Purpose: to celebrate with your family by extending the spirit of Christmas and looking closer at symbolism and the story of the Magi
A little explanation as to why I include this holiday in my FHE lessons: I know that in American culture, especially American Latter-day Saint culture, we don’t often celebrate Epiphany or Three Kings Day, or Twelfth Night or the twelfth day of Christmas, but I personally think that’s a real shame. Christmas gets all lumped together and muddled with festivities and rushing and the story gets lost. People are forgetting that Jesus was a toddler by the time the wise men found him. Plus, there is so much symbolism and divine intervention that gets overlooked because of the magnitude of the Nativity. Plus, I’m just not ready to put everything away after the holiday. Two parts exhaustion and one part post-holiday sadness. (cue Michael McLean’s song about taking the tree down)
For us, personally, most of our traditions come from Spain, but I highly suggest you look into how you would like to celebrate this holiday and adapt it to fit your heritage or lifestyle.
Possible scriptures: Job 34:2-4, 34 (see also Proverbs 8:33-34; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 14:16-17; Proverbs 19:20-21; James 3:13); Proverbs 9:8-10; Proverbs 13:20; Jeremiah 29:12-13; Matthew 7:7-8 (see also Luke 11:9-10, 1 Nephi 10:19, 3 Nephi 14:7-8, Doctrine and Covenants 88:63); Matthew 7:24-27 (see also 3 Nephi 14:24-27); Helaman 16:13-14; Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27;
Possible Songs: “With Wondering Awe,” Hymns 210 ; “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns 202; “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Hymns 214; “Mary’s Lullaby,” Children’s songbook 45; “Stars Were Gleaming,” Children’s Songbook 37 (second verse); “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. (here’s a kid-friendly version with lyrics if you need).
Possible Materials: Three Kings Bread (Roscón de Reyes); small, Christ-centered gifts for each kid; Gold, Frankinsense, and Myrrh would be amazing! But not necessary; a small sock and pencils and paper for your family.
Preparation: Begin with prayer. In order to even know where to start, you may have to study a little about this holiday. I found this site incredibly informative and I pray the post never gets taken down because it’s the best information I’ve seen on the holiday in regards to members of The Church. I suggest starting your study there. Read the suggested scriptures, as well as Matthew 2. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Make Three Kings Bread for your family (I’m sorry I can’t share my recipe. It was given to me and it wouldn’t be right to share someone else’s recipe). Make sure it has a little surprise inside but keep kids and choking hazards in mind (and how much cake will need to be eaten in order for someone to get the prize). Children: Watch this video about the wise men. Get some help from a grownup to make Three Kings Bread.
Lesson:
Discuss how last week’s challenge went.
Introduction: As a family, sit together and enjoy Three Kings Bread. While your family is eating, discuss what they know about the wise men that came to visit Jesus. The importance here is spending time together. It is in creating tradition with loved ones. You could talk about heritage and cultural differences, but don’t let it overshadow the time together. Celebrate and laugh as the “prize” is found! Based on where in the world you get your information, either the prize winner is the “King for the year,” the one that has to buy or make the bread for next year, the one that will have good luck. For our family, we have the winner get the stocking we use later in the lesson and pass out the papers.
From the Scriptures: Read all of Matthew 2. As a family, discuss why it is important to know this part of the Christmas story. Talk about how it differs from regular Christmas tradition. By the time the wise men found Jesus, he was no longer a little newborn. Mary and Joseph lived in a house!
Discuss the importance of revelation in keeping Jesus safe. What would have happened if the wise men hadn’t followed revelation? And Joseph? We can be protected by the same power that protected Jesus.
An important similitude exists in the ethnicity of the wise men. Although there is much discussion as to the actual origins of these magi, historians agree that they were not of Jewish descent. they weren’t Israelites. And yet they received revelation and guidance because of their desire and their studies. In the scriptures we are assured that anyone that seeks Christ will find him. The fact that the wise men found Christ, and recognized Him as their king, is proof of this. How Can we seek him? What steps do we need to take?
Further Discussion:
Have family members take turns reading We Three Kings from the December 2009 New Era and Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh from the December 2016 New Era. Discuss the symbolism and divine significance of the gifts given. What do we learn about the wise men that we may not have known before?
Read Epiphany, a fireside talk given at BYU by James E Faust. How has God guided willing people who seek Him all throughout history? How does it make you feel knowing that God has His hand in His work and in our lives?
Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: A Faithful Search Rewarded, by Elder Patricio M. Giuffra; Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation by President Russel M. Nelson; The Faith to Ask and then Act, by Henry B. Eyering; The Things of My Soul, by Ronald A. Rasband; Ask, Seek, Knock, by Milton Camargo
Challenge:
If this is the first year you have done this activity, pull out a small Christmas sock. Explain that the wise men gave gifts to the Savior. We can give Jesus a birthday present, too! He doesn’t ask for us to give him frankincense or myrrh, but clean hands and a pure heart. Ask each member of the family to think of something they would like to give Jesus this year and to write it on the paper and place it in the sock. This is meant to be private, unless the person wants to share, so have them write their names on the outside, maybe even offer to tape them closed or provide envelopes.
At our house, we pack up Christmas on January 6th, so once everyone’s written their gift, it’s time to pack up Christmas, so it’s nice and easy to make sure the sock gets with the Christmas decorations or supplies. If you pack up your Christmas earlier, make an extra effort to make sure the Christmas sock gets put away correctly and safely so that you can find it in a year.
If this is not the first year you have done this activity, hand out last year’s “gifts” to the individual members of the family, as well as a piece of paper and pen or pencil. Give everyone time to reflect on last year’s gift and write a new gift to add to the sock. Ask your family to reflect upon their gift that they wanted to give to Jesus last year and be prepared to share their thoughts on how they did and how they’ve grown since last year.
