This article is about the eight-day celebration in Western Christianity. For the octave day (the last of the eight days), see
Second Sunday of Easter. For the similar period in Eastern Christianity, see
Bright Week.
"Easter Week" redirects here. For the week before Easter, see
Holy Week.
The Octave of Easter is the eight-day period, or
octave, that begins on
Easter Sunday and ends with
Second Sunday of Easter.[1] It marks the beginning of
Eastertide. The first seven of these eight days are also collectively known as Easter Week.
The Octave of Easter is celebrated with daily
Mass. The Lutheran Missal states:[3]
The Octave of Easter forms a cohesive thematic unit with the two following weeks. The Gospel for Quasimodogeniti, the First Sunday after Easter, recounts the appearance of Our Lord to the apostles in the locked upper room, together with Thomas’ confession.[3]