Did you know that Christmas is actually celebrated in the church as an
octave? Yes, Christmas, as well as Easter, is celebrated as an octave. It is
actually an 8 day, day!
Here is a little history.
Why celebrate for eight days? The practice actually is as ancient as the Old
Testament, as old as approx. 1300 BC. The Hebrew people observed many of
their feasts for a period of eight days. The “Feast of Tabernacles” and the
“Dedication of the Temple” are two of the more notable. Later, the Roman
Emperor Constantine (330 AD) continued the tradition by celebrating the
dedication of basilicas in the Christian World for the same period of eight
days. Today we celebrate two feasts with Octaves: Easter (being the more
prominent) and Christmas.
Again, so why celebrate for eight days? Life in the ancient world was so
hectic and filled with pressure and families had grown apart and were being
swept up in the older pagan traditions, the Church granted a period of eight
days in order to contemplate the mysteries experienced in the Church’s
liturgy. Comparatively speaking, we obviously need the Octave even more
than the Christians of the ancient world! The ancient world did not have
television, shopping malls, computers, cell phones, fast food, automobiles,
magazines and newspapers… if the Ancients were easily distracted, what has
become of us!? We need to enjoy this time! If you need, take off work, visit
family, feast, attend Mass or Church services, pray, praise God, visit the poor,
celebrate charity, and most of all be humbled before the Mystery: The Word
of God has become flesh - fully human and fully divine!
I learned this several years ago and wanted to share some of this cool church
history with the class!
Love you all, Merry Christmas; Tommy, Jeanne, Sophie, Carly Dillon and Emilie
- Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 11:58:50 (EST)
Author: tstevens@visteon.om |
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to this circle letter!
