epiphany
- epiphany
-
/i pif"euh nee/, n., pl. epiphanies.
1. (
cap.) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
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Christian festival celebrated on January 6.
One of the oldest Christian holy days (along with
Christmas and
Easter), the festival originated in the Eastern church and was adopted in the Western church by the 4th century. It commemorates the first manifestation of
Jesus to the Gentiles, as represented by the
Magi. The eve of Epiphany, called Twelfth Night, is thought to mark the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem. Epiphany also celebrates the (much later) baptism of Jesus by
John the Baptist and Jesus' first miracle, performed at Cana.
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▪ religious festival
(from
Greek epiphaneia, “manifestation”), festival celebrated on January 6; it is one of the three principal and oldest festival days of the Christian Church (including Easter and Christmas). It commemorates the first manifestation of
Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the
Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity, as it occurred at his Baptism in the Jordan River and at his first miracle at Cana in Galilee.
The festival originated in the Eastern Church (
Eastern Orthodoxy), where it at first included a commemoration of Christ's birth (
Christmas). In Rome (
Roman Catholicism),
by 354, Christ's birth was being celebrated on December 25, and later in the 4th century the church in Rome began celebrating Epiphany on January 6. In the Western Church the festival primarily commemorates the visit by the Magi to the infant Jesus. In the East it primarily commemorates the Baptism of Jesus.
In the West the evening preceding Epiphany is called Twelfth Night. The time between December 25 and January 6 is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Some Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6 and Epiphany on January 19.
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Universalium.
2010.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Epiphany — may refer to:* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday on January 6 celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus * Epiphany (feeling), the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something * Theophany, an… … Wikipedia
Epiphany — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Epiphany … Wikipedia Español
Epiphany — • The feast was called among the Syrians denho (up going), a name to be connected with the notion of rising light expressed in Luke. I, 78 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Epiphany Epiphany … Catholic encyclopedia
Epiphany — E*piph a*ny, n. [F. [ e]piphanie, L. epiphania, Gr. epifa nia (sc. ?), for epifa neia appearance, fr. epifai nein to show forth; epi + fai nein to show. See {Fancy}.] 1. An appearance, or a becoming manifest. [1913 Webster] Whom but just before… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
epiphany — ► NOUN (pl. epiphanies) 1) (Epiphany) the manifestation of Christ to the Magi (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2). 2) (Epiphany) the festival commemorating this, on 6 January. 3) a moment of sudden and great revelation. DERIVATIVES epiphanic … English terms dictionary
Epiphany — hat folgende Bedeutungen: englische Übersetzung für Epiphanie (Erscheinung einer Gottheit bzw. Moment der Erleuchtung) davon abgeleitet der Webbrowser Epiphany (Browser) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheid … Deutsch Wikipedia
Epiphany — es un navegador web libre para el entorno gráfico GNOME. Epiphany utiliza el motor de renderizado Gecko de Mozilla. Sustituye al anterior navegador oficial por defecto, Galeon, para conseguir mejorar las especificaciones del proyecto del diseño… … Enciclopedia Universal
epiphany — early 14c., festival of the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles (celebrated Jan. 6; usually with a capital E ), from O.Fr. epiphanie, from L.L. epiphania, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular), from late Gk. epiphaneia manifestation,… … Etymology dictionary
Epiphany — [ē pif′ə nē, ipif′ə nē] n. pl. Epiphanies [ME & OFr epiphanie < LL(Ec) epiphania < Gr(Ec) epiphaneia, appearance < epiphainein, to show forth, manifest < epi , upon + phainein, to show: see FANTASY] 1. [e ] an appearance or… … English World dictionary
Epiphany — Pour l album de T Pain, voir Epiphany (album). Pour l’article homophone, voir Épiphanie. Epiphany … Wikipédia en Français
Epiphany — Эту страницу предлагается переименовать в Web (веб браузер). Пояснение причин и обсуждение на странице Википедия:К переименованию/2 апреля 2012. Возможно, её текущее название не соответствует нормам современного русского языка и/или… … Википедия
