Wonder Days

Most students will return to school shortly, whether they are home-schooled or if they attend a traditional school. Epiphany, the holiday celebrated in the Roman Catholic church and the eastern orthodox churches on January 6 is right around the corner. Why not combine celebrate this lovely holiday feast day with a party?
Round out the winter vacation and holiday break and make the return to studies a positive time by celebrating Epiphany.

Epiphany marks the visit of the wisemen to the stable in Bethlehem. Many people mistakenly assume that the wisemen arrived at the manger scene with the shepherds, angels and holy family. The wisemen or Magi did not arrive until some time later. We celebrate it as January 6 or Twelfth Night. Here is a celebration for your family, friends, church group or students to help understand and honor this holy day.
Use a nativity scene or 'creche' or 'preseppio' to tell the story. St Francis of Assisi, in the mid 13th century began using this object lesson in his homilies to spread the good news. In our home, we do not place the kings in our manger scene until Epiphany. The figures 'travel' around the room until Twelfth Night. This provided hours and fun and imagination for our children when they were younger, visualizing the woes, dangers and adventures the Magi may have encountered. One year, we wrote a play and created a living nativity scene. We used Luke's gospel, but we added some details from other reading we'd done and our own thoughts about the event.
Read aloud each evening from Henry Vandyke's The Fourth Wiseman. Use this link to print it off or read it online. You might also wish to rent and view the movie version of the story. This story describes the story of Arteban, the wiseman who was not able to complete his journey to the Christ Child, but who lived the message of the gospel just the same.
The opening chapters of Ben Hur by General Lew Wallace gives a good impression of the lives and the meeting of the Magi. This link will take you to an online reader of the text which you can save or print free.
Print off some games and activities from my article on Free Epiphany Printables. Make a nativity set by dressing paper towel and toilet paper tubes in fabric scraps.
Since Epiphany also commemorates the baptism of Jesus, light your children's' baptismal candles. If they did not receive one, you can light any candle and pray a special blessing for them.
Make a Twelfth Night cake. traditionally these were often a fruit cake, and contained a hidden treasure such as a coin or bean. The person finding the treasure was the king for the day. You can make any type of cake you like. Place a small prize in the cake before you bake it . You can also place several little prizes in the cake. For safety sake, I would use a little candy such as a mint or a small candy cane. You can decorate the cake with little prizes or presents also.
Make crowns from recycled boxes. Cut it to fit and paint the crown with metallic paint or cover with aluminum foil. Glue on faux gems or stickers, fur trim, etc.
Lastly, and this is an ancient tradition, ask the three kings to watch over your home. Write the their initials over the door that you enter and exit the house. Caspar (or Gaspar) C (G) - Balthazar (B) - Melchior - (M). We have done this for several years now.
Remember 'Wise men still follow Him.'