The Gregorian calendar, which was approved by Pope Gregory XIII in , intended to correct the inaccuracy and stabilize this "drift" of dates. As a result it soon became the standard civil calendar throughout the world. However, the Orthodox and Eastern churches continued to use the older Julian calendar as a religious calendar, which meant that religious holidays fell on different days in the Eastern and Western churches.
However in , a synod convened by the Ecumenical Patriarch Meletius IV of Constantinople adopted a Revised Julian Calendar [external link] for the daily feasts of the year. This revised calendar was, for all practical purposes, identical with the Gregorian calendar.
The churches of Russia, Serbia, Jerusalem, and Georgia, together with the other ancient churches of the East and some conservative groups in Greece, have not adopted it and continue to use the older Julian calendar. All Orthodox churches, however, continue to celebrate Pascha Easter following calculations made according to the Julian calendar. The result of all this is that the Orthodox churches that follow the Revised Julian Calendar, which is functionally equivalent to the Western Gregorian calendar, celebrate Christmas on December 25, while those that follow the unrevised Julian Calendar celebrate it on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar which is actually December 25 in the unrevised Julian calendar.
Related pages Advent. The Church Year Top of page Send mail to? Daily Readings. Bible Topics. Worship Topics. Ministry Topics. Church Year. Theology Topics. New Additions. Symbols of Epiphany The colors of Epiphany are usually the colors of Christmas, white and gold, the colors of celebration, newness, and hope that mark the most sacred days of the church year.
Response All : And peace be with all who enter here. Leader: This is the word of the Lord to you. Response All : Thanks be to God! But they believe that an old lady called 'Befana' brings them. Children put stockings up by the fireplace for Befana to fill. In Austria , at Epiphany, some people write a special sign in chalk over their front door.
It's a reminder of the Wise Men that visited the baby Jesus. It's made from the year split in two with initials of the names that are sometimes given to 'the three wise men', Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, in the middle.
The sign is meant to protect the house for the coming year. Some parts of Germany also have the tradition of marking over doors. At Epiphany in Belgium , children dress up as the three wise men and go from door to door to sing songs and people give them money or sweets, kind of like Trick or Treating on Halloween.
Most U. Protestants mark the day on the Sunday closest to Jan. Catholics also celebrate Epiphany on the actual day, and Pope Francis will deliver his annual Epiphany homily during Mass in St.
Some Orthodox churches, which use a different calendar to mark their liturgical year, celebrate Epiphany on Jan. That sounds bracing. You bet. First, some Christians give gifts all over again on Jan. But 6 January marks an important date for many people in the Christmas calendar. That is because it is the date of something called Epiphany. It is a special date in the Christmas story as it's when people celebrate how a star led the Magi - also known as the Three kings or the Wise Men - to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born.
This is why you might hear people say they've had an epiphany, when they've just realised something. In some countries many families will take off 6 January and exchange presents. Eastern Orthodox Christians actually celebrate Christmas on Epiphany, so it's an important religious occasion. The date of Epiphany also happens around the time for Twelfth Night too.
Traditionally, Twelfth Night marks the end of Christmas - 12 nights after Christmas.
0コメント