An epiphany is a realisation that comes upon a person suddenly. The dictionary defines an epiphany as: A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality oressential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. Epiphanies can also have a religious significance and the dictionary says and epiphany can either be : A Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day. Or An appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.
Sometimes epiphanies are given religious significance and are considered a special moment of realisation or a truth. It does not even have to be a special moment but may be even just one where a person sees reality for what it really is. James Joyce used this in many of his novels. The most famous of which is the failed epiphanies which dominate the book Dubliners.
There are quite a few meanings to the word 'epiphany'. We will take up the most commonly referred to meanings here. In the English language, the word 'epiphany' is used to describe the feeling we get when we actually understand the essence or true meaning of an object or an individual.
In a strictly Christian sense, the word 'epiphany' is used to refer to the feast that Christians all over the world have to commemorate the revelation of Jesus Christ to humanity. It is with specific reference to the visit the three Magi paid the shed where Jesus was born, just after his birth.
In the context of the Internet, the word 'epiphany' is used to describe a web browser that is frequently used for computers operating on the Unix platform, or on platforms similar to Unix.
These are the three commonly referred to meanings of the term 'epiphany'. You need to let me know which of these you are actually looking at, and then we can go into that word in more detail.
The term epiphany could refer to a number of things depending on the context. It could mean a divine manifestation; or it could refer to the twelve days following Christmas; which in Christianity celebrates the three wise men's visit to see the infant Jesus. Synonyms for the term epiphany in this case include Epiphany, Twelfth day, Epiphany of Our Lord, Three Kings' Day as well as January 6 (the feast day).
It could mean a sudden unexpected manifestation of the meaning or the essence of something. It may refer to a comprehension or a different perception of reality which results from sudden intuitive realization. It could be re revealing moment or scene.
The adjective form of the word is epiphanic. The term epiphany comes from the Middle English word epiphanie; from Anglo-French; which comes from the Late Latin word epiphania; probably an alteration of the Greek term epiphaneia, meaning appearance, manifestation; which comes from the word epiphainein, meaning to manifest; coming from epi- + phainein, meaning to show.
Your question is rather vague, so I shall answer it literally. "The Epiphany" is a Christian observance, marking the "shining forth" of Christ's divinity, recalling the coming of the Magi who were gentiles. "Epiphany" is from the Greek word "epiphanos" which means "shining forth."
Epiphany is an important festival of the Christian church and in many countries it is held every year on the 6th of January, 12 days after Christmas Day. It celebrates the event just after the birth of Christ when the Three Wise Men, or Magi came to visit bringing their famous gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
For many people it marks the end of Christmas and is the day when the Christmas decorations are taken down and put away for another year. In some European countries, it is celebrated more intensively than Christmas itself and people exchange Christmas gifts on this day, rather than on the 25th of December. In mixed families, lucky children may get two Christmas days!
In the Easter Orthodox Church, the festival celebrated on this day is known as the theophany and commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ. Some Orthodox churches used a much older calendar and celebrate Epiphany on the 18th of January each year.
On January 6th, the Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The name "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word Epiphania, and means "to show, make known, or reveal." The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added - the visit of the three Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences.
