Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Christmas season begins on Christmas Day, December 25, and ends on the Sunday Mass celebration of the Epiphany, which falls on the Sunday after January 6. The twelve days of Christmas begin on December 26 and end on January 6, the traditional date of Epiphany. The Church also marks the end of the Christmas season on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which usually falls on the second Sunday of January. The Christmas cycle extends to February 2, forty days after Christmas, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The last day of the Catholic Christmas season | The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (usually the second Sunday of January) |
| The last day of the liturgical Christmas season | The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord |
| The last day of the Octave of Christmas | The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (New Year's Day) |
| The last day of the 12 Days of Christmas | The day before Epiphany (January 5 or 6) |
| The last day of the season of Epiphany | The commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord (January 13) |
| The last day of the Christmas cycle | Candlemas, or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) |
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What You'll Learn
The Feast of the Epiphany
In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, the Epiphany celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God. It focuses primarily on this revelation to the Three Wise Men, or the Magi, but it also focuses on his baptism in the Jordan River and at the wedding at Cana. The Magi were the first Gentiles to encounter Christ, and the Bible describes them as wise men from the East. The date of the feast day is traditionally January 6th, but in the United States, it is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2nd and January 8th.
In Eastern Christian tradition, Theophany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus' divinity at his baptism in the River Jordan. Eastern Christians see this as Jesus' manifestation to the world as the Son of God. The Eastern Catholic Churches follow the Julian calendar and observe the Theophany feast on January 19th.
Popular Epiphany customs include Epiphany singing, chalking doors, having one's house blessed, consuming Three Kings Cake, and winter swimming. In many localities, Christians remove their Christmas decorations on Epiphany Eve (Twelfth Night).
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The Octave of Christmas
The eight days of the Octave are treated as a continuation of the solemnity of Christmas Day itself, with each day being another "little Christmas". The Gloria is sung each day during Mass, and each day is generally a day of feasting. The readings and prayers during the celebration of Mass are related to the birth of Christ.
The liturgical season of Christmas ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which usually falls on the second Sunday of January. However, the Church circles back to the Christmas season forty days after Christmas, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.
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The 12 Days of Christmas
The second day of Christmas is the Feast of St. Stephen, who died a martyr condemned unjustly. The third day of Christmas is the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. The fourth day of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day in which we remember all the innocent infants slain by King Herod as he searched for the newborn King of the Jews.
The clergy wear white during the 12 days of Christmas, except during St. Stephen's Day and the Feast of the Holy Innocents, when they wear red. The twelfth day of Christmas is the day before Epiphany, which is also St. John Neumann's feast day.
The Catholic Christmas season starts on the Nativity, December 25, and ends on the Sunday Mass celebration of the Epiphany. The season of Epiphany is the eight days from the Epiphany on January 6 to the commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord on January 13. The Church circles back to the Christmas season forty days after Christmas, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.
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The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
The feast day is observed as a distinct celebration in the Roman rite, although it was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the feast of the Epiphany. In the past, the Lutheran Churches and other Western Christian Churches commemorated the baptism of the Lord on the octave of the Feast of the Epiphany.
During the feast, prayers and reflections centre around the themes of baptism, repentance, and unity with God. The feast is often accompanied by the blessing and lighting of candles, symbolizing Jesus Christ as the Light of the World.
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Candlemas
The festival was originally known in the Roman Catholic Church as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but it is now referred to as the Presentation of the Lord. It is called the Presentation of Christ in the Temple in the Anglican Church, and Hypapante (Meeting) in the Greek Church, referring to Jesus' encounter in the Temple with Simeon and the prophet Anna. The earliest reference to the festival is from Jerusalem in the late 4th century, when the Western pilgrim Etheria attended its celebration on February 14, 40 days after Epiphany.
In some countries and households, Christmas decorations are traditionally kept up until Candlemas, which is considered the last feast of the Christmas cycle. In Belgium, it is customary to eat pancakes on Candlemas, and all the candles in the house are lit. Candlemas was also an important day for farmers, marking the beginning of the "farmer's year" and the resumption of fieldwork or its preparations.
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Frequently asked questions
The last day of Christmas for Catholics is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which falls on the Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany (usually the second Sunday of January). Ordinary Time begins the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
The Octave of Christmas includes the eight days between Christmas Day and January 1st, which is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, and New Year's Day.
The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated twelve days after Christmas, on January 6th. It marks when the Magi encountered Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and offered Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
