"Octave" has two senses in Christian liturgical usage. In the first sense, it is the eighth day after a feast, reckoning inclusively, and so always falls on the same day of the week as the feast itself. The word is derived from Latin octava (eighth), with dies (day) understood. The term is also applied to the whole period of these eight days, during which the observance of certain major feasts came to be observed.

From origin to Middle Ages

The practice, probably suggested by the Old Testament usage of an eighth-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Dedication of the Temple was first introduced under Constantine I when the dedication festivities of the basilicas at Jerusalem and Tyre were extended over the same period. After these one-off occasions, annual liturgical feasts began to be dignified with an octave. The first such feasts were Easter, Pentecost, and, in the East, Epiphany. This occurred in the fourth century and served as a period of time for the newly baptized to take a joyful retreat.

The development of octaves occurred slowly. From the 4th century to the 7th century, octaves were simply observed with a celebration on the eighth day, with little thought given to the liturgies of the intervening days. Christmas was the next feast to receive an octave, and by the 8th century there were octaves in place in Rome not only for Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, but also for the Epiphany and the feast of the Dedication of a church. From the seventh century saints' feasts also began to have octaves (an eighth-day feast, not eight days of feasts), among the oldest being the feast of Saints Peter and Paul and those of Saint Lawrence and Saint Agnes. From the twelfth century, however, the custom was introduced of observing also the days between the first and the eighth day as well as the eighth day itself. During the Middle Ages, octaves for various other feasts and saints were celebrated depending upon the diocese or religious order.

From Pius V to Pius XII

After 1568, when Pope Pius V reduced the number of octaves, they were still quite numerous and were involved not only the eighth day from the feast but all the intervening days. On these days, the liturgy was exactly the same as on the feast itself, with exactly the same prayers and Scripture readings. Octaves were classified into several types. Easter and Pentecost had "specially privileged" octaves, during which no other feast whatsoever could be celebrated. Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi had "privileged" octaves, during which certain highly ranked feasts might be celebrated. The octaves of other feasts allowed even more feasts to be celebrated.

To reduce the monotony of so frequently repeating the same liturgy for several days, further distinctions were made by Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius X, classifying octaves into three primary types: privileged octaves, common octaves, and simple octaves. Privileged octaves were further classified into those of the first, second, and third orders. For the first half of the 20th century, octaves were ranked in the following manner, with different effects for the possibility of holding other celebrations within them:

• Privileged Octaves
• Privileged Octaves of the First Order
• Octave of Easter
• Octave of Pentecost
• Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
• Octave of Epiphany
• Octave of Corpus Christi
• Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
• Octave of Christmas
• Octave of the Ascension
• Octave of the Sacred Heart
• Common Octaves
• Octave of the Immaculate Conception BVM
• Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
• Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
• Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
• Octave of All Saints
• Octave of the Assumption BVM
• Simple Octaves
• Octave of St. Stephen
• Octave of St. John the Apostle
• Octave of the Holy Innocents

In addition to these, the patron saint of a particular nation, diocese, or church was celebrated with an octave, on each day of which the Mass and Office of the feast was repeated, unless impeded by another celebration.

Reduction by Pius XII and Paul VI

A considerable simplification occurred under Pope Pius XII with a decree dated 23 March 1955: all octaves in the Roman Rite were suppressed, including those in local calendars, except those of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. (See General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII#Octaves.)

With the revision of the Roman Calendar in 1969, the octave of Pentecost was also removed.

The two surviving octaves already differed from other octaves in not repeating the same liturgy day after day for eight days. The first eight days of the Easter Season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. The "Second Sunday of Easter", which concludes the Easter Octave is, since 30 April 2000, known also as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Christmas Octave is arranged as follows:

• Sunday within the octave: feast of the Holy Family
• 26 December: feast of Saint Stephen
• 27 December: feast of John the Apostle
• 28 December: feast of the Holy Innocents
• 29-31 December: days within the octave, on which the celebration of optional memorials is permitted
• 1 January, octave day of the Nativity: solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Eastern Christian usage

Among the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, what in the West would be called an Octave is referred to as an Afterfeast. The celebration of the Great Feasts of the church year are extended for a number days, depending upon the particular Feast. Each day of an Afterfeast will have particular hymns assigned to it, continuing the theme of the Feast being celebrated.

Most of these Great Feasts also have a day or more of preparation called a Forefeast (those Feasts that are on the moveable Paschal Cycle do not have Forefeasts). Forefeasts and Afterfeasts will affect the structure of the services during the Canonical Hours.

The last day of an Afterfeast is called the Apodosis (lit. "giving-back") of the Feast. On the Apodosis, most of the hymns that were chanted on the first day of the Feast are repeated. On the Apodosis of Feasts of the Theotokos, the Epistle and Gospel of the Feast are repeated again at the Divine Liturgy.

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