Theophany/Baptism of the Lord

It is still one of the most frequently performed liturgical rituals today: Baptism, i.e., the pouring of water over the candidate and the subsequent anointing with holy oil. In German-speaking countries, it is usually celebrated for children a few weeks after their birth. Together with the first reception of the Eucharist (First Communion) and the laying on of hands (Confirmation), it represents the introductory rites with which a person is received into a Christian church.

On January 6, Christian churches worldwide remember that Jesus of Nazareth himself was baptized by John the Baptist according to New Testament tradition. A voice from heaven is said to have called out, "This is my beloved Son!"; and the Spirit of God is said to have descended upon him in the form of a dove.

The Christian liturgies therefore refer to the baptism of Jesus as one of the stations of the "Theophany," where Jesus revealed himself as the Son of God. Other milestones include Jesus' first miracle at the wedding at Cana, where he turned water into wine; or the adoration of the three wise men from the East, who are said to have visited Jesus as the new King of the Jews.

In the Roman Rite, the narrative of the three wise men from the East, known as the "Three Kings," has prevailed for the commemoration on January 6, and their remains are venerated in the Cologne Cathedral. Dressed as "three kings," children and young people therefore go from house to house in Catholic regions and bestow the blessing (Christus Mansionem Benedicat—Christ bless this house!). The actual baptism of Jesus, however, is celebrated in the Roman Rite only on the Sunday after January 6th. The Eastern Christian traditions, on the other hand, associate the feast day on January 6 more with the blessing of the waters, into which a cross is often cast. According to popular belief, the blessing of God in the new year is particularly bestowed upon the young person or adult who retrieves this cross from the water. Even in Germany, Orthodox communities now perform this water blessing—for example, on the Danube or the Isar. Liturgically, this rite probably dates back to a water blessing in Egypt, where the waters of the Nile were particularly blessed, as its flooding depended on the well-being of the country's grain harvest.