The symbolism of the Epiphany – How it was established as a great Christian holiday

The name of the feast derives from the manifestation of the three persons of the Holy Trinity, which according to the Scriptures occurred during the Baptism of Jesus. In the Western Churches, Theophany is more closely associated with the arrival and adoration of the Three Magi at the Manger of the Birth of Jesus.

The history – How it was established
When Jesus was 30 years old, he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, who was six months older than him and was an ascetic in the desert, preaching the baptism of repentance. At the moment of the Baptism, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove on Jesus and at the same time a voice was heard from heaven saying: “This is the beloved Son of God, through whom God was pleased to save sinners.” This event has been recorded by three of the four Evangelists, Mark, Matthew and Luke. This is the first and only appearance on Earth of the Holy Trinity, according to the Scriptures, reports sansimera.gr.

When it was established to celebrate the Epiphany is not known with certainty. Clement of Alexandria reports that some heretical Gnostics celebrated the Baptism of Jesus from the beginning of the second century, some on January 6, others on January 10. John Chrysostom admits and describes the feast as an ancient festival in Antioch the Great and that the Gnostics received it from there. In the fourth century, the feast of the Epiphany was now celebrated with splendor throughout the Church as the feast of the illumination of humanity through Holy Baptism, hence the name “Ta Fota”, feast “of the Lights”.

According to ekklisiaonline, the pagans of Egypt and Arabia celebrated the winter solstice, which according to ancient calculations coincided with the sixth of January and the beginning – with the increase of the day – victory of light over darkness. At the beginning of the 3rd century, the heretical followers of Basil were the first to attempt to replace this celebration with the celebration of the baptism of Christ. A little later, the church of the East established January 6 as the feast day of the Epiphany or Theophany.

Theophany: The Great Sanctification and the Immersion of the Holy Cross
There are two main ceremonies of Theophany:

The Great Sanctification, which takes place inside the Churches
The Immersion of the Holy Cross, which follows the Great Sanctification.
The Cross is immersed in the sea in ports, on the banks of rivers or lakes and, if necessary, in water tanks, as in Athens, in imitation of the Baptism of the God-Man. This event in our country also has a political character, as the Authorities of each region are present.

In the capital of Greece, the official immersion was scheduled to take place since 1900 in Piraeus in front of the old royal dock or the old City Hall, today in front of the Church of Saint Spyridon, as noted by sansimera. Similar ceremonies are held in all the prefectures of the country.