Showing posts with label Epiphany

Epiphany 2011

in , by sarahmfry, January 14, 2011
Well, I didn't really plan ahead for our Epiphany meal this year.  In fact, I sorta forgot.  But I don't think I did a very good job of keeping it simple.  We sorta made some messes.  I'm just such a kid.  I ended up running to the store while supper was in the oven to grab a few things we "needed" for our celebration....And I even pulled out the china and Grandma's pink depression crystal....Why keep that stuff in the china cabinet?  Better to break a valuable piece while making memories than keep them safe all gathering dust. 

Anyway,  we had a big time. 


Kayla was in charge of making some King crowns for everyone.  She's our crafter.

Caiden wanted a "boy one" like daddy.   I didn't tell him he looked more like the Karate Kid than a Magi.  But he certainly did look like a boy.  Mission accomplished.

What a charmer in his doggy pj's....





 Caiden - reading a royal proclamation very officially



This year, we wrote our "Gifts to Jesus" on our crowns.  We put them out with our shoes so that the magi could take them when they went to see little Jesus.


The gifts for Jesus were very meaningful again this year, but I won't share details....it was personal.


A Toast!  To 2011! 
                              Hear! Hear!


 Karissa (our baker) was in charge of the Kings Cake


A jar of ready-made icing warmed and melted and drizzled onto a box cake mix. Add candles and sparkly icing and jewels.  Perfect.

We did some winter crafting.....
                  our very favorite snowflakes.


And we put out our shoes with straw for the Kings' camels..... and our gifts for Jesus.


The next morning I had quite a mess to face.  But it was awfully fun to hear the kids exclaim..."The wisemen left us gifts!" As they grabbed their treats on the way out the door to school the next morning.

I certainly don't begin to think that this celebration is a "must-have" or "should-do" for any family.  But it is one of those traditions, for us,  that is part of our family glue....memories that bind us together for the future.  I doubt if they'll remember too many deep spiritual lessons from these nights together.  But I guarantee you they'll remember that we were together.

And that's worth a mess.


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Epiphany - The Twelfth Day of Christmas!

in , by sarahmfry, January 06, 2011
I have a confession.  I don't want Christmas to be over.  I love the sparkle, the lights, the magic, the hope,  the fires, the peaceful nights by the tree.   That's one reason I love our Epiphany tradition.  It stretches it out a little. The twelve days of Christmas actually begins at Christmas.  And ends (in the Christian calendar) on Epiphany.  "Twelfth-Day."  "The Day of the Kings."  It celebrates Jesus revealing himself as the light of the world, and the coming of the Magi from afar to worship Him.

(Here are some pictures of Epiphany Celebrations from previous years....)

We actually didn't do our little Epiphany celebration last night on "Twelfth Night" or "Epiphany Eve."  It was prayer meeting night and David went to Chicago yesterday.


So tonight we'll celebrate with something simple - basically a "special" time at supper with maybe a king's cake for dessert (traditionally baked with beans or treats hidden inside to be found).  I plan a basic cake mix baked in a bundt pan so it looks sorta "crown-ish."  Then some recycled Christmas candy will do nicely for jewels.  And maybe we will make paper crowns or play a game or read a book.

We may (or may not) camp out by the Christmas tree to enjoy it one last day before it comes down.  Daddy & Mommy are all about family time, but we really, REALLY love our soft king-sized bed.  'Fraid we're getting old and flabby about joining the kids in this particular floor-sleeping tradition. Guess some sacrifices are just too great.



And we always set our shoes out on the step with straw in them for the Kings' camels to eat as they stop by on their journey to see young Jesus. 



 The kings are very generous to leave us treats in our shoes.  (awww...look how little their shoes were...)


Last year we also left gifts in our shoes for the Magi to take to Jesus ( the rolled-up papers in the straw above).  Kayla gave Him her heart.  She was quiet about it, but still points back to it and her big decision.  It was priceless.


If I don't quit blogging and get these crazy dishes washed and get my stuff done for the day we may have to also use our shoes for eating our cake!

Happy Epiphany!


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Epiphany

in , by sarahmfry, January 13, 2008
On Epiphany morning (the traditional church-calendar day celebrating the coming of the kings), the kids got their treats that the wisemen had left after their camels ate the hay we left them.

We went to church...

And had Sunday dinner, with our normal dinnertime creed quoting & singing routine...

and THEN....
This year, we actually decided to do our gifts for the kids on Epiphany.

Think she likes it?
Caiden and daddy trying out Caiden's new Cabellas pop gun.

Whatever it was, they shot it!
We tried something this year that I really liked. It seemed appropriate for us to exchange gifts on the day that reminds us about the king's gifts. The night before, we had all decided and shared what we'd like to give Jesus this year. Before we opened gifts the next morning, we put our "gifts" - drawn on paper - into a special box for Jesus. Then the kids opened their gifts. It was fun and meaningful. If it sticks and we do it again in future years, I'm hoping to find an appropriate ornate box - something like we imagine the kings would have brought. Then we can keep our papers and next year when we open the box we'll see how we've done at giving our gifts to Jesus. Kayla decided to give Jesus her heart. Karissa wanted to give him her puppy dog (a very precious thing, indeed!) and Caiden wanted to lead a song for Jesus (conducting is his new favorite trick). David and I gave gifts relating to spending our time in specific ways.
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Twelfth Night

in , , by sarahmfry, January 13, 2008
Twelfth Night is the twelfth day of Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan 5). Epiphany is the day after - January 6th - and traditionally marks the day to celebrate the coming of the Kings.

It is our tradition to celebrate Twelfth Night and then take our tree down on Epiphany.

On Twelfth Night, we celebrate with a king's cake and hot chocolate.
There are lots of ways to make a king cake - and there is traditionally a small surprise baked inside for some lucky eater to find. But we usually just buy a round danish or make cinnamon rolls in the shape of a crown. We made it kingly with some of the candy from the Christmas stash.

This year we actually had the traditional Spanish cinnamon hot chocolate that my friend Nelda gave me. You heat milk and then blend it with wedges of spicy chocolate in the blender until frothy and warm. Yes - it's delicious!
We also practice the old tradition (from Mexico, I think) of putting your shoes outside the door with hay in them for the king's camels.
As the kings pass through on their way to Bethlehem, the camels eat the hay and leave a small treat.
We made king crowns



and played family man's game - "To Bethlehem."

We just let Karissa head to Bethlehem any old way she likes. By the end of the game, the toilet had quit flushing and I was sick of wearing a bath towel on my head.
Aside from one kid throwing up all over the craft area (probably from a serious sugar overload) and the other normal kid stuff, we had a wonderful evening.
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