Epiphany (holiday) Epiphany holy water. Sometimes people desire to have this blessing for themselves as well. Winning the Epiphany race is a great honor for both horse and rider, while the post-race celebrations, win or not, are highly festive. As in other Orthodox heritage countries, water rites play a special role on this day. A unique piece of Romanian folk wisdom holds that if a girl slips on ice – or better yet falls into water- on Epiphany, she will surely marry before the year is out. In Transylvania (Erdély/Siebenbürgen), Lutheran and Reformed Christians of Hungarian and Saxon descent celebrate Epiphany with
Epiphany (holiday) swords) in two opposing lines. It is a tradition too in Portugal for people to gather in small groups and to go from house to house to sing the "Reis" (meaning "Kings") which are traditional songs about the life of Jesus. The singers also bring greetings to the owners of the house. After singing for a while outside, they are invited in, and the owners of the house offer them sweets, liqueurs, and other Epiphany delicacies. These "Reis" usually begin on Epiphany eve and last until January 20. In Puerto Rico, Epiphany is an important festive holiday, and is commonly