The Epiphany house blessing is an old Catholic custom: at the feast of the Epiphany, families ask God’s blessing on their home and write the year and the letters C, M and B above the front door with blessed chalk. For 2027 the inscription is:
20 + C + M + B + 27
The letters stand for the traditional names of the three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, and for the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” The crosses stand for Christ, and the numbers frame the new year. Below you will find when to do the blessing, what you need, and a complete family blessing you can lead yourself in about fifteen minutes.
When to bless your home with chalk
The blessing is done on or around the Solemnity of the Epiphany:
| Where | Epiphany 2027 |
|---|---|
| United States, Canada and many other countries | Sunday, January 3, 2027 |
| Where Epiphany is kept on its traditional date | Wednesday, January 6, 2027 |
Many families bless the house on Epiphany itself, after Mass. If you can’t, any day of the Christmas season is fitting (it ends with the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, 2027), and many families wait until a priest or the whole family is available, even later in January. What matters is to begin the year by inviting Christ into your home.
What 20 + C + M + B + 27 means
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 20 and 27 | The year 2027, divided at the beginning and the end of the inscription |
| C, M, B | Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, the names tradition gives the Magi; and Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house” |
| + | The cross of Christ, who is the blessing of the house |
The Gospel does not tell us the names or the number of the Magi; it says only that “wise men from the east” came with three gifts (Matthew 2:1, 11). The names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar appear in Western tradition from about the sixth century.
What you need
- Blessed chalk. Many parishes bless chalk at Epiphany Masses and give it to families. If your parish does not, ask a priest to bless a piece of chalk for you; the old Roman Ritual contains a special blessing of chalk for this day.
- Holy water, to sprinkle the rooms.
- A candle, if you like, to recall the star that guided the Magi.
- The prayers below, printed or on a phone.
- Something to stand on, if the top of your door frame is high.
A family Epiphany house blessing
The head of the household or another member of the family leads. Gather at the front door, inside the house.
1. Greeting
Make the Sign of the Cross. The leader begins with the greeting Jesus gave his disciples:
Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who dwell in it.
2. Reading from the Gospel
A member of the family reads the visit of the Magi:
When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.
Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore him.
And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.
But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet:
And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them;
And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come to adore him.
Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.
And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
3. Psalm
The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:
And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.
4. The Our Father
All pray the Our Father together.
5. Prayer of blessing
The leader prays the Church’s traditional night prayer for the home:
Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy: let Thy holy angels dwell herein, to keep us in peace, and may Thy blessing be always upon us. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
6. Writing the inscription
The leader (or a child, lifted up) writes 20 + C + M + B + 27 above the door with the blessed chalk, while everyone prays, line by line (written for this page):
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar,
followed the star of God’s Son who became man two thousand and twenty-seven years ago.
May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
7. Blessing the rooms
Walk through the house, room by room, sprinkling a little holy water. In each room you may say a short prayer such as: Lord, bless this kitchen and all who work here; Lord, bless this bedroom and give rest to all who sleep here.
8. Closing prayer
Return to the front door. The leader prays (written for this page):
Lord God, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star.
Bless this home and everyone who lives here or visits us.
Make it a place of welcome, peace and prayer,
where Christ is the guest of every meal and the listener to every conversation.
As the Magi offered gold, frankincense and myrrh,
let us offer you our work, our prayer and our sacrifices this year,
until we come to see your glory face to face. Amen.
All make the Sign of the Cross.
A second reading for families who want more
The first reading of the Epiphany Mass is Isaiah’s vision of nations streaming toward the light of Jerusalem, bringing gold and frankincense:
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.
Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side.
Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the. strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee.
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord.
Where the custom comes from
Blessings of homes at Epiphany are centuries old. The Roman Ritual provided a blessing of chalk and a blessing of houses for the feast, and in German-speaking and Central European countries the custom never died out. There, children dressed as the Magi, the Sternsinger (star singers), still go from house to house in the days after New Year’s, sing, write the blessing above the door and collect money for children in need.
The Epiphany is “the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world” (Catechism 528). Blessing the house on this day is a way of saying that Christ is welcome in our homes and that the whole new year belongs to him.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a priest to bless my house?
No. A priest can bless a home at any time, and many will gladly come; just ask. But the family can also pray this blessing themselves. The Church teaches that “lay people may preside at certain blessings” (Catechism 1669), and parents often lead this one with chalk and holy water blessed by a priest.
What if I can’t get blessed chalk?
Use ordinary chalk and pray the blessing anyway; ask God’s blessing on the chalk as you begin. When you can, ask a priest to bless chalk for next year.
How long do I leave the chalk on the door?
Most families leave it until it fades or until the next Epiphany, when they write the new year. Some erase it at Pentecost. There is no rule.
Can I write it on an apartment or dorm door?
Yes, if you are allowed to. Some people write it on painter’s tape or a small card above the door, or on the inside of the door frame.
Is chalking the door superstitious?
No. It is a sacramental: a sign that prepares us to receive grace and to sanctify the circumstances of daily life (Catechism 1667). The chalk has no power of its own; the blessing is a prayer to Christ, and the inscription reminds everyone who enters that this home belongs to him.
More Christmas and Epiphany prayers
- The Epiphany
- Catholic blessings
- Catholic house blessing
- St. Joseph prayer to sell a house
- Catholic Christmas prayers
- Advent 2026 and Advent wreath prayers
- The O Antiphons
- Liturgical calendar 2026–2027
- Catholic prayer for family
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Luke 10:5; Matthew 2:1–11; Psalm 71:10–11 (Psalm 72 in modern Bibles); Isaias 60:1–6, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- “Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation”: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Evening Prayers, public domain (Wikisource); the prayer comes from the Church’s Night Prayer (Compline).
- The inscription prayer and the closing prayer were written for this page.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 528, 1667 and 1669.
- Blessing of chalk and of houses on the Epiphany: Rituale Romanum, appendix of blessings.