Eric Reece
The New Year brings many traditions, from “Watch Night” services to a hearty meal of black-eyed peas and collards.
Have you heard of the tradition of blessing the New Year by chalking your door?
The Christian tradition started in medieval Europe, where at the first of the year you write a message with chalk on the door of your home. Popular in England, chalking the door occurs on the 12th night of Christmas – Jan. 5 – or the next day: Epiphany.
Epiphany celebrates the visit of the wise men to Jesus. They followed the star to bring gifts and honor the newborn king. Tradition has them visiting homes along the way. They made their way to Herod’s palace before they found their way to Bethlehem.
Chalking the door is inviting God’s presence to dwell in your home. You ask God to bless your home, all who live there and all who come and visit in the coming year. You can use blackboard chalk, used by teachers for instruction or the sidewalk chalk that is so popular with children.
Each person can write a letter or symbol across the top of the door or door frame. You write 20+C+B+M+24. The numbers are the coming year and a reminder of the year of the Lord we live in.
The initials can represent two things. One is the traditional names of the wisemen. While not in the Bible, tradition records the three magi’ names as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
Some suggest the letters also stand for the Latin words, “Christus Mansionem Benedicat,” which means “Christ bless this house.” Crosses are placed between each number and letter.
While chalking the door may not be in the Bible, it is similar to two things in Hebrew Scriptures. The first is the Passover in Exodus, where the Israelites marked their door mantles with blood of the passover lamb to protect their homes from death.
In Deuteronomy 6, the Israelites were told the Shema, which Jesus included as the greatest commandment: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
They were told to “Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
From this comes the tradition of the mezuzah, a hollow tube with a scripture inside affixed to many Jewish doors as a reminder of God’s blessing. The Hebrew letter for “Hear” is in the front, and you are to touch and recite the Shema each time to leave or enter your house.
Whatever New Year traditions you follow, let our prayers be for peace and safety for all in the coming year.
A blessing: “May we, in this house, and all who come to visit, to work, and to play, remember these things throughout the coming year. May all who come and go here find peace, comfort, joy, hope, love, and salvation, for Christ has come to dwell in this house and in these hearts. Amen” (GBOD).
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.