a Christian festival, otherwise called the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, observed on the fifth of January, in honour of the appearance of our Saviour to the three magi or wise men, who came to adore him and bring him presents. The feast of epiphany was not originally a distinct festival; but made a part of that of the nativity of Christ, which being celebrated 12 days, the first and last of which were high or chief days of solemnity, either of these might properly be called epiphany, as that word signifies the appearance of Christ in the world.

The word in the original Greek, ἐπιφάνεια, signifies appearance or apparition; and was applied, as some critics will have it, to this feast, on account of the star which appeared to the magi.—St Jerom and St Chrysostom take the epiphany for the day of our Saviour's baptism, when he was declared to men by the voice, Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complausi: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And accordingly it is still observed by the Coptic and Ethiopians in that view. Others contend, that the feast of Christmas, or the nativity of our Saviour, was held in divers churches on this day; which had the denomination epiphany, or appearance, by reason of our Saviour's first appearance on earth at that time. And it must be allowed, that the word is used among the ancient Greek fathers, not for the appearance of the star to the magi, but for that of our Saviour to the world: In which sense, St Paul uses the word epiphania, in his second epistle to Timothy, i. 10.