In western Christian tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany, and the season extends until Ash Wednesday. The day goes by other names in various church traditions; in Hispanic and Latin cultures, as well as some places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings’ Day. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." It remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. The colors for season of Epiphany are white and green, with white being used on the first and last Sundays of the season (the Baptism of Jesus and Transfiguration Sunday); the other Sundays are green.
As with most aspects of the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany has theological significance as a teaching tool in the church. The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. The day is now observed as a time of focusing on the mission of the church in reaching others by "showing" Jesus as the Savior of all people.
