medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture I am very late replying to this.  I think it should be pointed out that the oldest name for the feast on January 1 was simply the Octave of the Nativity. Apparently the feast of the Circumcision came in from Gallican use, 7th C??? Others know much more about these matters than I.

But a Marian emphasis for the Octave would always have been present and after the emergence of St. Mary Major (relic of the manger etc.) alongside St. John Lateran in the late 4thc, plus the boost given by the Theotokos declaration at Ephesus in 431, one could perhaps argue that the oldest feast for January 1 at Rome was Marian, before it became the Feast of the Circumcision.

Houghton G.

On Jan 1, 2008 1:22 PM, Marjorie Greene <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

-- "George R. Hoelzeman" <[log in to unmask] > wrote:

"The Feast
of the Presentation was/is on 2 Feb, 40 days after Christmas."

We oldsters still call it "Candlemas."
Happy New Year to all,
MG

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