What is the Holy Day, "The Circumcision and Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ"?
January 1 is observed as The Circumcision and Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a holy day that falls eight days after Christmas Day. This celebration, rooted in Scripture and ancient Christian tradition, highlights Jesus' full participation in human life under the Law and the profound significance of his name.
The biblical basis is clear in Luke's Gospel: "And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21, ESV). This verse unites two events: the circumcision required by Jewish law on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3) and the naming of the child. In Jewish custom, these rites coincided, incorporating the boy into God's covenant people.
For Jesus, raised in a faithful Jewish home, this was an act of obedience. Mary and Joseph presented him according to the Law, underscoring his complete humanity. Though sinless and divine, he submitted to the covenant he came to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). Anglicans emphasize this humility: the incarnate Word enduring the rite's pain, shedding blood in foreshadowing of the cross.
This first shedding of blood carries deep meaning. It marks the beginning of redemption, the initial offering of the blood that would fully redeem on Calvary. It affirms Jesus' solidarity with humanity and his perfect observance of the Old Covenant while establishing the New.
The naming is equally central. The angel directed both Mary (Luke 1:31) and Joseph (Matthew 1:21) to name him Jesus—Yeshua in Hebrew, meaning "Yahweh saves." As Matthew explains: "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21, ESV). Paul proclaims its supremacy: "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10, ESV). The name became a source of power in early Christian proclamation (Acts 3:6; 4:12).
In Anglican tradition, this feast has long been observed on January 1 as the octave of Christmas. The Church of England's historic Books of Common Prayer titled it the Circumcision of Christ. The ACNA's 2019 prayer book restores the combined focus on both circumcision and holy name, reflecting a deliberate return to classical Anglican observance. The collect for the day prays:
Almighty God, your blessed Son fulfilled the covenant of circumcision for our sake, and was given the Name that is above every name: Give us grace faithfully to bear his Name, and to worship him with pure hearts according to the New Covenant; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This prayer captures the dual themes: obedience to the old covenant and the exalted name under the new.
The ACNA lectionary for this holy day typically includes readings that illuminate these events. Common selections are:
- Old Testament: Exodus 34:1-9
- Psalm: Psalm 8
- Epistle: Romans 1:1-7
- Gospel: Luke 2:15-21
These texts draw worshippers into reflection on incarnation, obedience, and salvation.
Devotion to the holy name has enriched Anglican spirituality. The IHS monogram—derived from the Greek for "Jesus" or interpreted as "Iesus Hominum Salvator" (Jesus, Savior of humankind)—appears in churches, vestments, and prayer books. Many Anglicans bow the head at the name of Jesus during liturgy.
Why observe this holy day today? In an age that sometimes downplays the physical realities of the incarnation, it reminds us that the Savior entered fully into human experience—from infancy, pain, and cultural rites. His circumcision points forward to baptism, the new covenant sign: "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11, ESV).
The holy name invites ongoing reverence. Anglicans invoke it in prayer, including forms of the Jesus Prayer adapted from Eastern tradition: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Historically, January 1 contrasted Christian solemnity with secular New Year festivities.
In the ACNA and continuing Anglican bodies, this feast bridges Christmas and Epiphany seasons, grounding the joy of incarnation in the cost of redemption. It calls believers to bear the name of Jesus faithfully—as Christians, marked by baptism and committed to his saving mission.
As the new year begins, this observance offers a scriptural anchor: gratitude for the child who submitted to the Law, bled for humanity, and bears the name above every name. In the words of the ACNA collect, may we receive grace to bear his name and worship with pure hearts.