Epiphany and the Time Thereafter
EPIPHANY, JANUARY 6 (SUNDAY BETWEEN
JANUARY 2 AND 8)
The great feast of the Epiphany, a holy day of obligation in most countries, celebrates the visit of the Magi to the newborn King in Bethlehem and therefore Christ’s coming to save not only the Jews but the Gentiles (represented by the Magi, Zoroastrian priestly scholars). The Magi are also called the Three Kings in accordance with two Old Testament prophecies that describe kings from Tharsis, Arabia, and Sheba bringing to the Messiah presents (Ps. 71:10) such as gold and frankincense (Is. 60:3–6).
The Epiphany drink, usually drunk on the vigil of the feast, is a wassail called Lamb’s Wool (for more on wassails, see pp. 369–70). The unusual name is probably attributable to the fuzzy appearance of the roasted apples, but it is also a nice tie-in to the Lamb of God who this day revealed Himself to all the nations. And there’s even a nice little ditty to remind you of the instructions.
Next crowne the bowle full
With gentle Lambs wooll,
Adde sugar, nutmeg, and ginger,
With store of ale too,
And thus ye must doe
To make the Wassaile a swinger.
For liqueurs, you can actually drink one of the Magi’s presents—can you guess which one? Goldwasser is a strong root-and-herbal liqueur that includes flakes of suspended gold. (The gold, which hearkens back to the days of alchemy when gold was thought to have medicinal properties, is harmless.) Goldwasser is difficult to find in the United States, but Goldschläger, a Swiss cinnamon schnapps, is easier to find and based on the same idea.
Lamb’s Wool*
6 baking apples, cored
2 tbsp. to ½ cup brown sugar
2 qts. sweet cider or hard cider or ale—or a combination of cider and ale
1 tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
Peel and boil the apples, either whole or cut, until they are very soft and flaky. (A lengthier but more traditional alternative is to roast the apples in a baking pan at 450° F for an hour or until they are very soft and begin to burst.)
In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar a few tablespoons at a time in cider or ale, tasting for sweetness. Add the spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the liquid over the apples in a large punch bowl. Add nuts if desired or serve separately. Makes about eight one-cup servings.
Or have a semi-original cocktail based on the Tequila Old Fashioned that honors all three gifts: gold tequila for gold, bitters for myrrh (“myrrh” comes from the Aramaic word for bitter), and simple syrup with a twist of lemon for the sweet and lemony fragrance of frankincense. And when you drink a Gifts of the Magi, you are also honoring Our Lord, since gold represents His kingship, myrrh His Passion, and frankincense His divinity. We used Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila Gold for our tests and were most pleased with the results.
Gifts of the Magi
2 oz. gold tequila
½ tsp. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 lemon twist
Pour all ingredients except lemon into an old fashioned glass filled with ice and stir. Garnish with lemon twist.
A campy backup is a Three Wise Men cocktail, a mixture of whiskies from Scotland, Tennessee, and Kentucky. After several rounds of these, you will probably imitate the Wise Men and not make it back home by the same route.
Three Wise Men
1 part Johnnie Walker scotch whisky
1 part Jack Daniels whiskey
1 part Jim Beam whiskey
Pour into a shot glass and serve.
LAST CALL
In some parts of the world Epiphany is called “Little Christmas” because it is the final day for exchanging Christmas gifts. In the Irish counties of Cork and Kerry, it is also called “Women’s Christmas.” Irish men do all of the household chores today, while their womenfolk hold parties or go out with their friends, with pubs and restaurants holding special “Ladies’ Night” attractions. Children also give special gifts to their mothers and grandmothers on this day. Using your imagination, apply these customs to your Epiphany celebration.
Beer and Wine
Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California, has a Gift of the Magi Ale: “Gold in color and bittered with the bark of Frankincense,” they say of their product; “we have even used the smallest amount of Myrrh which is an herb that has roots in ancient winemaking as well.”
Or, pull out your very best wine, since the miracle at Cana is traditionally believed to have occurred on the same calendar day (see pp. 394–95).
THE HOLY FAMILY, SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
(SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS)
This lovely feast pays tribute to the domestic life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. There are two legends about the Holy Family that provide inspiration for tonight’s cocktail menu. According to a Sicilian superstition, a juniper bush courageously hid Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from Herod’s soldiers, an act that God rewarded by bestowing on the plant the power of putting evil spirits to flight. Similarly, Mary washed the tiny garments of Jesus during their flight and spread them over the branches of a rosemary bush to dry them. In reward for this service to His Son, God conferred upon the rosemary, or “Mary’s rose,” a fragrant aroma.
These charming tales give us an idea for a Rosemary Martini. Gin, if you recall, is traditionally made from juniper berries.
Continuing with the same flight-into-Egypt theme, you can also have a Marigold, a cocktail likewise involving a plant named after the Blessed Virgin as she fled Herod’s soldiers (see pp. 66–67).
Rosemary Martini
2 oz. gin
1 dash vermouth
1 small sprig of rosemary
Pour all ingredients except rosemary into a shaker filled with ice and shake forty times. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with rosemary. And if you don’t have any rosemary on hand, use an olive, which will remind you of the olive orchards of Bethlehem.
LAST CALL
The traditional collect for the feast also makes a fitting toast. “To our Lord Jesus Christ who, when He was subject to Mary and Joseph, sanctified domestic life with ineffable virtues. And may we all become partakers of the eternal happiness of the Holy Family as we learn from their example.”
Beer and Wine
For beer, honor Our Lord with Salvator beer (see p. 405) or St. Joseph with any of the recommendations from his two feast days (see pp. 56–58 and 94).
For wine, honor the Blessed Virgin’s tender motherhood with Liebfraumilch, a semisweet white German wine that literally means “Our Dear Lady’s milk” (see p. 282).
Oh, what the heck—honor all three members of the Holy Family by throwing a party that includes all of the above.
BAPTISM OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
JANUARY 13 (USUALLY, SUNDAY AFTER JANUARY 6)
Epiphany is about the manifestation (epiphaneia) of Christ to the Gentiles, and so to round out the celebration of this august feast the Church remembers one week later another divine manifestation, the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. It was on this occasion that Christ established baptism as a sacrament and was proclaimed by a heavenly voice as the Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased (Mt. 3:13–17).
On this day, celebrate Our Lord’s baptism the way you would a baptism or christening in your family. Champagne and punch are traditional favorites for such a happy occasion. Or how about a champagne cocktail?
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
(SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C)
The Gospel for this Sunday is the miracle at the Wedding of Cana, when Our Lord turns water not only into wine but into really good wine (John 2:1–11). Jesus Christ’s first public miracle has multifold significance. It foreshadows transubstantiation in the Eucharist (when wine becomes the Precious Blood), it reflects Our Lord’s high esteem for the sacrament of matrimony, it epitomizes Our Lord’s responsiveness to His Mother’s intercession, and (more to our present purposes) it demonstrates His good taste in and approval of fine wine. After all, He wouldn’t make something He disapproved of, now would He?
LAST CALL
For a wry and perceptive look at changes in Christian theology in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, read George Mackay Brown’s short story “A Treading of Grapes,” a series of fictional sermons on the Wedding of Cana. The medieval Catholic sermon will provide you with a few toast ideas.
Celebrate the august occasion on which the fruit of the vine was affirmed by the Son of God by going to your wine cellar, real or proverbial, and selecting the best wine with which you are willing to part. If, for example, there is a wine that you’ve been saving because it stands above the rest of your collection, and if you don’t have a special date in mind for it, then uncork it now and raise a glass to Our Good Lord, His interceding Mother, the dignity of marriage, and the goodness of wine.
Note: If you are following the post–Vatican II Church calendar, this Gospel reading comes once every three years. But if you choose to uncork a bottle on this Sunday every year, we promise not to tell.
* From Evelyn Vitz, A Continual Feast (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1985), 167.
