January 6 is the day on which Epiphany is celebrated. It is a Christian holiday, which is why many of us unfortunately no longer know the meaning of this day. The day was created to honor the three wise men who saw the star that led them to Jesus.
The names of the three wise men that we hear most often are Galgalat, Malgalat and Sarathin. In the Netherlands, the celebration of Epiphany is not a national holiday, but in many southern European countries it is an official holiday. In countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, but also Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Austria you have a day off on this day!
If you live in a place with many religious people or if you are Christian yourself, then you know what the saying “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” stands for. On Epiphany, traditionally a baptism day, houses are also blessed. In addition to blessing houses with holy water, gunpowder is also placed on or above the front door. The saying is often abbreviated to the first two digits of the year + C + M + B + the last two digits of the year. The saying “Christus zegene dit huis” remains on the door until Pentecost, or until the weather permits of course.
The celebration of Epiphany in the Netherlands
The number of people who celebrate Epiphany to their heart's content decreases every year. No longer does every household buy a king's bread or king's cake. Of course, this is primarily because Epiphany is not an official holiday in the Netherlands. In addition, the number of Christian believers also decreases every year. Where songs were often sung during the celebration of Epiphany, children went door to door with lanterns in exchange for sweets, there are now other holidays for that. Nowadays, children go door to door with a lantern during St. Martin's Day, but an increasing number of children also celebrate Halloween and go door to door to fill the candy jar.
