Christmas Feast Days

A Catholic feast day is when we remember a particular person or event in the history of our salvation. Saints’ feast days usually mark the date when the saint died, as we celebrate that person’s entry into heaven. Other feast days commemorate important occasions in the life of Jesus or apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The liturgical calendar is full of feast days and celebrating them can be a fun way to practice our faith and share it with others. The Church is rich with cultural traditions celebrating feasts in different ways around the world. I have found that the best way to celebrate – and the way that is most inclusive – is with a meal meaningful to the occasion. Two great feasts to enjoy during the 12 days of Christmas are those of St. John, and the Holy Innocents.

The Feast of St. John the Evangelist is December 27. He is the only apostle not to have died a martyr, although he survived several attempts on his life. One such failed attempt was to poison his wine; for this reason, it is customary to have a bottle of wine blessed on his feast day, if not by a priest, then by the head of the family (there is a specific prayer to use which you can find *here).  Have this traditional toast at dinner: the head of the family raises a glass to the person on their right and says, “I drink to you the love of St. John,” and takes a sip, then passes the glass; the recipient responds, “I thank you for the love of St. John,” and takes a sip. The toast continues around the table, with each person taking two sips. In our family, the kids will either make a sour face or feel so grown up about their two tiny sips. It is a fun way to remember St. John, who points us to Jesus.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents is December 28. It is when we remember that King Herod, in search of baby Jesus, ordered all the boys in Bethlehem age two and under to be killed. While this story is terribly sad, God works everything for the good. Despite the tragedy, these little ones are the first crowned martyrs in heaven. Although they didn’t choose to die for Jesus, they were killed in His place, mistaken for Him – and we can be sure they are rewarded in Heaven. On this day, bless the children in your family: the head of the household traces the sign of the cross in holy water on each child’s forehead, saying, “May Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you, my child, for time and eternity, and may this blessing remain forever with you.”  The child can shout, “Amen!”  For dinner, serve “little kid” favorites such as mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and applesauce; or, let the youngest person in the family decide the menu.

For more ideas to celebrate feast days during the Christmas season and throughout the year, check out *The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life by Kendra Tierney (Ignatius Press, 2018). Happy feasting!

*Click the link for more information

Shannon Crocker
Parishioner