The Christmas Season and the Liturgical Year
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The waiting is over, we have welcomed our King and now we celebrate His Incarnation. The Christmas season is one of the most joyous seasons in the Catholic Church. How can we live it well and keep Christ at its center?
This is the second post on the living the Liturgical Year well. The first post can be found here: A Simple Guide to Living the Liturgical Year Well.
Christmas
The second season of the liturgical year starts with Christmas Day, followed by the Octave of Christmas, the 8 days from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, followed by the Christmas season which ends on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. This feast usually occurs on the Sunday following Epiphany, this year it will be on January 12th, 2025. This is one of the most joyous celebratory seasons of our Faith. Liturgically, it is so full of rejoicing and feasts that it deserves its own post.
Christmas Eve
We usually go to Mass on Christmas Eve. When we get home it is nice and dark, we do not light any electric lights in the house, except for the Christmas lights, which are already on. Then we go around and light all the candles that were set out and readied before Mass. This brings an atmosphere of awe and beauty to our home. Then, amidst Christmas carols, the youngest child places the Infant Jesus in our Nativity scene. A beautiful way to recenter the evening, at home, around the Christ Child. Then the feasting and merrymaking starts, all by candlelight.
Christmas Day
We start the morning with a simple prayer around the Crèche, before tackling a yummy breakfast. Then the unpacking ensues. In order to keep things civilized and enjoyable, each person takes his turn opening one package at a time, so everyone can see what he has received. I was just told, spontaneously, from one of my young adults, that this is one of the things she likes most about Christmas morning. She said that this makes it feel like we are all opening each present and that it helps being excited about what the others receive, not just her gifts.
Then a slow day unfolds enjoying what we have received, concluded with another time around the Crèche before bed.
The Octave of Christmas
We celebrate these eight days with Christmas carols finally belting through the house (we keep to Advent carols before Christmas), lots of books, puzzles, feasting in one shape or another and lots of slowed down family time. Almost each day has a new reason to celebrate, all the way to New Year’s Eve.
St. Stephen Day
December 26th is the feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr, and patron saint of deacons. You can read the account of his martyrdom in The Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 6 and 7. It is a good time to remember your parish’s deacon and to give him a spiritual bouquet.
Spiritual bouquets: A spiritual bouquet is a card, or drawing, or if you are super talented, paper flowers containing a list of prayers and sacrifices that you have or will be offering for another person’s intentions. It can be anything from a Glory Be, to a Mass or Rosary.
And do not forget to sing the carol of “Good King Wenceslas”. You can read the story in Good King Wenceslas by John M. Neale, illustrated by Tim Ladwig.
St. John’s Day
December 27th is the feast of the beloved apostle, Saint John the Evangelist. Today is another great day to celebrate. You could read the beginning of St. John’s Gospel, announcing the Word made flesh. Traditionally mulled wine (or cider) is drunk on this day while exchanging a blessing with each other: “I drink to you the love of St. John” which is answered by “I thank you for the love of St. John”. You go around the table receiving the blessing from one neighbor and passing it on to your other neighbor until it has gone full circle. Some parishes will bless wine on that day after Mass.
Feast of the Holy Innocents
On December 28th we remember the baby boys massacred by Herod for no other reason than they were a potential threat to his crown. On that day, tradition dictates that the youngest member of the family switches roles with Mom and Dad, within reason. It can be a very fun day with your youngest one sending you to bed for a nap or quiet time, just sayin’. In monasteries the novices had the rule of the house for the day. It can be a wonderful humbling experience of letting go of the control we have on our families. What a great day to institute, if not already being done, a new tradition of blessing our children before they head to bed. It is a very simple blessing of saying” May God bless you and keep you, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, while tracing the sign of the cross on their foreheads.
St. Thomas Becket
St. Thomas Becket is celebrated on December 29th for his steadfastness to Church teachings, to the point of death. This is a great opportunity to watch a family movie: Becket. It is an older movie, 1964, but a classic. As always, parents’ caution is advised.
Feast of the Holy Family
The Sunday after Christmas, or December 30th if there is no Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, is dedicated to the celebration of the Holy Family. What a beautiful day to remain family centered and to do something special as a family.
Which brings us to… New Year’s Eve!
New Year’s Eve and the close of the Octave of Christmas is another beautiful evening in our home. While it seems to be an evening dedicated to fun and merrymaking, we have tried to leave the old year and welcome the new one under the tutelage of Our Lady. This is a family tradition that I learned growing up and that I truly cherish. On the eve of the new year, we take some quiet time, at home or at an adoration chapel to write a letter to Our lady. First we thank her for all the blessings received in the past year and then petition her for very special and dear intentions. This is our time to really spend with Our Mother and to reflect on the past year and on what the new year might bring. We then put the letters into sealed envelopes and place them under a statue of Our Lady in our home, entrusting our hopes to her. Then we will open them next December 31st and then we are always astonished by the prayers that have been answered throughout the year. it is always amazing!
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is dedicated to the feast of Mary, Mother of God and is a Holy Day of Obligation. If you have not been able to spend some time with Our Lady on New Year’s Eve today is a perfect day to do so!
On that day, for as long as I can remember, my family draws a saint to learn about and discover or reconnect with for the upcoming year. I have had a set of saints quotes printed out for this occasion. Each card contains a quote and the name of the saint. Just before evening prayers, all the cards are mixed together in a basket and each person draws a card. We then read aloud the quote and the name of the saint. This saint will be our patron saint for the year. Each person will learn about their new patron saint, discover his or her spirituality and make a new heavenly friend. There are many electronic saint names generators out there but I like this way of doing it best. We keep the basket accessible for the whole month of January to offer a new patron saint to our visitors.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
We love the Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas and we have many picture books. We also have one hilarious chapter book, of which you read a chapter a day, associated with the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Picture books:
These books contain the lyrics of the carol, accompanied by beautiful illustrations.
– The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
– The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gennady Spirin (my personal favorite as the illustrations are absolutely stunning)
Chapter book:
What would happen if your true love followed the carol and gifted you, each day, what the carol calls for? How would you manage it? Laughs guaranteed! The Thirteen Days of Christmas, by Jenny Overton
And we also add one of these adorable Twelve Days of Christmas ornament daily to our Christmas tree.
The Baptism of Our Lord
Last but not least, the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord by Saint John the Baptist closes this beautiful Christmas season, so rich in celebration and tradition. A very simple act that we have traditionally done on that day is to light the children’s baptism candles (ours being long lost in moves). We have another dinner by candlelight, but lit with baptismal candles reminding us to be lights to the world. You could also renew your baptismal vows and enjoy some of the Christ Child’s diapers for dessert!
Conclusion
While the Twelve Days of Christmas end on the feast of the Epiphany, the Christmas season lasts until the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, the Sunday following the feast of the Epiphany, this year, January 12th, 2025. This season is so short, so full and goes by so quickly but it is also so very beautiful! Once again, keep it simple, do what works for your family and enjoy this beautiful season!
I will be back shortly with a post for the Feast of the Epiphany.
Love,
Mattie
- The Catholic Catalogue: A Field guide to the Daily Acts that make Up a Catholic Life, by Melissa Musik and Anna Keating
- The Year with Our Children: Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season, by Mary Reeds Newland
- Around the Year with the Trapp Family, by Maria Von trapp
- www.CatholicCulture.org
- www.LikeMotherLikeDaughter.org
