From Epiphany-themed Christmas carols to parades and magi costumes, local Catholics to wrap up Christmas celebration in style
DETROIT — While the secular world moves on from Christmas on Dec. 26, tossing Christmas trees to the curb and taking down festive lights, Catholics know Christmas Day is just the beginning of the celebration of the season.
The Epiphany of the Lord, commonly known as the “Twelfth Day of Christmas,” is celebrated on Jan. 6. This solemnity commemorates the visit of the wise men — the magi — paying homage to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the day as “the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world" (CCC, No. 528).
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Not only is the Epiphany a beautiful solemnity in the Church, it’s also a good reason for a party.
In Spain, Epiphany celebrations can even trump Christmas Day. Children receive gifts from the three wise men on the evening of Jan. 5, and the city of Madrid hosts an annual Three Kings Parade that concludes with the Kings Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar instead of Santa Claus.
In the United States, Epiphany parties aren’t as common, but Detroit Catholic found several party hosts in the Archdiocese of Detroit who were willing to share their party ideas. We hope their gatherings will serve as an inspiration for you to host your own celebration of this uniquely Catholic — and uniquely fun — feast day.
Here’s your guide to planning a festive Epiphany party:
1.) Let the Holy Spirit be your party planner
When a large Catholic men’s group in Dearborn was looking for a way to bring their families together at the end of 2022, an Epiphany party seemed like the perfect way to do it. The group meets regularly for prayer and fellowship and is made up of men from many parishes including Sacred Heart and Divine Child in Dearborn, and St. Michael the Archangel in Livonia.
Jonathan Henry serves as one of the organizers for the party.
“We had been talking about recapturing the beauty and true celebration of these Catholic feasts and had the idea of an Epiphany party,” Henry said. “It wasn’t hard, honestly. God just paved the way to make that happen.”
The men prayed for their plans to come together, knowing God would bless their efforts if they kept the meaning of the party at the center. And He did bless them: close to 100 people attended last year for their first Epiphany party, and they expect close to 200 this year.
2.) Keep it simple … or not
Jen Nelson, the PTA president at St. John Paul II Classical Catholic School in Lincoln Park, attended an Epiphany party years ago at a friend’s home in Ann Arbor, a simple potluck gathering of about 30 people.
Years later, Nelson helped plan an Epiphany party for families and friends of St. John Paul II Classical School in 2023. Unlike that first party she attended, this one was in a banquet hall with a band, crafts and a procession of the three kings.
“We wanted to help our families celebrate Catholic living,” said Kim Cole, a St. Paul II Classical School parent and school board president who helps plans the yearly party. “We wanted to get the message out that we’re Catholic and so we keep celebrating all through the season.”
By contrast, Henry says the Dearborn men's group stuck to the basics last year. The inaugural party was held at a brewery with a party room. Organizers ordered paper crowns online for the kids, and brought in food from an Italian restaurant with reasonable prices.
3.) Invite a mix of people
The solemnity of the Epiphany is a Catholic feast, but it's not just for Catholics!
Include Catholic friends and neighbors, priests, and even non-Catholics. Consider inviting people from your parish who are alone during the Christmas season, or who might be looking for fellowship and community with other Catholics.
The party at St. John Paul II Classical School is open to everyone, including those with no affiliation to the school.
“We’ve had families reach out to us and come to our Epiphany party, and those children wound up being one of the three wise men or part of the Nativity (scene). Everyone became one big group and had a great time,” Nelson said.
4.) Include party-perfect Epiphany traditions that point to Jesus and the three kings
What says “party” more than a parade of kings? Children who attended the St. John Paul II Classical School Epiphany party dress up in costumes as the three kings and process through the crowd to find the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Other ideas to consider: singing Epiphany-themed Christmas carols such as "We Three Kings" or "What Child Is This?," dancing, a white elephant gift exchange, making star ornaments and decorating paper crowns. This year, the Dearborn men’s group is planning a reading of the Epiphany Scripture passage, caroling, and a blessing of chalk for families to take home to bless the entrance of their homes.
Organizers of the St. John Paul II Classical School party order a “Three Kings Cake” from a Mexican bakery. Three baby Jesus figurines are baked into the cake, and the people who find them win a prize.
5.) 'Don’t stress and remain joyful'
That’s the advice Cole gave when asked for her best Epiphany party tip, and Nelson and Henry agree.
“We kept it intentionally simple the first year,” Henry said. “We want to do this forever, so we felt we didn’t have to rush into doing everything that first year. We’ll build on it and see what the Lord inspires year to year.”
As Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, said of the Epiphany, “…this day ought to be for all of us a day of joy and spiritual delight. The Church invites us to these sentiments and wants us to celebrate this feast day with great solemnity and singular devotion.”
If you would like to attend the St. John Paul II Classical School Epiphany Party on Jan. 6, contact Kim Cole at (734) 624-8522 or Jen Nelson at (734) 506-0014 for information and tickets. The event will be held at St. Stanislaus Kostka Hall in Wyandotte.
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