Image: Wise Women Also Came © Jan Richardson
Friends, it is the time of year when I get to wish you a Merry Women’s Christmas and share a gift that I’ve created for you in celebration of the day!
You might know that in some parts of the world, Epiphany Day (January 6, which brings the Christmas season to a close) is also celebrated as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women, who often carried the domestic responsibilities all year, took Epiphany as an occasion to enjoy a bit of respite and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.
Whether your domestic duties are many or few, Women’s Christmas is a good time to pause and take a break from whatever has kept you busy in the past weeks or months. As the Christmas season ends, this is an occasion both to celebrate with friends and also to spend time in reflection before diving into the responsibilities of this new year.
It has become a tradition for me to create a retreat that you can use for Women’s Christmas—or any time you’re in need of a space of respite and regathering. This year’s retreat is titled How the Stars Get in Your Bones.
The retreat is very flexible, easily adaptable to your own purposes. You can do the retreat anytime you wish, by yourself or with others. It includes an introduction with some thoughts about how you might use these reflections.
Clicking the link below will take you to a page on this Sanctuary of Women site where you can download the retreat as a PDF. There is no cost; this is my Women’s Christmas gift to you!
Download the 2025 Women’s Christmas Retreat
(If you don’t see the 2025 retreat when you click the link, just refresh your browser so that you’re seeing the most recent version of the Women’s Christmas page, and the new retreat should appear.)
Blessed Epiphany and Merry Women’s Christmas to you! I pray this new year will meet you with wondrous graces.
[The image Wise Women Also Came is © Jan Richardson from Night Visions. To use this image or order an art print, please visit this page at Jan Richardson Images.]
Thank you, Jan!! Your art and words never fail to inspire me and challenge me.
Thank you!
Cherith
This is truly a blessed gift from you Jan! Would still love to offer an in person SW District Lenten retreat. Grateful for you and your ministry so that all may know the love and glory of God.
Thank you so much! I always look forward to this retreat & find it quite meaningful!
Many blessings ❤️
My Feast of the Epiphany focused on a meditative theme of creating sacred space for the idea that Wise Men and Wise Women Still Seek Him. I created a votive light enthronement to give
reverence to the idea that we as women also bring and bear out gifts before the Christ child. I used a Kente clothed woman doll bearing a gift and a wooden sculpture of a woman in praise and a woven mat from Lesotho of 3 women in procession bringing their gifts to the market. It was my way of visually giving space to the Wise Women Who Still the Lord. Today I was led to a Social media post that connected me with a post on the very theme. That led me to the art work and then this Blog and Epiphany Retreat. Transformation was the word of reflection that came out of my Contemplative Prayer from January 6th. Sanctuary Sacred Space and Blessed Door the other. So I have been led to this Blog and si very thankful for it.
I have just read some of your work this morning. I have been at a cross road for a few weeks.
I am so thankful for your poems and sanity. Only saw your name as a recommendation from a letter from our archbishop.
A very much “ meant to be moment” after so many questions
Fro my heart
Thank You
Jennifer