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Loppiainen

Epiphany has been celebrated on the 6th of January, even in the 200’s, as the birthday or christening of Jesus. In the 1500’s the Swedish-Finnish Lutheran Church was calling the Epiphany “a day of three Holy Kings”. In medieval times the Western church dedicated the Epiphany to the three Magi who came to visit baby-Jesus.

Nowadays the Lutheran church has dedicated the Epiphany for the missionary work. The Finnish name for Epiphany “Loppiainen” goes back to the 1600’s, and it means the ending of the Christmas time. The name Epifania, which was the old name for Loppiainen, means revelation of Christ.

In Epiphany, the Orthodox church of Finland performs the sanctification of water. This can take place at churches or in the nature by the water.