After the celebration of Christmas on December 25, the Church contemplates the mystery of the Holy Family with a special feast. The feast of the Holy Family typically lands on the Sunday after December 25, but in some cases is celebrated on December 30.
The Vatican's Directory on popular piety and the liturgy provides a few suggestions on how families can celebrate this feast.
- All members of the family attend Mass on this day.
- Renewal of our entrustment to the patronage of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
- Blessing of children as provided in the ritual.
- Renewal of marriage vows taken by the spouses on their wedding day.
- Exchange of promises between those engaged to be married in which they formalize their desire to found a new Christian family.
Furthermore, "Outside of the feast, the faithful have frequent recourse to the Holy Family of Nazareth in many of life's circumstances: joining the Association of the Holy Family so as to model their own families on the Holy Family of Nazareth; frequent prayers to entrust themselves to the patronage of the Holy Family and to obtain assistance at the hour of death."
The feast of the Holy Family is a beautiful way to continue the celebration of Christmas, focusing on how our own families can emulate the beauty and joy found in the Holy Family.
