The Feast of the Circumcision of Christ is a Christian celebration of the circumcision of Jesus in accordance with Jewish tradition, eight days (according to the Semitic and southern European calculation of intervals of days)[1] after his birth, the occasion on which the child was formally given his name.[2][3]
The circumcision of Jesus has traditionally been seen, as in the popular 14th-century work the Golden Legend, as the first time the blood of Christ was shed, and thus the beginning of the process of the redemption of man, and a demonstration that Christ is fully human, and of his obedience to Biblical law.
And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, his name was called Jesus, the name called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.[8]
Eastern Orthodox churches
The feast is celebrated with an All-Night Vigil, beginning the evening of December 31. The hymns of the feast are combined with those for Saint Basil the Great. After the Divine Liturgy the next morning, Russian churches often celebrate a New Year Molieben (service of intercession) to pray for God's blessing for the beginning of the civil New Year (Byzantine Christians commemorate the Indiction, or Ecclesiastical New Year, on September 1).
On the Julian calendar, 1 January will correspond, until 2100, to 14 January on the Gregorian Calendar. Accordingly, in Russia, 14 January in the civil calendar is known as "The Old New Year", since it corresponds to 1 January in the Julian Calendar, still used by the Church.
At an early stage the Church in Rome celebrated on 1 January a feast that it called the anniversary (Natale) of the Mother of God.[9] When this was overshadowed by the feasts of the Annunciation and the Assumption, adopted from Constantinople at the start of the 7th century, 1 January began to be celebrated simply as the octave day of Christmas, the "eighth day" on which, according to Luke 2:21, the child was circumcised and given the name Jesus. In the 13th or 14th century 1 January began to be celebrated in Rome, as already in Spain and Gaul, as the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the Octave of the Nativity, while still oriented towards Mary and Christmas.[10] The emphasis that Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444) laid on the name of Jesus in his preaching led in 1721 to the institution of a separate Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Pope John XXIII's General Roman Calendar of 1960 calls 1 January simply the Octave of the Nativity. (This 1960 calendar was incorporated into the 1962 Roman Missal.) The 1969 revision states: "1 January, the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord, is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and also the commemoration of the conferral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus."[11][12]
Lutheran Church
As the Circumcision of Our Lord is a feast of Christ and related directly to the life of Christ as recounted in Holy Scripture (notably Luke 2:21), it is celebrated by Lutheran churches. It remains on Lutheran liturgical calendars to this day, although some Lutherans now use the title "The Circumcision and the Name of Jesus"[13][14] or simply "The Name of Jesus."[15] Martin Luther preached at least one notable sermon on this feast day, which is still available in his Church Postils, and most Lutheran hymnals prior to the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship contain several hymns for the occasion.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church of Canada calls it "The Octave Day of Christmas, and the Circumcision of Our Lord, being New Year's Day".
The 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (United States) names this day "The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ", a Feast of the Lord.
A Prayer Book for Australia (1995) of the Anglican Church of Australia calls it "The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus".
^In the northern European calculation, which abstracts from the day from which the count begins, the interval was of seven days.
^Luke 2:21 (King James Version): "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb."
^Greek Orthodox Archdiocese calendar of Holy Days February 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^"Η Περιτομή του Ιησού Χριστού". www.pemptousia.gr (in Greek). 31 December 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
^"Mother of God Extends Our Christmas Celebration", Ascension Press website
^MacBeth, Sybil (1 November 2014). The Season of the Nativity. Paraclete Press. p. 113. ISBN9781612616131. January 1, New Year's Day, is also the eighty day of Christmas. On the eighty day of life Jewish boys have a circumcision ceremony, or bris. January 1 is the Circumcision of Christ and the Feast of the Holy Name.
Russia Orthodox explanation of The Circumcision ("Obrezanie") of the Lord
An essay on the feast of the circumcision from Anglicans Online
April 28, 2023
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The Feast of the Circumcision of Christ is a Christian celebration of the circumcision of Jesus in accordance with Jewish tradition eight days according to the Semitic and southern European calculation of intervals of days 1 after his birth the occasion on which the child was formally given his name 2 3 Circumcision of Christ Menologion of Basil II 979 984 The circumcision of Jesus has traditionally been seen as in the popular 14th century work the Golden Legend as the first time the blood of Christ was shed and thus the beginning of the process of the redemption of man and a demonstration that Christ is fully human and of his obedience to Biblical law The feast day appears on 1 January in the liturgical calendar of Eastern Orthodox churches 4 5 all Lutheran churches and some churches of the Anglican Communion while the Divine Maternity of Mary is observed on 26 December in the Byzantine rite both in Greek Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches 6 In the General Roman Calendar the 1 January feast which from 1568 to 1960 was called The Circumcision of the Lord and the Octave of the Nativity is now the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord In Western Christianity the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus Christ marks the eighth day octave day of Christmastide 7 Contents 1 Textual sources 2 Eastern Orthodox churches 3 Latin Church 4 Lutheran Church 5 Anglican Communion 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksTextual sources EditAnd when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child his name was called Jesus the name called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb 8 Eastern Orthodox churches EditThe feast is celebrated with an All Night Vigil beginning the evening of December 31 The hymns of the feast are combined with those for Saint Basil the Great After the Divine Liturgy the next morning Russian churches often celebrate a New Year Molieben service of intercession to pray for God s blessing for the beginning of the civil New Year Byzantine Christians commemorate the Indiction or Ecclesiastical New Year on September 1 On the Julian calendar 1 January will correspond until 2100 to 14 January on the Gregorian Calendar Accordingly in Russia 14 January in the civil calendar is known as The Old New Year since it corresponds to 1 January in the Julian Calendar still used by the Church The Circumcision by Luca Signorelli 16th century Latin Church EditAt an early stage the Church in Rome celebrated on 1 January a feast that it called the anniversary Natale of the Mother of God 9 When this was overshadowed by the feasts of the Annunciation and the Assumption adopted from Constantinople at the start of the 7th century 1 January began to be celebrated simply as the octave day of Christmas the eighth day on which according to Luke 2 21 the child was circumcised and given the name Jesus In the 13th or 14th century 1 January began to be celebrated in Rome as already in Spain and Gaul as the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the Octave of the Nativity while still oriented towards Mary and Christmas 10 The emphasis that Saint Bernardino of Siena 1380 1444 laid on the name of Jesus in his preaching led in 1721 to the institution of a separate Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Pope John XXIII s General Roman Calendar of 1960 calls 1 January simply the Octave of the Nativity This 1960 calendar was incorporated into the 1962 Roman Missal The 1969 revision states 1 January the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord is the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God and also the commemoration of the conferral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus 11 12 Lutheran Church EditAs the Circumcision of Our Lord is a feast of Christ and related directly to the life of Christ as recounted in Holy Scripture notably Luke 2 21 it is celebrated by Lutheran churches It remains on Lutheran liturgical calendars to this day although some Lutherans now use the title The Circumcision and the Name of Jesus 13 14 or simply The Name of Jesus 15 Martin Luther preached at least one notable sermon on this feast day which is still available in his Church Postils and most Lutheran hymnals prior to the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship contain several hymns for the occasion Anglican Communion EditThe Anglican Communion s Book of Common Prayer liturgy celebrates this day as the Circumcision of Christ Since 2000 the Common Worship of the Church of England has listed this day as The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus The Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church of Canada calls it The Octave Day of Christmas and the Circumcision of Our Lord being New Year s Day The 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church United States names this day The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ a Feast of the Lord A Prayer Book for Australia 1995 of the Anglican Church of Australia calls it The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus See also EditCircumcision in the Bible Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Holy prepuceReferences Edit In the northern European calculation which abstracts from the day from which the count begins the interval was of seven days Luke 2 21 King James Version And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called JESUS which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb Catholic Encyclopedia Feast of the Circumcision Greek Orthodox Archdiocese calendar of Holy Days Archived February 13 2008 at the Wayback Machine H Peritomh toy Ihsoy Xristoy www pemptousia gr in Greek 31 December 2021 Retrieved 15 October 2022 Mother of God Extends Our Christmas Celebration Ascension Press website MacBeth Sybil 1 November 2014 The Season of the Nativity Paraclete Press p 113 ISBN 9781612616131 January 1 New Year s Day is also the eighty day of Christmas On the eighty day of life Jewish boys have a circumcision ceremony or bris January 1 is the Circumcision of Christ and the Feast of the Holy Name Luke 2 21 Lumen gentium www vatican va Retrieved 2023 01 01 Adolf Adam The Liturgical Year Liturgical Press 1990 ISBN 978 0 81466047 8 pp 139 140 Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar 35 f The Roman Catholic Daily Missal Kansas City Missouri USA Angelus Press 1962 p 1 ISBN 1 892331 29 2 Lutheran Service Book St Louis MO Concordia Publishing House 2006 p xi The Lutheran Hymnal St Louis MO Concordia Publishing House 1941 p 57 As in Lutheran Book of Worship page 10 Copyright 1978 Augsburg Fortress External links EditRussia Orthodox explanation of The Circumcision Obrezanie of the Lord An essay on the feast of the circumcision from Anglicans Online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Feast of the Circumcision of Christ amp oldid 1139891218, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
