Resources to teach a lesson on Three Kings Day
January 6th falls on our first week back to school. As a Christian family, we are excited to take this opportunity to teach T about Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day.
This article from Time and Date covers what this day means, who celebrates and how and much more. We will be going over this first.
Epiphany
Many Christians around the world annually celebrate Epiphany on January 6. It is a public holiday in many countries and marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life, according to the Christian Bible. The first event was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus.
The Huffington Post offers this slide show. It covers celebrations of Epiphany all over the worlds. We will also be discussing this together. After we go over it, I will be asking him to write a paragraph about where in the world he would most like to celebrate Epiphany.
Epiphany 2015 Celebrations Around The World
The Feast of the Epiphany, marking the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the new season of Epiphany, is observed on Tuesday, January 6, 2015. Epiphany — which is variously known as Theophany, Three Kings Day and El Dia de los Tres Reyes — is a Christian celebration of the revelation of the birth of Jesus to the wider world.
We will be using some worksheets. T loves crosswords so:
Printable Epiphany Word Search Challenge | Epiphany Worksheets
Printable Epiphany word search challenge worksheet – learn vocabulary words associated with Epiphany. Word bank words include: appearance, baptism, blessing, celebrates, Christ, Christian, Christmas, feast, human, January, Magi and remove. This Epiphany word search challenge puzzle has words that go in many directions.
Also, while we won’t be having a full feast 🙁 we will be making Three Kings Bread. You can too:
Three Kings Bread
In Spain, and especially in Mexico, a Rosca de Reyes is served for the traditional merienda on Three Kings Day, January 6, along with chocolate caliente. The rosca (round or oval ring of bread) is baked with a special surprise inside: a small porcelain figurine that represented the Infant Jesus (today a dried bean can be substituted).
In the end, I will want him to understand what the day represents: Jesus Christ was visited by the Magi. The world found out that He was here.
I want him to understand the very meaning of the word: Epiphany: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12)
Our Bible Reading will be Matthew 2:1-12 – Wise Men from the East
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”[a]7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
