{"id":3628,"date":"2019-12-31T23:58:49","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T23:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=3628"},"modified":"2021-01-07T18:32:23","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:32:23","slug":"christmas-octaves-and-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/christmas-octaves-and-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas, Octaves and History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The American holiday and Christmas seasons overlap, with fuzzy terminuses. Termini. Beginnings and endings.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a>For some, Christmas starts with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.<\/p>\n

That fine old American tradition has been joined by Cyber Monday.<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, I haven’t noticed anguished laments over that newfangled technology and Macy’s inflated cartoon characters.<\/p>\n

Or a deluge of dismay at rampant commercialism and unseemly frivolity.<\/p>\n

Maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough. Or in the right places. “Right” for that particular Puritan perspective. (December 24, 2019<\/a>; June 1, 2018<\/a>)<\/p>\n

<\/a>For many of us, the American Christmas season ends a day or so after the 25th.<\/p>\n

It makes sense, from at least one viewpoint.<\/p>\n

With New Year’s Eve less than a week away, Christmassy decorations must give way to streamers and confetti. And, of course, the traditional party horns.<\/p>\n

But our household’s Christmas tree is still up and decorated.<\/p>\n

That’s partly because of this family’s lifestyle. We’re not party people. Except maybe for me. I’ve often watched live video of New York City’s Times Square celebration. And called it a day shortly after the Waterford Crystal ball dropped.<\/p>\n

Where was I? Holiday seasons. Christmas. Comics. Times Square. Right.<\/p>\n

Christmas celebrations have been a big deal for traditionally Christian countries. No surprises there.<\/p>\n

They’re also a big deal in some countries where most folks aren’t Christians. Like Japan, where folks put up Christmas trees, exchange gifts and get together on Christmas Eve. And, apparently thanks to a 1970s ad campaign, eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

<\/a>Minnesota’s Snow<\/h4>\n


\n(Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Saturday afternoon. (January 2, 2015))<\/p>\n

Here in central Minnesota, folks with Christmas yard displays usually set them up shortly after Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

I figure that’s because this is Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Winter’s snow can come early. The earliest snowfall recorded by the National Weather Service was August 31, 1949, in Duluth. Or September 14, 1964 in International Falls.<\/p>\n

Which you pick depends on how you define “snowfall.” Duluth’s was a trace. International Falls got a third of an inch: one centimeter.<\/p>\n

Both cities are in northern Minnesota, a bit over 200 miles north of Sauk Centre.<\/p>\n

The earliest recorded snow here was the snowstorm of September 24-26, 1942. Then there was the October 1880 blizzard, and that’s another topic.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

<\/a>Christmas Lights and a Calendar<\/h4>\n

<\/a>
\n(From L’Osservatore Romano, via Catholic News Agency, used w\/o permission.)<\/span>
\n(St. Peter’s Square, December 7, 2019: lighting the tree and Nativity scene.)<\/p>\n

I haven’t kept track of when most folks turn on their displays. It’s probably around the start of Advent.<\/p>\n

When the lights go off varies. For some, it’s soon after Christmas. Others keep their displays lit for another week or so. Or longer.<\/p>\n

I think that makes sense. Partly because it’s my family’s custom.<\/p>\n

And partly because our my family’s custom comes from the liturgical calendar.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Advent and Octaves<\/h4>\n

<\/a>Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s day. Except when Christmas day is a Monday \u2014 it’s complicated.<\/p>\n

Whenever Advent starts, Christmas is December 25. I mentioned that on Christmas Eve. (December 24, 2019<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Christmastide starts toward the end of Christmas Eve and runs 12 days. It’s pretty much the same as Twelvetide.<\/p>\n

New Year’s Day is the Octave of Christmas.<\/p>\n

“Octave” in this context is what happened to “octava dies” after passing through French and landing in England.<\/p>\n

I don’t know what would have happened if duodecimus dies had taken the same route. Maybe we’d be saying Duodechetide instead of Twelvetide. I don’t know nearly enough philology to work that out.<\/p>\n

Emperor Constantine I gets credit for making eight-day celebrations part of Christian worship. Or celebrations on the eighth day after another celebration. That was early in the fourth century.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to the seventh century. European Christians started adding octave celebrations to Saints’ feast days: one extra celebration, eight days after the Saint’s day.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward again, this time to the 16th century. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation were in progress, the Council of Trent had wrapped up a few years previously, and Europe’s religion-themed wars had begun.<\/p>\n

Pope Pius V cut back the number of liturgical octaves.<\/p>\n

I think it’s likely that some 16th century folks were upset by having fewer official octaves. And blamed Pius V and\/or the Council of Trent for destroying the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

Skipping ahead to Popes Leo XIII and St. Pius X.<\/p>\n

They changed octaves again. That was in the late 19th and early 20th century.3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

And the Catholic Church is still here. (July 30, 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Octave of Christmas<\/h4>\n

<\/a>Which brings me to the octave of Christmas, January 1.<\/p>\n

It’s also the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.<\/p>\n

And a Holy Day of Obligation, which makes getting to Mass a priority.<\/p>\n

I don’t have a problem with that. I follow Jesus of Nazareth, son of God, who is human on his mother’s side.<\/p>\n

Showing respect toward my Lord’s mother makes sense. (May 14, 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n

<\/a>Happy New Year!<\/h4>\n

<\/a>I’ve got more to say about Christmas traditions, Tradition, Twelvetide and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”<\/p>\n

But I’m running out of 2019, so that’ll wait for another day.<\/p>\n

More posts, related and otherwise:<\/p>\n