The octave of Christmas is not the best example because other feasts distract one from the Christmas theme this octave day, therefore, takes on greater importance. When a feast comes, the soul is amazed and not quite prepared to think profoundly upon its mystery but on the following days the mind finds it easy to consider the mystery from all sides, sympathetically and deeply and an eighth day affords a wonderful opportunity to make a synthesis of all points covered. Mother Church is good psychologist she understands human nature perfectly. In the spirit of the Church the great feasts of redemption should not be restricted to a single celebration but should continue on through a full week. Pius Parsch sums it perfectly when he was writing about today’s feast, January 1, the Octave Day of Christmas: Today is the octave or the eighth day after the feast of Christmas. The Church has a built-in pattern within the liturgical calendar that provides what man needs to celebrate the feasts of the year: times of preparation and penance building to major feasts that are prolonged, and multi-level feast days spread throughout the year. It has often been said that Catholics know how to celebrate. The days in-between are varying levels of feast days. The main difference between the Easter Octave and the Christmas Octave is that every day in Easter is another solemnity, and Christmas only has two solemnities, December 25, Christmas and January 1, Mary Mother of God. John the Evangelist, the Holy Innocents and the Holy Family, each of these days is another “day of the octave of Christmas.” Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.įinally, the Gloria is repeated each day of the Octave.ĭespite having four days within the octave that are feasts: St. On which blessed Mary the immaculate VirginĪnd in communion with those whose memory we venerate,Įspecially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, The Mass has a special Communicantes (In communion.) to insert every day of the Octave when Eucharistic Prayer I is used: Celebrating the most sacred night (day) The Liturgy of the Hours repeats Sunday Week I every day of the octave. The Liturgy gives the clues that every day within the octave is treated the same as the original feast day of the Nativity of our Lord. Christmas also has an octave, but it is very different from Easter, because it is filled with various feast days, but yet each day is still another “little Christmas.”įrom Christmas Day until January 1st, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the Octave Day of Christmas. The Easter Octave is from Easter Sunday to the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, each day being another “little Easter.” The Easter octave “overrides” any other feasts on the calendar. The feast itself is considered the first day, and it is followed by six days called “days within the octave.” The eighth or octave day is kept with greater solemnity than the “days within the octave” ( With Christ Through the Year, Bernard Strasser, 1947, p. The eighth day is also called the octave or “octave day,” and days in between are said to be “within the octave”: Octave means an eight-day celebration, that is, the prolongation of a feast to the eighth day (dies octava ) inclusive. ( General Norms of the Liturgical Calendar)Īnd according to Canon 1251, if a solemnity falls on a Friday, there is no obligation for abstinence.Īn octave is the eight-day period during which Easter or Christmas is celebrated, and includes the actual feast. The celebration of Easter and Christmas, the two greatest solemnities, continues for eight days, with each octave governed by its own rules. Some also have their own vigil Mass for use when Mass is celebrated in the evening of the preceding day. Solemnities are counted as the principal days in the calendar and their observance begins with Evening Prayer I of the preceding day. Solemnities are festive and exceptional days, the highest ranked feasts of the liturgical calendar marked with special characteristics:ġ1. These are both solemnities (and holydays of obligation) and in the current Liturgical Calendar are the only feasts that have octaves attached (the 1962 calendar also has an octave of Pentecost). There are two principal feasts in the Liturgical Year: Easter and Christmas. The Church recognizes that the days of the Christmas Octave are repeating the solemnness of Christmas for eight days, concluding on a high note with another solemnity that echoes the solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. But the Church’s liturgy actually emphasizes the eight days or octave of Christmas. The secular carol reminds us there are twelve days of Christmas to January 6, the Epiphany. True, Catholics recognize that Christmas is not only on December 25. Shop: Roman Catholic "RC" Brand Modern White Logo Collection Cap
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