The story of Epiphany: tradition, religious festivals and secular rites
On 6 January, the visit of the Magi to Jesus is celebrated by millions around the world. It's a story that's been handed down through generations but actually barely mentioned in a Gospel, however, it's the deep-root of secular tradition in Italy and, in Europe, above all a culinary ritual.
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00:00Orthodox Christians across Europe are closing off the Christmas season with celebrations of Epiphany.
00:07The holiday marks the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
00:11and is celebrated in different ways by Orthodox Christian communities.
00:15Some Western Christian churches know the feast as Three Kings Day,
00:19recalling the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus
00:22and their sense of wonder at the encounter.
00:25In some places such as Greece and Turkey, the celebration involved swimmers competing to retrieve a wooden cross thrown by a priest into the water.
00:35In Bulgaria's celebration, men entered the icy waters of the Tunja River,
00:40accompanied by bagpipers and drummers to perform the traditional horro dance.
00:45Romanian villagers gathered on the pastures of the southern village of Pietrasani with their horses to receive blessings from a priest.
00:53They drank plum brandy and mulled wine and ate grilled spicy sausages to celebrate the feast.
00:59The holiday also marked the end of the Vatican's 2025 Holy Year,
01:04a year-long celebration that saw some 33 million pilgrims flock to Rome.
01:09After a prayer at the holy door of St. Peter's Basilica,
01:12Pope Leo pulled the two doors shut, symbolically closing out the Jubilee.
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