Canon Mark Madden explains the Epiphany tradition of Chalking the Door
(There are printable instructions at the bottom of this page)
Epiphany marks the occasion of a time-honoured Christian tradition of “chalking the doors.” The formula for the ritual is simple: take chalk and write the following above the entrance of your home:
20 + C + M + B + 23
The “20” at the beginning and the “23” at the end mark the current year.
The above example shows a door chalked at the start of 2022
The four crosses separating the numbers and letters represent Jesus being at the centre of everything we do this year.
The letters C M B have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi — Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar — who came to visit Jesus in Bethlehem.
They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless this house.”
Taken together, this is a request for Christ to bless our home and all those who visit throughout the entire year.