2024/14 EPIPHANY

Christmastime in our neighborhood is a flurry of love in motion. We live in a remarkable little piece of heaven here in the Somerset area of north Farmington. We moved here in 1982, when houses were just starting to go up in this new subdivision that used to be farmland and orchards on the eastern foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. We’ve watched bare earth become houses and houses filled with beloved people. Births and deaths and all the in-betweens have made this place on earth sealed in our hearts as “home”. 

Our countertops become overflowing with tokens of love offered by our neighbors at Christmastime. If I were a pragmatic sort, I might think it unnecessary and excessive, but being a romantic I love it and relish the richness of it. All these little tokens represent the presence of blessed people woven into our lives, each of them cherished. Their love overflows. I’d rather see the abundance than a polished kitchen counter, though there is something refreshing about light reflecting off a clean countertop. 

Our family delivers our neighbor gifts on January 6^th rather than before Christmas. It serves two purposes:

First, it accentuates the fact that Christ manifest himself to all the world, not just his parents’ people. This revelation, known as Epiphany, is celebrated on January 6^th. Its also known as Twelfth Night, or the night the Wise Men came to acknowledge the arrival of a new king to rule over all kings. The twelve days of Christmas are actually the days after Christmas, culminating in Epiphany (12^th Night). Look at the end of this post for some info on that. In much of the Christian world gifts are exchanged on January 6^th rather than Christmas day. Christmas Day itself is kept as a holy day.

Secondly, we’re frankly exhausted before Christmas. Not only is it busy because of normal Christmas preparations, most of my days and evenings before the holiday include concerts and other performances. Changing the focus on our beloved neighbor friends to January gives us the opportunity to sincerely focus on them and therefore appreciate them more. 

Thank you, Lord, for making January 6^th after Christmas 

I searched my computer for a few past epiphany gifts we have delivered. Here’s a bit of what I found:

EPIPHANY 2005

Epiphany, or twelfth night, traditionally ends the Christian Christmas season and represents the coming of the Wise Men. The Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Christ to a wider world. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.

The Wise Men left their homelands in the name of Jesus Christ, having faith that they would find Him, and carrying their finest gifts. Yesterday we of the Connors family made the trek to the Provo MTC, where we left the finest gift we could think of at the Savior’s feet: our Kate.  Today our eyes are clearer, our hearts more tender, our commitment more firm because we recognize the riches of the gospel of Peace. 

A blessed Epiphany to your family, and may 2005 find us all better children of God.

(I don't recall what gift we gave with this. Probably something oriental.Then again, I do recall one year giving posters with the 10 commandments written on them. And then one year we gave miniature Book of Mormons and New Testaments) 

Kwan Ji Moi
Sister Kate Connors
Hong Kong Mission

 

Davis County UT is rich in farmland where onions are grown.
One year we purchased local onions and set them in new nylon stockings
with knots between them. Hang these and they will keep longer and better.

After a devastating wind storm hit our community, 
we gave emergency candles.

At Longfellow's home in Boston I saw this quote
from his journal. That year for Epiphany we ordered quill feather pen
kits and gave them with blank journals to our neighbors.

During the pandemic we steeped fresh vanilla beans in Vodka.
We gave our neighbors homemade vanilla that year.

One year we brought  fresh maple syrup in sweet little maple leaf jars
from our Tawas Michigan Farmers Market

On years when I made a new album neighbors often got these new recordings.

Our friend Ross keeps beehives in our yard. One year we gave honey
from these bees. I also hand dipped little beeswax candles to go with it.

The year we gave hand crank emergency flashlights.

Last year I made massive amounts of fresh churned butter,
wrapped in wax paper and tied with red string

This year we gave canvas bags filled with pistachios.

Once we gave emergency cell phone chargers.

Coloring pencils and adult coloring note cards.
A number of our neighbors sent us colored cards as thank you's.

And, as if this post wasn't already long enough, here's the 12 Days of Christmas info:

The song “on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me….” was actually taught to Catholic children to learn their Catechism. There was a time when they were not legally allowed to study Christianity, so this little song taught them aspects of their religion in what appeared to be benign symbols. 

Here's a little info on that:

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.