Celebrate Mary, the Mother of God and usher in the New Year with the Lord! Unlike Easter and Pentecost, both of which had the privilege at one time or another of being celebrated for 8 days straight (an octave), Christmas originally received only a special eighth day on January 1st. This feast transformed throughout the years. Originally commemorating the divine motherhood of Mary, it later became associated with the circumcision of the Lord. Presently the emphasis upon the distinct title bestowed upon our Blessed Mother at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos in the Greek), has been restored. Of all the Marian feasts celebrated in Rome, this one on January 1st is the oldest.