitcake with a dried bean (for the King) and a pea (for the Queen) baked inside; the finders ruled for the night.

Feasting & Revelry: A night for big parties, eating special foods like Kutia (wheat & poppy seed dish in Ukraine).

Wassailing: Going door-to-door singing, toasting neighbors with spiced cider for good fortune.

House Blessings: Using incense and holy water to purify homes, often with a star on a stick and carols.

Taking Down Decor: Traditionally, Christmas decorations (wreaths, greenery) were removed after Twelfth Night.

Games: Activities like snapdragon (picking raisins from flaming brandy) or egg games were popular.

Shakespeare: The holiday inspired Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, also known as What You Will.

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Then it’s into Mardi Gras celebrations - carnivals.

Stay Tuned...

#3KingsDay #ChalkYourDoors #Epiphany