The twelve days of Christmas come to an end on January 6th, and the season of the Epiphany begins. But Epiphany not only ends Christmas, it also fulfils it by celebrating the revelation of the Christ to the whole world. The coming of incarnate God to all people, especially to those of us who are Gentiles, is the bridge from birth into life, the event that makes Easter possible for all of us. The light of the Epiphany illuminates the Church’s year as it illuminates the human race from whom the kings came. (Phyllis A. Tickle)