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Traditional Catholic Faith => General Discussion => Topic started by: 2Vermont on December 21, 2014, 08:28:04 AM

Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: 2Vermont on December 21, 2014, 08:28:04 AM
I just heard that Christmas Eve is traditionally a day of fast and abstinence.  Is this true?  Also, is anyone observing this this year?
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Miseremini on December 21, 2014, 01:05:48 PM
This has always been a day of fast and abstinance as with the vigils of other major feasts.

Yes, even if at family gatherings where meat is available we abstain and follow the fast.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Nadir on December 21, 2014, 01:09:22 PM
Quote from: Miseremini
This has always been a day of fast and abstinance as with the vigils of other major feasts.

Yes, even if at family gatherings where meat is available we abstain and follow the fast.


How far back is always? I lived 22 years pre-new-order, was raised by the most Catholic parents who always went by the book. I have not heard of this before.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Elizabeth on December 21, 2014, 01:13:39 PM
We had oyster stew on Christmas Eve, way back when.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: JezusDeKoning on December 21, 2014, 01:30:44 PM
This might just be the Hispanic custom of putting Christmas Eve on a higher pedestal than the following holiday, but that was always the day we had Christmas dinner. It certainly wasn't perfect, but my parents did try to kind of live the Faith.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: MariaCatherine on December 21, 2014, 02:37:07 PM
According to my TAN calendar Christmas eve is a day of abstinence, not fast.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: CathMomof7 on December 21, 2014, 04:32:22 PM
We fast and then have fish for dinner.  Then finish decorating our tree and then go to Mass.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Stubborn on December 21, 2014, 04:49:56 PM
We never eat meat on Christmas Eve, that used to be the rule, still is far as I'm concerned but I'm pretty sure the NO did away with it.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Stubborn on December 21, 2014, 04:55:18 PM
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-2324-just-reminder-that.html

According to the chapter on "Feasts and Fasts throughout the Year" in The New Marian Missal for Daily Mass, compiled by Fr. Sylvester P. Juergens SM and published by Regina Press, NY, in 1963, December 24 was a day of fasting and complete abstinence in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the USA. In Canada  and the Philippines the fasting and abstinence of December 24 were moved to December 23.




http://paramedicgoldengirl.blogspot.com/2008/02/pre-vatican-ii-fasting-guidelines.html

Complete abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas, and on Holy Saturday. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays, and on the Vigil of Pentecost.


http://www.sspxasia.com/Docuмents/The_Church_Year/first-Sunday-of-advent.htm

Which are the most important fast days, and days of abstinence?

All the weekdays of Lent; the Fridays in Advent; the Ember days for the four seasons of the year; and the Vigils of All-Saints, Christmas, Whitsunday, and the Assumption. If the Feast, however, occurs on Monday, the vigil is kept on the Saturday before; as Sunday is never a fast day.'
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Miseremini on December 21, 2014, 06:44:43 PM
Quote from: Nadir
Quote from: Miseremini
This has always been a day of fast and abstinance as with the vigils of other major feasts.

Yes, even if at family gatherings where meat is available we abstain and follow the fast.


How far back is always? I lived 22 years pre-new-order, was raised by the most Catholic parents who always went by the book. I have not heard of this before.


I know we observed it in the 1940's and 1950's
It is the rule in the "Prayer Book for Religious" by Fr. Lasance dated 1904 (which pre-dates any missal for the laity)  and everyone of his books thereafter.
Also the St. Andrew Missal, St. Joseph Missal, New Marian Missal, the Ideal Missal all dated before 1961.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: 2Vermont on December 21, 2014, 07:08:51 PM
Why thank you all!
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: MaterDominici on December 21, 2014, 08:23:10 PM
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Mabel on December 21, 2014, 08:37:13 PM
Quote from: MaterDominici
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.


I have never heard that. My understanding was that the U.S. bishops petitioned for changes on Christmas Eve but were never granted so before the Council.

We have always fasted and abstained and will do so this year. It helps that the food is not tempting in the least.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Marlelar on December 21, 2014, 08:39:01 PM
Nothing was said about any fast or abstinence at our chapel in Phoenix and nothing in the bulletin either.  We also were not reminded about the Ember days last week, neither from the pulpit nor the bulletin.

Marsha
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Miseremini on December 21, 2014, 09:01:31 PM
Quote from: Marlelar
Nothing was said about any fast or abstinence at our chapel in Phoenix and nothing in the bulletin either.  We also were not reminded about the Ember days last week, neither from the pulpit nor the bulletin.

Marsha


The SSPX calendar for Canada showed both the Ember Days and the 24th as a day of fast and abstinence.

If you use a daily missal at Mass, last Sunday when you went to place the ribbon marker for today you would have seen  Ember Wednesday.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: OHCA on December 21, 2014, 09:16:32 PM
Quote from: MaterDominici
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.


I have a prayer book/missal from the 1940s that says that.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: confederate catholic on December 21, 2014, 09:34:55 PM
 :ready-to-eat:(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEBl4EN4wlF4n232KabFnL1hFvzpU9D_1uzdtLzcB1tA3x7xIV)
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Viva Cristo Rey on December 21, 2014, 10:27:46 PM
On Christmas Eve, we used to go my parents or friends' house before Midnight Mass.  
Feast of the 7 fish in our area.  
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Miseremini on December 21, 2014, 11:42:45 PM
Quote from: OHCA
Quote from: MaterDominici
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.


I have a prayer book/missal from the 1940s that says that.


Could your prayer book/missal be a reprint with updates?  I've just read that it was John XXIII that gave you a choice of the 23rd or 24th.

What is the name of your book?
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: poche on December 22, 2014, 04:04:02 AM
Quote from: JezusDeKoning
This might just be the Hispanic custom of putting Christmas Eve on a higher pedestal than the following holiday, but that was always the day we had Christmas dinner. It certainly wasn't perfect, but my parents did try to kind of live the Faith.

No, this comes from the Jєωιѕн custom. The Jews reckoned the Sabbath as startiong at sundown on Friday night. Therefore when there was a major feast day like Christmas, the evening of the day before is also part of the feast.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: 2Vermont on December 22, 2014, 04:40:21 AM
Quote from: Miseremini
Quote from: OHCA
Quote from: MaterDominici
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.


I have a prayer book/missal from the 1940s that says that.


Could your prayer book/missal be a reprint with updates?  I've just read that it was John XXIII that gave you a choice of the 23rd or 24th.

What is the name of your book?


I just found this. Perhaps this is what you read as well:

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2011/12/anticipation-of-christmas-fast-to.html

I wonder why bishops requested this change.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: OHCA on December 23, 2014, 10:32:49 PM
Quote from: Miseremini
Quote from: OHCA
Quote from: MaterDominici
We've always fasted and abstained on the 24th, but were told in this morning's announcements at Mass that we could pick -- 23rd or 24th. I'd never heard that before.


I have a prayer book/missal from the 1940s that says that.


Could your prayer book/missal be a reprint with updates?  I've just read that it was John XXIII that gave you a choice of the 23rd or 24th.

What is the name of your book?


My apologies--I was mistaken.  It calls for fasting on the vigil of Christmas with no allowance for swapping out the 23rd.  I must have seen the 23rd allowance on the traditio site.  You're right--apparently it was JXXIII in 1959.  I'm kind of surprised that that is even referenced on their site since he did it.

My little booklet is The Catholic's Guide.  Looks like it was originally printed in 1924 and I have a 1946 re-print.  But again, I was mistaken about it allowing fasting on the 23rd instead of the 24th.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: Viva Cristo Rey on December 24, 2014, 01:07:27 AM
 :incense:
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: magdalena on December 24, 2014, 02:53:56 PM
Pierogi is a traditional favorite in Poland for Christmas Eve.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pierogi-polish-dumplings/

Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: magdalena on December 24, 2014, 03:08:42 PM
http://www.pbs.org/food/kitchen-vignettes/classic-french-canadian-tourtiere/

In French Canada, Tourtière is traditionally served after Midnight Mass.
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: ClarkSmith on December 27, 2014, 02:02:17 PM
Italian Americans traditionally ate fish. I think it's popularly called "Feast of the Seven Fishes."
Title: Christmas Eve: Traditionally Day of Fast and Abstinence?
Post by: magdalena on December 28, 2014, 08:47:16 PM
Quote from: ClarkSmith
Italian Americans traditionally ate fish. I think it's popularly called "Feast of the Seven Fishes."


http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/christmas/batalisevenfishes