Dinner ideas for Epiphany?

[Moliphino]

So, if your tree must stay up until the Epiphany for the end of the Christmas season, does that also mean you put your tree up for the first Sunday in Advent, which is the start of the Christmas season? This year its Sunday December 3rd?

Nope. I think the original German tradition was actually to put the tree up on Christmas Eve. We have done that, but usually do it earlier out of convenience.

 

[tvguy]

I know what Advent is!

For lots of people, myself included it's the start of the Christmas season.

You said above that anything before the "12 days of Christmas" is the "commercial" Christmas season. I totally and completely disagree with that.

Growing up in the Protestant church much more time and emphasis went into the Advent season then the Epiphany.

I grew up in the Presbyterian church. Advent was observed during Sunday services with the lighting of the candle on the Advent Wreath in the sanctuary during the regular service. The Epiphany was observed with a casual Epiphany service that usually was followed with a family pot luck dinner. Most years the Epiphany is not on a Sunday. Thus, my comment earlier about other churches here being upset that the store was sold out of Egg Nog before the Epiphany. Remember, the Epiphany is ALSO Orthodox Christmas in some Christian faiths. So for some, it IS Christmas.

 

[GAN]

Dang, never ever heard about this until now.

Is this more an East Coast thing! My guess it is even spread throughout the US

It’s really a European thing. My grandparents would always acknowledge it.

 

[GAN]

Dinner ideas for Epiphany? I'm trying to think ahead on what to serve/make on the feast day. I know I will make a three kings cake (the Spanish version) but that's it so far. I usually make fish Christmas Eve, turkey Christmas Day, and a ham on New Years Day. I was thinking of lasagna as the main course with some kind of soup, salad, and bread as starters but I would love to hear suggestions from Disboarders if you have any. If anyone else does celebrate Epiphany, do you have any traditional meals that you make? Thanks in advance.

I’d go with polenta, served with a traditional Italian sausage, a cheese like a fontina, and a rich sauce(ragu)….

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I grew up in the Presbyterian church. Advent was observed during Sunday services with the lighting of the candle on the Advent Wreath in the sanctuary during the regular service. The Epiphany was observed with a casual Epiphany service that usually was followed with a family pot luck dinner. Most years the Epiphany is not on a Sunday. Thus, my comment earlier about other churches here being upset that the store was sold out of Egg Nog before the Epiphany. Remember, the Epiphany is ALSO Orthodox Christmas in some Christian faiths. So for some, it IS Christmas.

This is all very interesting,

The epiphany is more important to you and your faith then Advent.

You view the first two weeks of Advent as the "commercial" Christmas season.

For you the Christmas season starts exactly 12 days before Christmas.

It's important to keep your decorations up and continue to celebrate the Christmas season until the Epiphany.

I think I've got it all now.

Pretty much us. We observe what we consider the traditional Christmas season. It starts 12 days before Christmas (as in the the song The 12 Days of Christmas, and ends on the Epiphany. Many DISers observe what I consider the commercial Christmas season, that starts the day after Thanksgiving, and ends on Christmas day.

 

[tvguy]

This is all very interesting,

The epiphany is more important to you and your faith then Advent.

You view the first two weeks of Advent as the "commercial" Christmas season.

For you the Christmas season starts exactly 12 days before Christmas.

It's important to keep your decorations up and continue to celebrate the Christmas season until the Epiphany.

I think I've got it all now.

Yes. The epiphany marks the day the Wise Men met Jesus. At least to me that is a much more important that noting that Christmas is 4 weeks or less away. Advent is not commercial, but is the prime sales time for retailers, and runs at the same time.

 

[HopperFan]

It's a worldwide Catholic/Christian thing and has been for over 1000 years.

Come from Catholic Grands with lots of Catholic relatives and married a Catholic in the Catholic Church. All the in-laws VERY Catholic. Never heard of it. I feel like it must be more regional in US.

But I do keep one tree up .... because after Christmas it becomes a Mardi Gras tree.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Come from Catholic Grands with lots of Catholic relatives and married a Catholic in the Catholic Church. All the in-laws VERY Catholic. Never heard of it. I feel like it must be more regional in US.

But I do keep one tree up .... because after Christmas it becomes a Mardi Gras tree.

It maybe is more regional in terms on how it is celebrated and acknowledged more than I realized given this thread. I fully agree Europe and Latin America celebrate it widely bigger than North America. However, most Catholics/Christians I know (so I guess that influenced my assumption) seem to celebrate it in some capacity.

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://aleteia.org/2019/01/01/4-beautiful-epiphany-traditions-for-your-family/

https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/epiphany

 

[GAN]

We observe what I feel is the "traditional" Christmas season, which would start December 1.

It's interesting that you put emphasis on the Epiphany and a Christmas carol (12 days of Christmas) and completely skip over the Advent season, which starts long before December 13th! This year Advent begins on December 3rd.

I guess you view Advent as the "commercial" Christmas season? I don't think I've ever heard that sentiment before.

The way I understand it. Advent is merely a celebration of the Event. Epiphany is the Event -birth and discovery. In todays world, think Super Bowl Week vs. the Super Bowl

 

[HopperFan]

It maybe is more regional in terms on how it is celebrated and acknowledged more than I realized given this thread. I fully agree Europe and Latin America celebrate it widely bigger than North America. However, most Catholics/Christians I know (so I guess that influenced my assumption) seem to celebrate it in some capacity.

Not saying there isn't a special or elevated church service for it they attend ... but as far as talking about it, special meals, celebration and events at home or maintaining the tree until then ~ never heard of that. And most I know have the tree down by New Years. Family is in southeast, northeast and midwest, all European descent.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

Yes. The epiphany marks the day the Wise Men met Jesus. At least to me that is a much more important that noting that Christmas is 4 weeks or less away. Advent is not commercial, but is the prime sales time for retailers, and runs at the same time.

Its great that the Epiphany is important to you. I think it is wonderful for you and anyone else that feels the same way.

I just would never call the season of Advent, the "Commercial" Christmas season. Who cares that it happens while retailers are trying to promote their sales?? Guess what retailers are doing on the Epiphany? They are advertising massive after Christmas clearance. Just because it happens at the same time, I would never say that the Epiphany happens during a "commercial" season.

Advent celebrates Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what is more important to whom and the reasons for it. I just wouldn't be so dismissive of the first two weeks of December.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

Not saying there isn't a special or elevated church service for it they attend ... but as far as talking about it, special meals, celebration and events at home or maintaining the tree until then ~ never heard of that. And most I know have the tree down by New Years. Family is in southeast, northeast and midwest, all European descent.

I feel exactly the same. I grew up Protestant and the Epiphany was mentioned at church, but it wasn't a big deal. Certainly, never heard of people keeping their Christmas Trees up until that special day.

My husband grew up Catholic including going to Catholic schools for 12 years. When I mentioned this thread to him, he said that he has never even heard of the Epiphany. He looked at me like I was crazy when I told him that people on the Dis keep their trees up for it.

But like I stated on this thread in response to someone that had never heard of the Epiphany, just wait until the end of the month for the threads here about "when do you take your Christmas tree down". You will see many posts about waiting for the epiphany to take it down. It surprised me my first few years here, because I had never heard of such a thing, now I just laugh because I know it's coming!

 

[tvguy]

Its great that the Epiphany is important to you. I think it is wonderful for you and anyone else that feels the same way.

I just would never call the season of Advent, the "Commercial" Christmas season. Who cares that it happens while retailers are trying to promote their sales?? Guess what retailers are doing on the Epiphany? They are advertising massive after Christmas clearance. Just because it happens at the same time, I would never say that the Epiphany happens during a "commercial" season.

Advent celebrates Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what is more important to whom and the reasons for it. I just wouldn't be so dismissive of the first two weeks of December.

I'm just pointing out the historic perspective.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I'm just pointing out the historic perspective.

Historical perspective of what?

That the first two weeks of December are "commercial"?

 

[tvguy]

Historical perspective of what?

That the first two weeks of December are "commercial"?

LOL, no. Advent.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

LOL, no. Advent.

Yeah, that's hardly what you've been doing, but whatever!

 

[leebee]

@Buzz Rules If you are doing the Spanish version of King Cake, how about making a paella?

We've always left our tree up until 12th Night, which is Epiphany. My dad was "big" into the church (Episcopal) and there was no way we didn't know about Advent and Epiphany. It's not that either were "celebrated" so much as acknowledged, but certainly there is no reason not to do something special to note Epiphany. These days, I always say we are going to leave the tree til 12th Night, but honestly we leave it much, much longer than that. We've been known to have a Christmas Tree which morphs into a Valentine Tree and a Mardi Gras tree and... you get the drift. Good thing we have an artificial tree!

 

[HopperFan]

Am in EPCOT Italy. Witch talking about Santa and holidays and her part in celebration. She says she visits eve of Epiphany, down chimney.