Lutheran Church Year
Dates of "Epiphanias" (Epiphany)

Description

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. It falls on 6 January or, in many countries, on the Sunday that falls between 2 January and 8 January. Since the Julian Calendar, which is followed by some Eastern Churches, is at present 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar and the revised Julian Calendar, 6 January in that calendar corresponds at present to 19 January in what is the official civil calendar in most countries. On this feast, Western Christians commemorate principally the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles; Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.
Type of Holiday: Solemnity; Holy Day of Obligation
Time of Year: January 6
Duration: One Day (or an entire octave in older custom)
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles; Visit of the Magi (West); Christ's baptism (East)
Alternate Names: Theophany, Holy Lights, King's Feast

Readings: Epistle: Isaah 60: 1-6; Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12

Musical Context of Bach Cantatas: Motets & Chorales for Turning Time

Dates in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach

All dates are in ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD.
Abbreviations of German weekdays: Sonntag, Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag.

1685-01-06 Sa
1686-01-06 So
1687-01-06 Mo
1688-01-06 Di
1689-01-06 Do
1690-01-06 Fr
1691-01-06 Sa
1692-01-06 So
1693-01-06 Di
1694-01-06 Mi
1695-01-06 Do
1696-01-06 Fr
1697-01-06 So
1698-01-06 Mo
1699-01-06 Di
1700-01-06 Mi
1701-01-06 Do
1702-01-06 Fr
1703-01-06 Sa
1704-01-06 So
1705-01-06 Di
1706-01-06 Mi
1707-01-06 Do
1708-01-06 Fr
1709-01-06 So
1710-01-06 Mo
1711-01-06 Di
1712-01-06 Mi
1713-01-06 Fr
1714-01-06 Sa
1715-01-06 So
1716-01-06 Mo
1717-01-06 Mi
1718-01-06 Do
1719-01-06 Fr
1720-01-06 Sa
1721-01-06 Mo
1722-01-06 Di
1723-01-06 Mi
1724-01-06 Do - Cantata BWV 65 Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1725-01-06 Sa - Cantata BWV 123 Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1726-01-06 So - G.P. Telemann: Cantata Ich freue mich im Herren, TWV 1:826 or Cantata Hier ist mein Herz, geliebter Jesu, TWV 1:795 (1^st performance, Leipzig) (?)
1727-01-06 Mo
1728-01-06 Di
1729-01-06 Do
1730-01-06 Fr
1731-01-06 Sa
1732-01-06 So
1733-01-06 Di
1734-01-06 Mi
1735-01-06 Do - Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/6 Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1736-01-06 Fr
1737-01-06 So
1738-01-06 Mo
1739-01-06 Di
1740-01-06 Mi
1741-01-06 Fr
1742-01-06 Sa
1743-01-06 So
1744-01-06 Mo
1745-01-06 Mi
1746-01-06 Do
1747-01-06 Fr
1748-01-06 Sa
1749-01-06 Mo
1750-01-06 Di

Sundays and Holidays in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach

Prepared by Dr. Georg Fischer (April 2007), Aryeh Oron (March 2010)
Contributed by Dr. Georg Fischer (March 2010)
Please direct any questions or comments to: Dr. Georg Fischer