Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
January 1
January 1 is a feast of the Virgin Mary celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on the octave Day of Christmas. An octave day falls 8 days after a major feast.
January 1 was used as a celebration of the Maternity of the Virgin in the 7th century however the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ replaced that celebration until the 20th Century. In Jewish tradition the male is circumcised 8 days after birth.
Song of Angels” by William August Bouguereau
Portugal celebrated the feast of the “Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on October 11, 1914 and Pope Pius XI extended it to the entire Roman Catholic Church. Sixty years later the Pope Paul VI replaced the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ from the liturgical calendar with the feast of the “Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.”
The Vatican dedicated January 1 “World Day for Peace” reflecting the feasts of both Mary and Jesus – Prince of Peace.
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