Epiphany is the Christian feast on January 6 that celebrates Jesus Christ being revealed to the world as the Son of God and the Savior of all nations. The word comes from the Greek epiphaneia, which means an appearing or a showing forth, and the New Testament uses it of Christ: "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 1:10). Western churches remember above all the visit of the wise men, the first Gentiles to worship Jesus; Eastern churches celebrate His baptism in the Jordan, which they call Theophany. In 2027, Epiphany falls on Wednesday, January 6, and most US Catholic parishes keep it on Sunday, January 3.
Epiphany comes on the twelfth day after Christmas, and the evening before it, January 5, is Twelfth Night, the end of the twelve days of Christmas. Around AD 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote of Christians in Egypt who kept a feast of Jesus' baptism in January, and the historian Ammianus Marcellinus mentions Epiphany as a Christian festival in AD 361. In the East, January 6 first honored both the birth and the baptism of Jesus together; the Armenian Apostolic Church still celebrates the Nativity on that day. When the December 25 Christmas spread from Rome, January 6 became the feast of Christ's manifestation. This page explains the holiday itself: what the word means, how the church came to keep it, its dates in 2027, and twelve King James verses about Christ being made known to the world. For the story of the Magi, their names and their gifts, see the three wise men; for the carol sung on this day, see We Three Kings.
When is Epiphany 2027? The dates at a glance
- Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve): Tuesday, January 5, 2027, the evening that closes the twelve days of Christmas.
- Epiphany (the Feast of the Epiphany, Three Kings Day): Wednesday, January 6, 2027.
- Epiphany Sunday in most US Catholic dioceses: Sunday, January 3, 2027. In the United States the feast is moved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.
- Baptism of the Lord: Sunday, January 10, 2027, the Sunday after Epiphany in most Western churches.
- Theophany in churches that keep the older Julian calendar: Tuesday, January 19, 2027 (January 6 on that calendar). Greek, Antiochian and many other Orthodox churches keep it on January 6.
- Transfiguration Sunday: Sunday, February 7, 2027, the last Sunday after Epiphany in many Protestant churches.
- End of the Epiphany season: the season runs until Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, when Lent begins.
Epiphany is a fixed date, so it falls on January 6 every year. In 2028 it falls on a Thursday.
What the word Epiphany means: God made manifest
1. Titus 2:11
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,"
The verb Paul uses here is epiphaino, the root of the word Epiphany: to shine out, to come into view. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. It appeared in a person, at a point in history. That is the heart of the feast. Christmas celebrates that the Son of God was born; Epiphany celebrates that He was shown, that the light was not kept in a stable in Bethlehem but set out for every nation to see. Notice the last words: to all men. See Bible verses about grace.
2. Titus 3:4
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,"
Paul uses the same word again a few lines later. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. The Greek word for love here is philanthropia, love for humankind. Before this verse, Paul describes people as foolish, disobedient and hateful (Titus 3:3). Then something appeared. God's kindness did not wait for people to improve; it showed up in the middle of the mess. Epiphany is not about people discovering God by their own cleverness. It is about God choosing to make Himself known, kindly and in person, to people who were not looking for Him. See Bible verses about kindness.
3. 1 Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
This verse reads like an early Christian hymn. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Manifest is the key word: made visible. The invisible God took a face that people could see and hands they could touch (1 John 1:1). Two lines carry the special themes of January 6. He was preached unto the Gentiles, the nations outside Israel, and He was believed on in the world. See Jesus is God.
4. 2 Timothy 1:10
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"
Here the noun itself appears, epiphaneia, translated appearing. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In Greek writing of the time, an epiphany could mean a visit of a god or the grand arrival of a king in a city. Paul takes the word and gives it to Jesus. His first appearing was not with trumpets but in a manger, and its result was not a parade but the defeat of death. When churches keep Epiphany, they are celebrating this appearing: the moment life and immortality were brought to light. See Bible verses about eternal life.
Three ways Jesus was revealed: the nations, the Jordan and Cana
5. Luke 2:32
"A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
Forty days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, and old Simeon took Him in his arms and called Him A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. The Western church remembers the wise men on January 6 because they were the first Gentiles to come to that light, following a star to a house in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:11). Their visit is the first of three manifestations the church has long linked with Epiphany: to the nations, at the Jordan and at Cana. The full story of the Magi is told on the three wise men.
6. Matthew 3:16
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
The second manifestation is the baptism of Jesus, the heart of the feast in Eastern churches, which call it Theophany, the appearing of God. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. At the Jordan, the Son stands in the water, the Spirit descends and, in the next verse, the Father speaks. For this reason Orthodox Christians bless water on January 6, and in Tarpon Springs, Florida, young men dive into the bayou for a cross thrown by the bishop. See Bible verses about baptism.
7. Matthew 3:17
"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
At the baptism, heaven itself announces who Jesus is. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The wise men knew a king had been born; the voice at the Jordan says more: this is the Son of God. That is why Western churches keep the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after Epiphany, January 10 in 2027, and why Eastern churches call the feast Theophany. It is the moment the church sees the Father, the Son and the Spirit together (see the Trinity).
8. John 2:11
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him."
The third manifestation is the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine when the wine ran out. John closes the story with this: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. Manifested forth his glory is the language of Epiphany again. Many churches read this passage in the Sundays after Epiphany. It shows that the glory revealed in Jesus is not distant or cold. It comes into ordinary homes, to people in a small crisis, and turns what ran out into something better. See Bible verses about miracles.
Light for the nations: keeping the Epiphany season
9. Isaiah 49:6
"And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
Long before Bethlehem, God told His Servant that saving Israel alone was too small a task: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Simeon was echoing this verse in the temple. Epiphany is the season when the church remembers that the gospel was always meant to travel. Many churches use the weeks after January 6 to pray for missionaries and for people who have never heard of Jesus. See Bible verses about missionary work and sharing the gospel.
10. Ephesians 3:6
"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:"
Ephesians 3 is one of the traditional readings for the Feast of the Epiphany, and this verse explains why. Paul calls it a mystery, now revealed: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Fellowheirs means sharing the same inheritance, not getting leftovers at the back door. Most Christians today come from families that were once outside God's people. On Epiphany, they celebrate the day the door was shown to be open. In Christ, the outsider becomes an heir. See Bible verses about unity.
11. John 8:12
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Light runs through every part of Epiphany: the star, Simeon's words, the candles many churches light on January 6. Jesus claims the light for Himself: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The wise men followed a star until it stopped over the child. Jesus asks for the same kind of following now, not once, but every day. That is the point of the Epiphany season. See Bible verses about light.
12. Titus 2:13
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
Paul uses the word epiphaneia once more, this time for the future. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The New Testament speaks of two appearings. The first came quietly, in Bethlehem and at the Jordan. The second will be glorious and seen by all. Epiphany looks back to the first and forward to the second. That is why the feast is full of hope, not just memory. The same Jesus whom the wise men worshipped as a child will one day appear as King of kings, and every knee will bow. See Bible verses about hope.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the light of the world. Thank You that the grace of God has appeared, that You were made known to the nations, shown at the Jordan as the beloved Son, and revealed Your glory at Cana. Thank You that I, too, have been welcomed in, made an heir with all Your people. As the Christmas season ends, keep Your light shining in my home and in my heart. Help me follow You day by day, as the wise men followed the star, and make me ready for Your glorious appearing. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
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Print the free Christian Calendar 2027 with Epiphany and every holy day · Start January with the free January Scripture writing plan · Memorize John 8:12 with Scripture memory cards
Frequently asked questions
When is Epiphany in 2027?
Epiphany falls on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. It is a fixed feast, always twelve days after Christmas. Twelfth Night, the eve of Epiphany, is Tuesday evening, January 5. In the United States, most Catholic dioceses celebrate it on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8, which in 2027 is Sunday, January 3. Orthodox churches that follow the old Julian calendar keep Theophany on January 19. The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday, January 10, 2027, and the Epiphany season lasts until Ash Wednesday on February 10.
Is Epiphany the same as Three Kings Day?
Yes, they are two names for the same day, January 6. Three Kings Day, or Día de los Reyes, is the name used in Spain, Latin America, Puerto Rico and many Hispanic families in the US. The night before, children leave their shoes out, and sometimes grass for the camels, and wake to small gifts. The family shares a rosca de reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread with a tiny figure of the baby Jesus baked inside. The Bible does not say there were three wise men or that they were kings; the tradition counted three because of the three gifts. See the three wise men.
Is Epiphany in the Bible?
The holiday is not named in the Bible, and the date of January 6 comes from church tradition, not Scripture. But the meaning of the day is biblical. The Greek word epiphaneia, appearing, is used in the New Testament for Christ's coming (2 Timothy 1:10, Titus 2:13), and the three events the feast remembers are all in the Gospels: the wise men in Matthew 2, the baptism in Matthew 3 and the wedding at Cana in John 2. Christians are free to keep the day or not (Romans 14:5-6).
What do people do on Epiphany?
Customs differ from place to place. Many churches hold a service with readings about the wise men and the light of Christ. Some families chalk the doorway with the year and the letters C, M and B, written 20 + C + M + B + 27 for 2027, an old house blessing (free Epiphany house blessing printable); the letters stand for a Latin prayer meaning may Christ bless this house, and also for the traditional names of the wise men. Others take down Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night, bake a king cake, or give a last small gift. Orthodox Christians bless water and homes for Theophany.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: The three wise men · We Three Kings · Christmas · The Christmas story in the Bible · Baptism · Light · What is Ash Wednesday · Missionary work
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