Author Topic: Christmastide (Read 1891 times)

Peter15and1 · « **on:** December 30, 2015, 01:41:27 PM »

How long does the season of Christmas, or Christmastide, actually last? It would seem to me there are four possibilities:

*It ends on Epiphany
*It ends on January 13 (conclusion of the Epiphany Octave)
*It ends on Septuagesima
*It ends on February 2 (Candlemas)

I do not think Christmastide can run all the way to Candlemas, because Septuagesima can (such as this year) occur before February 2, and Christmastide cannot possibly be going once Septuagesima has occurred.

I also do not think that Christmastide can run all the way to Septuagesima, because the green vestments are put on for Sundays after Epiphany. If these Sundays counted as Christmastide Sundays, then all of the Sundays after Pentecost would have to count as Eastertide Sundays as well, and we know they don't.

To me, it makes the most sense for Christmastide to end on January 13, with January 14 starting the season after Epiphany, which is followed by Septuagesima. Do the rubrics say anything on this matter?

Sbyvl · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2015, 09:38:48 PM »

The Octave of Christmas runs until January 1.
The Twelve Days of Christmas conclude on January 5.
The Season of Christmas ends on January 13.
The Christmas "Cycle", for lack of a better term, ends on February 2.

Peter15and1 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:06:44 PM »

Quote from: Sbyvl

The Octave of Christmas runs until January 1.
The Twelve Days of Christmas conclude on January 5.
The Season of Christmas ends on January 13.
The Christmas "Cycle", for lack of a better term, ends on February 2.

I disagree with your fourth point. The end of the Christmas "Cycle" cannot be connected to February 2.

If the First Sunday of Advent begins the Christmas "Cycle," then Septuagesima must begin the Easter "Cycle," and Septuagesima has no connection to February 2.

If February 2 was truly the end of the Christmas "Cycle," then in some years, such as this year, the Christmas and Easter "Cycles" would overlap. In other years, there would be an empty period of time that falls in neither the Chriatmas nor the Easter "Cycle." This cannot be so. I believe the refrain repeated by many trads that Christmas does not end until February 2 is bunk.

Peter15and1 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2015, 10:19:02 AM »

I was able to find and English translation of the rubrics of the Mass, published in 1960. According to these rubrics, there are six seasons of the year, some of which of further subdivided, as follows:

1. The Season of Advent, which rune from First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent to None of Christmas Eve.

2. The Season of Christmas, which is divided into Christmastide (tempus Nativitatis) and Epiphany (tempus Epiphaniae). Christmastide runs from First Vespers of Christmas Day to None on January 5. Epiphany runs from First Vespers of Epiphany to January 13.

3. The Season of Septuagesima, which runs from the First Vespers of Septuagesima to Compline of the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

4. The Season of Lent, which is divided into Lent (tempus Quadragesimae) and Passtiontide (tempus Passionis). Lent runs from Matins of Ash Wednesday to None of the Saturday before Passion Sunday. Passiontide runs from First Vespers of Passion Sunday to the Mass of Easter Vigil. Passiontide itself is further divided, in that from the First Vespers of Palm Sunday to the Mass of Easter Vigil is referred to as Holy Week, and the last three days of Holy Week are named Triduum sacrum.

5. The Season of Easter, which is divided into Eastertide (tempus Paschatis), Ascension (tempus Ascensionis), and Pentecost. Eastertide runs from the Mass of the Easter Vigil to None of the Vigil of the Ascension. Ascension runs from First Vespers of the Ascension to None of the Vigil of Pentecost. Pentecost runs from the Mass of the Vigil of Pentecost to None of the Saturday following Pentecost.

6. The Season "per annum," which runs from January 14 to None of the Saturday before Septuagesima, and also from First Vespers of Trinity Sunday to None of the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent.

http://maternalheart.org/library/1962rubrics.pdf

So, according to the rubrics themselves, the Season of Christmas ends on January 13. Even if we were to include the time after the Epiphany, (the first season "per annum"), Christmas would end on None of the Saturday before Septuagesima, which of course is variable.

February 2 has nothing to do with the Christmas season, liturgically speaking.

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2016, 08:28:15 PM »

This needs to be bumped, so people can read it.

Christmas season ends this Thursday -- crank up that Christmas music while you can!

Also, your tree REALLY needs to come down before Jan. 24th this year, or else you're going completely against the Church's Liturgical year.

Why keep your tree up when it goes against the Church's liturgical year? Might as well put up your tree the day after Thanksgiving if you're going to disregard the Liturgical Year, right?

Heck, at least the people who put up their trees the day after Thanksgiving and throw away their Christmas trees on Dec 26th are only going with "the crowd" and have media/peer pressure for an excuse...

Septuagesima is early this year. Starting on Septuagesima (Jan 24 this year), the Gloria is not said at Mass, the liturgical color changes to purple (penance), so Christmas season is totally over at that point.

On Jan 24th, the Church (not me or any other individual) says it's time to think about penance and the sufferings of Our Lord, not his birth.

I, for one, will be following the Bride of Christ on this matter.