The Church knows that one day of rejoicing just isn’t enough.
Easter is the “Solemnity of Solemnities”—the biggest feast day of the year. It’s so big, in fact, that the Church celebrates it for not one, but eight full days!
For her most important feast days, the Church assigns “octaves”: eight days of rejoicing in which we celebrate each day as though it were the feast day itself.
The tradition of octaves goes back to the 4th century and is possibly connected to one or both of two events.
During the week after Easter and Pentecost, the newly-baptized neophytes would continue to wear the white garments they received at their baptism, rejoicing for eight days in the joyful celebration of their new life in Christ. In the older calendar, the Sunday after Easter is called “Dominica in Albis”—the “Sunday in White”—to commemorate the laying aside of the white garments.
The other event is the dedication of the churches of Tyre and Jerusalem by the Emperor Constantine. This was the first “octave” properly-speaking that we know of, and was done in emulation of the Jewish custom of an eight-day feast in dedicating the Temple.
Octaves underwent many other additions, deletions, and developments over the course of history. Today we celebrate two of them: one for Easter and one for Christmas. The older calendar of the Church also retains the octave of Pentecost.
So, rejoice! As St. Paul would say: “Again, I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
There is much cause for rejoicing during this week. Not only are we in the octave for Easter but we are anticipating the great feast of Divine Mercy this Sunday (April 7th) on Divine Mercy Sunday! Prepare your family for this beautiful feast with this beautiful Divine Mercy Prayer Rosary Hanger! Featuring the beautiful Divine Mercy image and the words of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, this rosary rack will inspire your family to keep Christ and His infinite mercy close throughout the year. Order yours today from The Catholic Company!
