Today it the Feast of the Epiphany.

[hrmjustin]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)

[TexasProgresive]

1. Happy Kings' Day

or 12 day.

My NOLA kinfolk will be cutting a king cake and having a party.

[hrmjustin]

2. There is a parade in Spanish Harlem.

[okasha]

3. Here in S. Texas and Mexico

we have the rosca, a ring-shaped sweet bread with a tiny figure of the baby Jesus baked into it. Whoever gets the piece with "el baby" has to give a party on Candlemas.

[cbayer]

4. Sounds like the Mardi Gras King cake!

[okasha]

5. When I was teaching,

we alway had one for the department, with a pot luck on Feb. 2. The "reyes magos" "winner" just had to bring dessert.

[cbayer]

6. In New Orleans, the person who gets the baby in the cake has to bring

in the next cake.

Due to this, there is increasing competition to bring in better and better cakes!

[cbayer]

7. Mardi Gras season starts today!

[Igel]

10. Traditionally yesterday was 12th day.

It marks the end of Xmas.

Epiphany follows.

12/25 is the first day of Xmas.
12/26 is 2.
12/27 is 3.
12/28 is 4.
12/29 is 5.
12/30 is 6.
12/31 is 7,
1/1 is 8.
1/2 is 9.
1/3 is 10.
1/4 is 11. Twelfh night is the 12th after Xmas eve, so occurred after dark on 1/4.
1/5 is 12. Now we think of 12th night as after 1/5. But it's not before 12th day. Any more than Saturday night is before Satur-day.
1/6 epiphany.

[struggle4progress]

8. Hostis Herodes

... to greet His birth the wise men went
led by the star before them sent
called on by light
towards Light they pressed
and by their gifts their God confessed ...

[struggle4progress]

9. In the Bleak Mid-Winter

[kwassa]

11. A great song, and is this winter bleak or what?