Chalking The Door

The symbols come from a catholic blessing of the home connected to the feast of the epiphany.

Chalking the door.

20 year the year of the blessing. It is always performed on epiphany sometimes called twelfth night which is january 6th. What materials are needed for this practice. This short liturgy is a way of marking our homes usually at the front or main entrance with sacred signs and symbols as we ask god s blessing upon those who live work or visit throughout the coming year.

Here is what they mean. Chalking the door is one of the christian epiphanytide traditions used in order to bless one s home as well as a scottish custom of landlord and tenant law. It is however an easy tradition to adopt and a great practice whereby we dedicate our year to god from its very outset asking his blessing on our homes and on all who live work or visit them there. In exodus the israelites marked their doors with blood so that the lord would pass over their homes.

What is a chalking the door service. Caspar melchior and balthazar. Either on twelfth night 5 january the twelfth day of christmastide and eve of the feast of the epiphany or. Why do catholics have the symbols 20 c m b year written in chalk on or above their doors.

Chalking the door is a tangible way to honor god in our lives. Chalking the door by inscribing letters and crosses above the doorway of the home is a tradition that comes to us from europe. Chalk of any kind or color. The meaning of 20 c m b year.

What do the numbers and letters mean. The chalking of the doors is a centuries old practice throughout the world though it appears to be somewhat less well known in the united states.