Abstinence during Christmas Octave?

[LausTibiChriste]

St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) is on a Friday this year...so I'm wondering if it is the traditional custom to still abstain even if it's in the Christmas Octave? Cheers.

[Daniel]

I do not know, but my calendar says to abstain. My calendar also lists St. Stephen's day as a second class feast day, so wouldn't we have to abstain anyway?  I thought the abstinence was to be ignored only on first class feast days?

And then again, octaves in general have me confused.  I thought I had heard that we are not supposed to fast or abstain during the octave of any of the major feast days, but I also remember that this year the summer ember days fell within the octave of Pentecost and we were still supposed to fast/abstain...

[Penelope]

Paging Pheo.

[JubilateDeo]

I think every day during the Christmas and Easter Octaves is on the same level as a Solemnity.

[Pheo]

Yeah Daniel's right.  On the 1962 calendar it's II class, so it doesn't cancel the obligation to abstain.  Only days of precept could do that.

I think the Eastern tradition is not to abstain/fast during the Christmas season, and liturgically that probably makes more sense.  But if you're looking for what we would have done pre-VatII...hands off the steak.

I think every day during the Christmas and Easter Octaves is on the same level as a Solemnity.

The term "Solemnity" only applies to the new calendar, but even there the Octave days aren't considered Solemnities.  Then again the obligation to abstain basically doesn't apply in general these days, so speaking with my Vatican II hat on...have at 'er.

But don't actually.

[VeraeFidei]

I agree with Pheo: clearly, pre-VII practice is abstinence on all Fridays not Holy Days of Obligation.

My personal opinion is that this does not equate well with major Feasts/Festal Seasons such as the Friday within the Paschal Octave, etc. Thus, I follow the pre-VII rules, but that is my opinion, not that you cared.

[LausTibiChriste]

I'm going to become an Eastern during the Octave  Thanks Pheo. I must say from where I'm sitting not abstaining makes more sense...I mean, you have this almost month long season of fasting/austerity in preparation...the Christmas season should be a partay...including copious amounts of bacon

[Kaesekopf]

I agree with Pheo: clearly, pre-VII practice is abstinence on all Fridays not Holy Days of Obligation.

My personal opinion is that this does not equate well with major Feasts/Festal Seasons such as the Friday within the Paschal Octave, etc. Thus, I follow the pre-VII rules, but that is my opinion, not that you cared.

I care.

[VeraeFidei]

I agree with Pheo: clearly, pre-VII practice is abstinence on all Fridays not Holy Days of Obligation.

My personal opinion is that this does not equate well with major Feasts/Festal Seasons such as the Friday within the Paschal Octave, etc. Thus, I follow the pre-VII rules, but that is my opinion, not that you cared.

I care.

Oh. Well, thank you

In any case, in a Verae-dictated more sensible world, there would be more required penance during certain seasons - i.e. a return to more ancient Lenten disciplines, and some Advent requirements - and a corresponding dropping of required penance on, for example, Fridays during major Octaves. The net would be much more required penance, of course.

As it is, I think it appropriate to eat a "nicer" albeit meat-free meal on these more solemn Fridays, and more importantly, to do more penance in general. Also, we could also all probably just use going by the stricter rules, including blanket Friday abstinence, seeing as we are all hedonists nowadays anyways.

[Mattock]

In any case, in a Verae-dictated more sensible world, there would be more required penance during certain seasons - i.e. a return to more ancient Lenten disciplines, and some Advent requirements - and a corresponding dropping of required penance on, for example, Fridays during major Octaves. The net would be much more required penance, of course.

As it is, I think it appropriate to eat a "nicer" albeit meat-free meal on these more solemn Fridays, and more importantly, to do more penance in general. Also, we could also all probably just use going by the stricter rules, including blanket Friday abstinence, seeing as we are all hedonists nowadays anyways.

All of this.

Fasting or abstaining during the Easter octave always seems so odd. The midnight communion fast is also a nice "devotional" to get back into. The modern Latin Rite practices are simply scandalously lax. Can we all stop trying to conform ourselves to the world.

[Clare]

I believe we don't have to abstain when Boxing Day falls on a Friday, and I'm pretty sure that's pre-V2.

[Pheo]

I believe we don't have to abstain when Boxing Day falls on a Friday, and I'm pretty sure that's pre-V2.

The 1917 Code was pretty clear, it would have been a day of abstinence.  There may have been regional exceptions though, but the last thing we need now is another exception.

[Clare]

I found a couple of posts I made on a British Novus Ordo forum a couple of years ago. The links I provided to the Catholic Herald archive from 1952 and 1958 (when Boxing Day fell on a Friday) are now dead, but I did quote them:

1952:

NO ABSTINENCE ON DEC. 26

Friday, December 26—Boxing Day—is not a day of abstinence. Confirmation of this may be found in the official Catholic Directory.

In some dioceses at the Sunday Masses priests have given a reminder of the fact that meat may be eaten on December 26 this year.

1958:

FAST AND ABSTINENCE

THERE will he no abstinence on Boxing Day, December 26, which this year falls on a Friday. This was announced on Tuesday in a dispensation issued by the Sacred Congregation of the Council.

The customary day of fasting and abstinence before Christmas has been fixed by each individual diocese in this country. In the Archdiocese of Westminster, this day will be Tuesday, Dec.23. We understand that in most other dioceses of England and Wales the day of fasting and abstinence will be Christmas Eve.

[Pheo]

Yeah, that may have been a local thing, but we have the 1917 Code so the paper is wrong if they thought that was the universal norm.

Canon 1252. §4. On Sundays or feasts of precept, the law of abstinence or of abstinence and fast or a fast only ceases, except during Lent, nor is the vigil anticipated; likewise it ceases on Holy Saturday afternoon.

That was the law in force, and Dec 26 wasn't a feast of precept.

It's also the sort of exception that would probably need to have been renewed - and they almost always were - but appealing to it 60 years later is a stretch

[Clare]

... The midnight communion fast is also a nice "devotional" to get back into...

I'll be fasting from midnight for the Midnight Mass this year!