Octaves of Christmas and Easter

[BayCityRickL]

I think Fr. Dominic Mary on EWTN made a good point that I had either long forgotten, or maybe I never realized it.

but, the Church observance of the “octave” of Christmas means that we celebrate Christmas for eight days, as Fr. Dominic pointed out.

the observances of St. Stephen, the Holy Innocents, etc. are feasts added on top of an eight day celebration of Christmas.

What a tremendous form of evangelization it would be, if this eight day celebration was more publicly celebrated by the Church, over and beyond the liturgical celebration for eight days.

And, in our families, perhaps we should use that time of eight days more explicitly. and, with Easter, we could probably create a larger spiritual “footprint” with a home Resurrection creche and similar outdoor displays.

 

[Psalm45_9]

BayCityRickL:

I think Fr. Dominic Mary on EWTN made a good point that I had either long forgotten, or maybe I never realized it.

but, the Church observance of the “octave” of Christmas means that we celebrate Christmas for eight days, as Fr. Dominic pointed out.

the observances of St. Stephen, the Holy Innocents, etc. are feasts added on top of an eight day celebration of Christmas.

What a tremendous form of evangelization it would be, if this eight day celebration was more publicly celebrated by the Church, over and beyond the liturgical celebration for eight days.

And, in our families, perhaps we should use that time of eight days more explicitly. and, with Easter, we could probably create a larger spiritual “footprint” with a home Resurrection creche and similar outdoor displays.

Yes, technically December 25th lasts for 8 days, but Christmas season does not end there, it ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Just like the Easter Ocatave is Easter Sunday 8 days long, but Easter season does not end until Pentecost Sunday.

In the pre-Vatican II calendar there were many ocataves: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, the Sacred Heart, and Corpus Christi just to name a few. Since Vatican II, only two octaves remain on the calendar.

 

[Psalm45_9]

BayCityRickL:

What a tremendous form of evangelization it would be, if this eight day celebration was more publicly celebrated by the Church, over and beyond the liturgical celebration for eight days.

And, in our families, perhaps we should use that time of eight days more explicitly. and, with Easter, we could probably create a larger spiritual “footprint” with a home Resurrection creche and similar outdoor displays.

We still have the decorations up in and around our house, they’re not coming down until after the Baptism of the Lord. I am still playing Christmas music in my house, and now I’m baking Christmas goodies for work. When everyone there asks me why, I tell them because now it’s Christmas, and then I tell them basically what Father Dominic said; I let them know that I don’t follow what the malls do.

 

[Chatter163]

In the pre-Vatican II calendar there were many ocataves: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, the Sacred Heart, and Corpus Christi just to name a few. Since Vatican II, only two octaves remain on the calendar.

Most of the other octaves had already been suppressed before Vatican II. Pope Pius XII’s decree* Cum Nostra *in 1955 revised the rubrics and kalendar. All octaves were done away with, except for those of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost. The latter disappeared in 1970 with the missal of Paul VI.