Epiphany Sunday

As we made our way out from St Luke’s after the Sunday communion service, we were invited to choose a jumbo stick of chalk from this big boxful and take it home to “chalk the door” with. Since the Covid pandemic this once rare traditional Epiphany celebration, where Christians use chalk which has been blessed to write on their doorway, has become an increasingly common sight in the UK. It originated in Mediaeval Europe. In 20th century Poland, the practice of chalking the door continued among believers as a way of asserting their Christian identity, despite the Eastern Bloc's state atheism and anti-religious campaigns.

The letters “CMB” and the numbers of the new calendar year appear in a sequence as shown in my photograph, separated by crosses. The letters represent the traditional names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar – and also stand for the Latin blessing: “Christus Mansionem Benedicat, meaning “May Christ bless this house”. Those little numbers and letters on the entrance to the home become a reminder of faith and strength for the new year that is about to unfold. During the Covid pandemic and lockdowns it was a lovely and significant tradition for people to embrace at a time of worry and uncertainty.

I chose a green stick of chalk to take home, so the Epiphany blessing which I’ve written shows up well on my white front door.