OCTAVES in the Pre-1955 Calendar

In the 1962 Calendar, 16 out of 19 Octaves were eliminated, not including the Octaves for individual churches with their patron saint's feast day, anniversary of its dedication, etc.  

Only the Octaves of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost survived.  

The first day of an octave is called the feast day. The last day of an octave is called the ‘octave day’ and the days in between are called ‘days within the octave’. The ranking of these days vary depending on the type of octave. There are three ranks of octaves; privileged, common and simple.

PRIVILEGED OCTAVES:  Feasts of Our Lord

First Order:  Offered every day of the Octave.  No feast can outrank it.

Easter

Pentecost

Second Order:  Offered each day—unless a Double of the 1^st class, then commemorated on those days.

Epiphany

Corpus Christi

Third Order:  Offered on all days with no feast. 

 Commemorated on any day with a feast.

 The Octave day may only be replaced by a feast of a Double of the 1^st  or 2^nd class.

Christmas

Ascension

Sacred Heart

COMMON OCTAVES: 

  

~Offered on all days with no feast. 

~Commemorated on any day with a feast, except feasts of Doubles of the 1^st or  2^nd class.  

~The Octave day only gives way to Doubles of the 1^st and 2^nd class.

Immaculate Conception

Assumption

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Solemnity of St. Joseph

Saints Peter and Paul

All Saints

Principal patron saint of a church, cathedral, order, town, diocese, province, or nation.

Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church and also the Cathedral of the Diocese

SIMPLE OCTAVES:   

~Only the feast day (Double of 2^nd class) and the Octave day (Simple) is celebrated or                              commemorated.  

~The days within the octave are not commemorated.

Saint Stephen

Saint John the Evangelist

Holy Innocents

Saint Agnes

Saint Lawrence

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

Secondary patrons.