History
The practice of saying novenas is not explicitly derived from Holy Scripture, but was rather influenced by an early Greek and Roman custom performed by families consisting of nine days of mourning, then followed by a feast after the death of a loved one.
The practice was later adopted by newly converts to the Roman Catholic faith who associated a pious event of the Twelve Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Upper Room as they prayed for nine days until the Holy Spirit descended on the Feast of the Pentecost. In the New Testament, this biblical event is often quoted from Acts of the Apostles, 1:12 - 2:5.
Read more about this topic: Novena
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