Epiphany Royal Celebration (Repost)

Happy Traditional Epiphany Day!

January 6, 2012

Looking for ideas and ways to celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord?

I am reposting this celebration from last year.  We will be doing much of the same thing this weekend when our Dad comes home from work:)

While much of the world left Christmas behind over a week ago,

I have truly been savoring the season.

Gratitude for my Catholic faith overflowed this week as things

slowed down after the flurry of Advent activity;

I have FINALLY been able to enjoy Christmas!

Twinkling lights and peaceful Christmas music lingered in my car CD player

AND in my soul all week long...

Today was the 12th Day of Christmas and the celebration of the visit from the Magi to the manger~ 

The traditional Epiphany Day.

(Matthew 2:1-12)

I suppose it's also time to make the transition from Christmastide to Ordinary time... 

(after this Sunday)

Though I AM tempted to wait until 

The Presentation of the Lord in February;

For some reason, I am just not ready to say goodbye 

to Christmas quite yet!

Regardless of the quiet digging in of my heels, we made the best of this ending, as we celebrated the Magi coming to Christ in the manger.

Marking the closing of our Christmas season,

we enjoyed an evening of celebration, complete  

with an Epiphany Royal Supper!

~The evening began with the Traditional Home Blessing~

The “C, M, B also stands for the Latin blessing Christius Mansionem Benedicat which means “May Christ Bless this House”.

Be sure to visit Catholic Icing for Lacy's post on the Epiphany House Blessing and more linkys for Epiphany ideas:)

We have started a tradition of choosing a Patron Saint for our family for the New Year.  We have been doing this via the Saint Generator.

Dad picks companion saints for our family 

to follow, learn about, and pray with us through the New Year.

Our Epiphany Royal Supper Menu:

Crown Pizza

"Golden Pear" Winter Fruit Salad

Royal Punch

Dessert:  King's Cake

We brought our Three Wise Guys to the center of our 

dinner table to join our Royal Supper, also posted over at Catholic Cuisine.

Rod cut a family-sized Take and Bake Pizza

in half and then carved 

2 crown shapes from the top and bottom halves:

The "Golden Pear" Winter Salad

was a new and simple recipe I tried  

It turned out incredibly Yuuuuumy!

Bosco Pears

Ambrosia Apples

Oats and Honey Granola

Greek Yogurt~Honey Flavored

The Epiphany~ Manifestation of the Word made Flesh~

Gave us reason to CHEER!

I also wanted to share this simple recipe for our

~Royal King's Cake~

One of our family favorites!

Ingredients:

Yellow Cake Mix

1 pkg. Vanilla Pudding mix

4 Eggs

1 Cup Dry Sherry Wine

3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

*Beat all ingredients together on high for approx. 5 minutes*

Spray Bundt Pan and Bake at 350 degrees 

for 45-50 minutes

Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar

(We added the Royal Garnish for our Epiphany Celebration)

As the Magi brought gifts to Jesus,

we closed out the evening by bringing Him our hearts,

renewing our love and commitment

to the Christ child and Savior of the world.

After crowning the King of Kings, 

Each person thought of one way to improve their spiritual life and wrote the promise or "gift to Jesus" on a paper heart.  We placed our hearts at the feet of the Christ Child for the evening.

The hearts will be taped on bathroom mirrors or school stations to remind us of our 

New Year's gift to Jesus.

This weekend we will take down our Christmas decorations...

I don't look forward to the bare nakedness of my home after the last 

string of lights are put away.

But the beauty of our faith DOES remind me of the cycle of our human spirit as we

constantly strive for our ultimate goal.

We are continually reminded that we must decrease and empty

ourselves in order to open up a space to receive the graces of heaven.

I may not want Christmas to end but it is a reflection of what's best for me and for us all.  The good news is that Lent is coming...

As our homes reflect the emptying out of Christmas, they also serve as visual reminders that our strength longs to be renewed.  After the Baptism of the Lord, we set forward on the journey into Ordinary Time until we reach the liturgical season of Lent in a few short weeks. 
I love the season of Lent!
Am I the only one looking forward to Lent already?

Until then we are called to rediscover the sanctity of our every day lives in this Ordinary Time...

Only from death, can we be raised to eternal life.

"Naked and stripped there came forth

from her, He who clothes all."

~St. Ephrem the Syrian~