Epiphany House Blessing 2027: How to Chalk Your Door (20 + C + M + B + 27)
Have you ever seen letters and numbers written in chalk above a front door in January? It is one of the most beautiful Christmas traditions in the Catholic Church: the Epiphany house blessing. With a piece of chalk and a few prayers, a family asks God to bless their home and everyone who comes through the door in the new year.
What do the letters mean?
For 2027, the inscription looks like this:
20 + C + M + B + 27
- 20 and 27 are the year, split at the beginning and the end.
- C, M and B are the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
- The same letters also stand for the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat: "May Christ bless this house."
- The crosses remind us that the home is blessed through the Cross of Christ.
When to do it
The Feast of the Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas. In the United States, the Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and 8, which in 2027 is Sunday, January 3. Families usually chalk their doors on the feast itself, but you can bless your home on any day during the Christmas season, which lasts until the Baptism of the Lord.
Many parishes bless chalk at Mass on Epiphany and hand it out to families. If yours does not, ordinary chalk is fine. You can ask a priest to bless it, or simply pray as a family.
A simple family blessing, step by step
- Gather at the front door. Bring the chalk, a candle and, if you have it, holy water. Let the youngest child hold the candle.
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
- Read the Gospel of the Magi, Matthew 2:1-12, or just verses 10-11: "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him."
- Write the inscription above the door or on the door frame: 20 + C + M + B + 27. While you write, someone can say: "Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar followed the star of God's Son who became man. May Christ bless this house and remain with us throughout the new year."
- Pray together, in your own words or with this short prayer:
Lord God, You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Bless this home and all who live here and all who visit us. Fill our house with Your light, keep us in Your peace, and let everyone who enters find the warmth of Your love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- Sprinkle holy water in the rooms of your home if you have it, and close with the Our Father and a Hail Mary.
How long does the chalk stay?
Traditionally, the blessing stays until it fades on its own, or until the next Epiphany, when you write the new year. Some families keep it up all year as a quiet reminder that Christ is welcome in their home.
More ways to keep Epiphany
- Move the three kings in your Nativity scene a little closer to the manger each day after Christmas, and let them arrive on Epiphany.
- Bake a king cake or have a festive family dinner.
- Give a small gift in honor of the gifts of the Magi, like a prayer card for each guest at your table.
Keep the star close
The Magi followed a star all the way to Bethlehem. Our Nativity Light prayer card shows that same star shining over the stable, with a Christmas blessing on the back, a lovely card to give on Epiphany or keep by your front door. Find more cards for the twelve days of Christmas in our Christmas & Advent collection.
