January 6th marks one of my most favorite days of the year. It’s one of those days on which a few very close friends share greetings. Known as the feast of Epiphany, or Little Christmas, or the Feast of the Magi, this day marks the end of Christmas in the Roman Catholic Calendar (it is the 12th day of Xmas), and it is Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Churches. As a child, I remember, we would occasionally receive or exchange gifts on this day and it was the day after-which my mother would take down the Christmas decorations and lights.
These days, two wonderful Armenian-American friends and another dear buddy in NYC share greetings and good wishes with me regularly on this day. In years past I have used this day as an opportunity for a greetings card, because to most the day comes as a surprise. One of the great things is that its not commercialized, so greetings and correspondence on this day seem to embody a warmth and sincerity which escapes the grasp of Hallmark. The sad thing about the day is that upon passing I feel obligated to take down the Christmas lights. In this bleak month of January the lights add to the ambience of the house at night. But their removal prompts the sense of anticipation for the cycle of another year, and the knowledge that their refulgency will come round again.
Happy Epiphany!
