"In Eastern Orthodox churches, it's Theophany, a bigger deal than Christmas."

Actually, in Eastern Orthodox churches, today **is** Christmas. The Orthodox never accepted the Gregorian calendar reforms, which moved the calendar back by a couple of weeks. The Russian Czarist government, being Orthodox, didn't either, which is why the October revolution in Russia actually took place in November, according to the modern calendar.

Is this the same thing as three king's day? In Spain, where I spent the majority of my schooldays, somewhere around now was when gifts were actually exchanged. Dia de los reyes Magos. Christmas was reserved for a lot of late-night masses and fainting in the pews. I seriously doubt the men took on any household tasks. Many of the older men had died, from the civil war and other things, and the disproportionately low number that remained were well treated, surrounded by many grandmothers, aunts and cousins and cousins removed, all dressed in black and frequently referring to the will of God.