クリスマスのまつりは終わり。

クリスマスの時期はクリスマスの日と12日間26日12月から６日１月までです。

本日はクリスマスの十二日です。

主顕祭です。

英語で「epiphany」。いみは顕われる。「appearance, revelation, manifestation」

スペイン語で「El dia de los Reyes」。三人王の日。

新聞に説明書です。

Generally Speaking

Christmas celebrations are finally over. The Christmas season includes Christmas Day and the twelve days from December 26th to January 6th. (This is the twelve days of Christmas alluded to in the Christmas carol.) So today is the twelfth day of Christmas. (Last night was "Twelfth Night" like the name of the Shakespeare play.)

Today is the epiphany. Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning appearance or manifestation. In the Catholic church, the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated as the day that the baby Jesus was revealed (by the Three Kings, or Three Wise Men) as the savior that had been prophesied. In Spanish, today is called "The Day of the Kings". Traditionally, this is the day we received gifts, just as the Three Kings brought the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrhh to the baby Jesus.

The average American knows little about the Epiphany. However, because there are so many Mexican-Americans in Texas, and because most are Catholic, there was an article in today's paper explaining it.

質問とコメント

1. today: when do you use 本日 [ほんじつ] and when do you use 今日 [きょう]?