In the Western branch of Christianity generally, Epiphany commemorates the visit of the three wise men from the East, who, “following yonder star,” as the hymn says, traversed afar to see baby Jesus and to show their adoration with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In some Spanish-speaking countries, Jan. 6 is known as El Dia de los Reyes, or the Day of the Kings.

In the Eastern Church - composed of about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide - Epiphany takes on a more complex theological meaning. The focal point is the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and the appearance of the Holy Spirit.

“Epiphany means the manifestation of the Trinity,” said the Very Rev. Father Michel Najim, dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Los Angeles. Indeed, like any Orthodox, Najim prefers to refer to Epiphany, which means “revelation,” as Theophany, which translates as “manifestation of God.”

He emphasized that at Jesus’ baptism, the three persons in the Christian conception of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - were revealed. The Bible says that when Jesus came up from the water after being baptized by John the Baptist, the heaves opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and alighted on Jesus. When this happened, a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

For a day that centers on baptism, water appropriately plays a key role in some ceremonies observed by Orthodox churches. “Our tradition is that starting with Epiphany, the priests go to each parishioner’s house and bless their home with the sanctified water consecrated during Epiphany” said Charles Ajalat, a member of St. Nicholas Cathedral. “We also bless many material things, such as a new car, with holy water, because Christ has redeemed the entire material world.”

Another Epiphany tradition involving water is throwing a cross into a body of water - river, lake or sea - and retrieving it. Here, teenage volunteers dive into the ocean to retrieve the cross and deliver it to a Priest or Bishop. Father John Roll of Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Long Beach explains: “The divers are representatives of humanity and its struggle for salvation, the act of retrieving the cross is illustration that salvation can be attained through the grace of God and man’s struggles and desires to be reunited with him. Attaining the cross and giving it back to the hierarch who throw it show that everything comes from God and is returned to him.”

Orthodox hymns of the feast include this one:

“Lord, when you were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. Fro the voice of the Father gave witness to you, calling you beloved; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of his words. Glory to you, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world.”