Some of the most important days of the liturgical year are the Christmas Octave and Easter Octave. However, these days are overlooked by the culture and often not celebrated to their full by the faithful.
So what are the Octaves and why do they matter in our lives as followers of Christ?
What are the Christmas and Easter Octaves?
An "octave" is an eight-day celebration of a major feast in the Church.
The Christmas Octave is celebrated from December 25th - January 1st.
The Easter Octave is celebrated from Easter Sunday - Divine Mercy Sunday.
Each of the eight days is celebrated with the same solemnity as the feast itself. Even the liturgies and prayers during the Octave reflect this attitude of the Church!
Why Should We Celebrate the Octaves as a Family?
As mothers, it can be difficult to turn our attention to the Octaves after the major penitential seasons.
Advent and Lent, along with Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, require a lot of planning, preparation, and intention on our parts. This is a great joy! Often, we go the way of the rest of the world by moving on from the feast the following day.
But there is great spiritual and familial fruit to be enjoyed during the Octaves!
Emphasis on Victory
Each of the Church's fasting seasons (Advent and Lent) are followed by feasting seasons (Christmas and Easter). The important detail is that the feasting, celebratory seasons are always longer than the fasting, somber seasons. This highlights Jesus' victory and the joy that we are to live as Christians.
Death always leads to new life. Sorrow is always turned into joy.
The eights days of the Octaves insert us into the reality of these Mysteries and remind us to truly rejoice. When we dedicate time and energy to the Octaves, we are able to more fully enter into the glory of the celebratory liturgical seasons!
Obedience
Another reason to celebrate the Octaves as a family is the spiritual training toward obedience. By fasting when the Church says to fast, and feasting when she says to feast, we exercise relying on the wisdom of the Church over our own preferences or conveniences.
How to Celebrate the Christmas Octave and Easter Octave
The Octaves offer tremendous traditions of faith-filled fun.
If you'd like to immerse your family in those seasons in a way that doesn't add to your plate or stress, check out our family-style studies for the Christmas Octave and Easter Octave.
These traditions that have been handed down to us can be given to our children as tethers to their faith that they carry into their adulthood.
What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate the Christmas and Easter Octaves? Let's share ideas in the comments!
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