The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar,
consists of the cycle of
liturgical seasons in
Christian churches that determines when
feast days, including
celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of
Scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.
Distinct
liturgical colours may be used in connection with different seasons of the liturgical year. The dates of the festivals vary somewhat among the different churches, although the sequence and logic is largely the same.
Liturgical cycle
The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood,
theological emphases, and modes of
prayer, which can be signified by different ways of decorating churches, colours of
paraments and
vestments for clergy,
scriptural
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
readings, themes for preaching and even different traditions and practices often observed personally or in the home. In churches that follow the liturgical year, the scripture passages for each Sunday (and even each day of the year in some traditions) are specified in a
lectionary. After the
Protestant Reformation, Anglicans and Lutherans continued to follow the lectionary of the
Roman Rite. Following a decision of the
Second Vatican Council, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
revised that lectionary in 1969, adopting a three-year cycle of readings for Sundays and a two-year cycle for weekdays.
Adaptations of the revised Roman Rite lectionary were adopted by Protestants, leading to the publication in 1994 of the
Revised Common Lectionary
The Revised Common Lectionary is a lectionary of readings or pericopes from the Bible for use in Christian worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. It was preceded by the Common ...
for Sundays and major feasts, which is now used by many Protestant denominations, including also
Methodists,
United, some
Reformed, etc. This has led to a greater awareness of the traditional Christian year among Protestants, especially among
mainline denominations.
Biblical calendars
Scholars are not in agreement about whether the calendars used by the Jews before the
Babylonian exile were
solar (based on the return of the same relative position between the sun and the earth),
lunisolar (based on months that corresponded to the cycle of the moon, with periodic additional months to bring the calendar back into agreement with the solar cycle) like the present-day
Jewish calendar of
Hillel II, or
lunar
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
, such as the
Hijri calendar.
The first month of the Hebrew year was called אביב (Aviv), evidently adopted by
Moses from Ipip as the eleventh month of the non-lunar
Egyptian calendar (that is also the origin of Abib as the tenth month of the non-lunar
Ethiopian calendar), meaning the month of green ears of grain. Having to occur at the appropriate time in the spring, it thus was originally part of a
tropical calendar. At about the time of the
Babylonian exile, when using the Babylonian civil calendar, the Jews adopted the term ניסן (
Nisan) as the name for the month, based on the Babylonian name Nisanu. Thomas J Talley says that the adoption of the Babylonian term occurred even before the exile.
In the earlier calendar, most of the months were simply called by a number (such as "the fifth month"). The Babylonian-derived names of the month that are used by Jews are:
#
Nisan (March–April)
#
Iyar (April–May)
#
Sivan (May–June)
#
Tammuz (June–July)
#
Av (July–August)
#
Elul (August–September)
#
Tishrei (September–October)
#
Marcheshvan (October–November)
#
Kislev (November–December)
#
Tevet (December–January)
#
Shevat
Shevat (Hebrew: שְׁבָט, Standard ''Šəvaṭ'', Tiberian ''Šeḇāṭ''; from Akkadian ''Šabātu'') is the fifth month of the civil year starting in Tishre (or Tishri) and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew cale ...
(January–February)
#
Adar 1
Adar ( he, אֲדָר ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 ...
(February; only during leap years)
#
Adar (February–March)
In Biblical times, the following Jewish religious feasts were celebrated:
*
Pesach (Passover) – 14
Nisan (sacrifice of a lamb), 15 Nisan (
Passover seder)
*
Chag HaMatzot (Unleavened Bread) – 15–21 Nisan
*
Reishit Katzir (Firstfruits) – 16 Nisan
*
Shavuot (Weeks) – Fiftieth day counted from Passover, normally 6–7
Sivan
*
Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets) – 1–2
Tishrei
*
Yom Kippur (Atonement) – 10 Tishrei
*
Sukkot (Tabernacles) – 15–21 Tishrei
*
Chanukah (Dedication) – 25
Kislev–2/3
Tevet (instituted in 164 BC)
*
Purim (Lots) – 14–15
Adar (instituted in c. 400 BC)
Eastern Christianity
East Syriac Rite
The Liturgical Calendar of the
East Syriac Rite
The East Syriac Rite or East Syrian Rite, also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite, is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturg ...
is fixed according to the flow of salvation history. With a focus upon the historical life of
Jesus Christ, believers are led to the eschatological fulfillment (i.e. the heavenly bliss) through this special arrangement of liturgical seasons. The liturgical year is divided into 8 seasons of approximately 7 weeks each but adjusted to fit the solar calendar. The arrangement of the Seasons in the Liturgical Year is based on seven central events on celebrations of the Salvation History. They are:
#
Nativity of Christ
#
Epiphany of Christ
#
Resurrection of Christ
#
Pentecost
#
Transfiguration
#
Glorious Cross
#
Parousia (the Dedication of Church after Christ's second coming)
One of the oldest available records mentioning the liturgical cycle of east-syriac rite is handwritten manuscript named 'Preface to Hudra' written by Rabban Brick-Iso in 14th century. The manuscript mentions that the liturgical year is divided into nine seasons starting from Subara and ends with Qudas Edta. Catholic churches of east-syriac rite maintains the same liturgical calendar till date except that many consider 7th and 8th seasons as a single one. The biblical reading and prayers during Mass and
Liturgy of the Hours vary according to different seasons in the liturgical calendar.
Liturgical Calendar
The various seasons of the liturgical calendar of
Syro-Malabar Church and
Chaldean Catholic Church are given below.
=Annunciation (Subara)
=
Weeks of Annunciation (
Subara) is the first season of the liturgical year. The liturgical year begins with the commemoration of biblical events leading to the annunciation and birth of Jesus as expected savior in the old testament. The season begins on the Sunday just before the first of December and ends with the feast of
Epiphany that is
the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. The faithful practice abstinence during December 1–25 in preparation for Christmas; this period is called "25 days Lent".
Feasts celebrated during this season
*
Feast of the Immaculate Conception of
Mary, mother of Jesus (December 8)
* Feast of Miraculous Cross of Mylapore (
Saint Thomas Christian cross
Saint Thomas Christian crosses are ancient crosses associated with the community of Indian subcontinent, who trace their origins to the evangelism of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century AD. The Saint Thomas Christians, which is one of the ol ...
) (December 18) in
Syro Malabar Church
*
Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ or
Christmas (December 25)
* Feast of
Holy Infants (December 28)
* Feast of
Name Iso (January 1)
* Feast of
Mary, mother of Jesus (last Friday of Season)
=Epiphany (Denha)
=
Weeks of Epiphany begins on the Sunday closest to the feast of
Epiphany and runs to the beginning of Great Fast. The word ''denha'' in
Syriac means sunrise. Church considers the baptism of Jesus in the
River Jordan as the first historical event in which the
Trinity was revealed to humankind in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus the season commemorates the manifestation or revelation of Jesus and Trinity to the world. During the season the church celebrates the feasts of Saints in connection with the manifestation of the Lord.
Feasts celebrated during the period
*Feast of
Epiphany or
Feast of Baptism of the Lord (January 6)
*Feast of
Saint John the Baptist on first Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of Apostles
Peter (Kepha) and
Paul on second Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of
Evangelists on third Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of
Saint Stephan on fourth Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of
Fathers of Church on fifth Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of
Patron Saint of Church on sixth Friday of Epiphany
*Feast of
all departed faithful on last Friday of Epiphany
=Great Fast (Sawma Rabba)
=
During these weeks the faithful meditate over the 40-day fast of Jesus and the culmination of his public life in passion, death and burial. The season begins 50 days before Easter on Peturta Sunday and comprises the whole period of
Great Lent and culminates on
Resurrection Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
. Word Peturta in Syriac means "looking back" or "reconciliation".
Faithful enter the weeks of Great Fast, celebrating the memory of all the Faithful Departed on the last Friday of Denha. According to the ecclesial tradition, the weeks of Great Fast is also an occasion to keep up the memory of the beloved Departed through special prayers, renunciation, almsgiving, and so on and thus prepare oneself for a good death and resurrection in Jesus Christ. During the fast faithful of
Syro Malabar Church do not use meat, fish, egg, many dairy products, and most favorite food items, and also avoid sexual contacts on all days including Sundays and Feast days. Before European colonization,
Indian Nasranis used to have food only once a day (after 3:00 pm) on all days during Great Fast.
-
Feasts in the Lenten Season
*Peturta Sunday on First Sunday of Great Fast
*
Ash Monday
Clean Monday ( el, Καθαρά Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the 6th Monday before ...
or
Clean Monday
Clean Monday ( el, Καθαρά Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the 6th Monday before ...
on the first day (Monday) of Great Fast
*
Lazarus Friday on the sixth Friday of Great Fast
*
Oshana Sunday on the seventh Sunday of Great Fast
*
Thursday of Pesha
*
Friday of Passion or
Good Friday
*
Great Saturday or Saturday of Light
The following feasts are always in the Lenten Season:
*Feast of Mar
Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18)
*Feast of
Saint Joseph (March 19)
*
Feast of the Annunciation (March 25)
=Resurrection (Qyamta)
=
The weeks of Great Resurrection begin on the
Resurrection Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
and run to the feast of
Pentecost. The Church celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord during these seven weeks: Jesus’ victory over death, sin, suffering and Satan. The church also commemorates various events that occurred after the resurrection of Christ, such as the visits of Jesus to the Apostles and the ascension of Jesus. According to eastern Christianity, the Feast of Resurrection is the most important and the greatest feast in a liturgical year. Therefore, the season commemorating the resurrection of Christ is also of prime importance in the church liturgy. The first week of the season is celebrated as the 'Week of weeks' as it is the week of the resurrection of Christ.
Feasts celebrated during the period:
* Feast of
Resurrection of Christ
* Feast of All Confessors (Saints) on the first Friday of
Qyamta
*
New Sunday or St. Thomas Sunday on the second Sunday of Qyamta
* Feast of
Ascension of Jesus on the sixth Friday of Qyamta
The following feasts are always in the season of resurrection:
* Feast of
Saint George (April 24)
* Feast of
Mark the Evangelist (April 25)
* Feast of
Saint Joseph, the worker (May 1)
* Feasts of
Saint Philip and
Saint James Saint James or St. James may refer to:
People Saints
* James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just
*James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater
** Saint James Matamo ...
the apostles (May 3)
=Apostles (Slihe)
=
Weeks of apostles (
Slihe) starts on the feast of
Pentecost, fiftieth day of the
Resurrection Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
. During these days the church commemorates the inauguration of church and the acts of apostles and church fathers through which the foundation of the church was laid. Church meditates on the virtues of the early church: fellowship, breaking of bread and sharing of wealth, and the
fruits and
gifts of
Holy Spirit. The spread of the church all over the world as well as her growth is also remembered during this season.
Feast celebrated during the season:
* Feast of
Pentecost on first Sunday of Slihe
* Feast of Friday of Gold: The first commemoration of the first miracle of apostles done by
Saint Peter.
The following feasts are commemorated in the season of Slihe
* Feast of
Mar Aphrem (June 10)
* Feast of the Apostles
Peter and
Paul (June 29)
* Feast of
Mar Thoma, founding father of east Syriac churches (July 3)
* Feast of
Mar Quriaqos and Yolitha (July 15)
=Qaita (Summer)
=
Along the weeks of Qaita maturity and fruitfulness of church are commemorated. The Syriac word Qaita means “summer” and it is a time of harvest for the Church. The fruits of the Church are those of holiness and martyrdom. While the sprouting and infancy of the Church were celebrated in 'the Weeks of the Apostles,' her development in different parts of the world by reflecting the image of the heavenly Kingdom and giving birth to many saints and martyrs are proclaimed during this season. Fridays of this Season are set apart for honoring saints and martyrs.
Feast celebrated during the season:
* Feast of the
twelve apostles and Nusardeil on the first Sunday of Qaita (Nusardeil is a Persian word which means "God-given New Year Day").
* Feast of
Mar Jacob of Nisibis on the first Friday of Qaita.
* Feast of
Mar Mari on the second Friday of Qaita.
* Feast of
Marta Simoni and her Seven Children on the fifth Friday of Qaita.
* Feast of
Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai and Companions on the sixth Friday of Qaita.
* Feast of martyr Mar Quardag on the seventh Friday of Qaita.
The following feasts are commemorated in the season of Qaita
* Feast of seventy disciples of Jesus (July 27)
* Feast of
Saint Alphonsa
Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception or Saint Alphonsa, christened at birth as Anna Muttathupadathu (19 August 1910– 28 July 1946), was a nun and an educator by vocation (profession). She was also known for being a victim soul, visionary a ...
in
Syro Malabar Catholic Church
lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ
, native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg
, caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...
(July 28)
* Feast of
Transfiguration of Jesus (August 6)
* Feast of
Assumption of Mary (August 15)
=Eliyah-Sliba-Moses
=
The name of the seasons of Eliyah-Sliba-Moses takes their origin from the feast of the
transfiguration of Jesus. And the seasons revolve around the exaltation of the cross on the
feast of the glorious cross on September 14. During the seasons of Eliyah and Sliba church reminds the faithful of the heavenly bliss which is promised to be inherited at the end of earthly life and the church commemorates the exaltic experience of the bliss through various sacraments. While during the season of Moses church meditates upon the end of time and the
last judgment. Many at times the season of Moses is regarded as a distinct and separate season from the other two since it has a distinct theme.
The season of Eliyah has a length of one to three Sundays. Season of Sliba starts on Sunday on or after the feast of the glorious cross and has a length of three to four weeks. The first Sunday of Sliba is always considered as the fourth Sunday of the combined season. The season of Moses always has four weeks.
Feast celebrated during the seasons:
*
Feast of the glorious Cross
The following feasts are commemorated in the seasons of Eliyah-Sliba-Moses
* Feast of
Nativity of Mary on September 8 and the eight-day fast in preparation for the feast
=Dedication of the church (Qudas Edta)
=
The weeks of the dedication of the church is the last liturgical season in the East Syriac rite. It consists of four weeks and ends on the Saturday before Sunday between November 27 and December 3. The theme of the season is that the church is presented by Christ as his eternal bride before his father at the heavenly bride chamber. The period has its origin in the feast of the dedication of the church of Sephelcure or the Jewish feast of Hanukkah. However, the season was officially instituted by Patriarch Isho-Yahb III of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (647–657) by separating it from the season of Moses.
Feasts celebrated during the season:
* Feast of dedication of the church on 1st Sunday of Qudas Edta
*
Feast of Christ the King
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true kingship of Christ ...
on last Sunday of Qudas Edta (Celebrated only in eastern catholic churches of the rite since pope
Pius XI instituted it in Roman-rite).
Eastern Orthodox Church
The liturgical year in the
Eastern Orthodox Church is characterized by alternating
fasts and
feasts, and is in many ways similar to the Catholic year. However, Church New Year (
Indiction) traditionally begins on
September 1 (
Old Style or New Style), rather than the first Sunday of Advent. It includes both feasts on the
Fixed Cycle and the
Paschal Cycle (or Moveable Cycle). The most important feast day by far is the Feast of
Pascha (Easter) – the Feast of Feasts. Then the
Twelve Great Feasts, which commemorate various significant events in the lives of
Jesus Christ and of the
Theotokos (
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
).
The majority of Orthodox Christians (Russians, in particular) follow the
Julian Calendar in calculating their ecclesiastical feasts, but many (including the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece), while preserving the Julian calculation for feasts on the Paschal Cycle, have adopted the
Revised Julian Calendar (at present coinciding with the
Gregorian Calendar) to calculate those feasts which are fixed according to the calendar date.
Between 1900 and 2100, there is a thirteen-day difference between the dates of the Julian and the Revised Julian and Gregorian calendars. Thus, for example, where Christmas is celebrated on December 25 O.S. (
Old Style), the celebration coincides with
January 7 in the Revised Calendar. The computation of the day of
Pascha (Easter) is, however, always computed according to a
lunar calendar based on the Julian Calendar, even by those churches which observe the Revised Calendar.
There are four fasting seasons during the year: The most important fast is
Great Lent which is an intense time of fasting,
almsgiving and prayer, extending for forty days prior to
Palm Sunday and
Holy Week, as a preparation for
Pascha. The
Nativity Fast (Winter Lent) is a time of preparation for the Feast of the
Nativity of Christ (Christmas), but whereas Advent in the West lasts only four weeks, Nativity Fast lasts a full forty days. The
Apostles' Fast
The Apostles' Fast, also called the Fast of the Holy Apostles, the Fast of Peter and Paul, or sometimes St. Peter's Fast, is a fast observed by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, and Reformed Orthodox Christians. In the Byzant ...
is variable in length, lasting anywhere from eight days to six weeks, in preparation for the
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (
June 29
Events Pre-1600
* 226 – Cao Rui succeeds his father as emperor of the Kingdom of Wei.
*1149 – Raymond of Poitiers is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din Zangi.
*1194 – Sverre is crowned King of Norway, ...
). The
Dormition Fast lasts for two weeks from
August 1 to
August 14 in preparation for the Feast of the
Dormition of the Theotokos (
August 15). The liturgical year is so constructed that during each of these fasting seasons, one of the Great Feasts occurs, so that fasting may be tempered with joy.
In addition to these fasting seasons, Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year (and some Orthodox
monasteries also observe Monday as a fast day). Certain fixed days are always fast days, even if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday (in which case the fast is lessened somewhat, but not abrogated altogether); these are: The
Decollation of St.
John the Baptist, the
Exaltation of the Cross and the day before the Epiphany (January 5). There are several fast-free periods, when it is forbidden to fast, even on Wednesday and Friday. These are: the week following Pascha, the week following
Pentecost, the period from the Nativity of Christ until January the 5th and the first week of the
Triodion (the week following the 17th Sunday before Pentecost).
Pascha
The greatest feast is Pascha. Easter for both East and West is calculated as the first Sunday after the
full moon that falls on or after March 21 (nominally the day of the
vernal equinox), but the Orthodox calculations are based on the
Julian calendar, whose March 21 corresponds at present with April 3 of the
Gregorian calendar, and on calculations of the date of full moon different from those used in the West (see
computus for further details).
The date of Pascha is central to the entire ecclesiastical year, determining not only the date for the beginning of Great Lent and Pentecost, but affecting the cycle of
moveable feasts, of scriptural readings and the
Octoechos (texts chanted according to the eight ecclesiastical modes) throughout the year. There are also a number of lesser feasts throughout the year that are based upon the date of Pascha. The moveable cycle begins on the
Zacchaeus Sunday (the first Sunday in preparation for Great Lent or the 33rd Sunday after Pentecost as it is known), though the cycle of the Octoechos continues until Palm Sunday.
The date of Pascha affects the following liturgical seasons:
*The period of the
Triodion (the Sundays before Great Lent,
Cheesefare Week, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week)
*The period of the
Pentecostarion (Sunday of Pascha through the Sunday After Pentecost which is also called the Sunday of all saints)
The twelve Great Feasts
Some of these feasts follow the Fixed Cycle, and some follow the Moveable (Paschal) Cycle. Most of those on the Fixed Cycle have a period of preparation called a
Forefeast, and a period of celebration afterward, similar to the Western
Octave, called an Afterfeast. Great Feasts on the Paschal Cycle do not have Forefeasts. The lengths of Forefeasts and Afterfeasts vary, according to the feast.
*
Nativity of the Theotokos (
September 8)
** birth of the
Theotokos to
Joachim and
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
*
Elevation of the Cross
The Elevation of the Holy Cross ( el, Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού; also known as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on September 14. It is one of the two feast days wh ...
(
September 14)
** the rediscovery of the original
Cross on which Christ was crucified
*
Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (
November 21)
** the entry of the
Theotokos into the Temple around the age of 3
*
Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (
December 25)
** the birth of
Jesus, or
Christmas
*
Theophany (
January 6)
** the baptism of Jesus Christ, Christ's blessing of the water, and the revealing of Christ as God
*
Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple (
February 2)
** Christ's presentation as an infant in the Temple by the
Theotokos and
Joseph.
*
Annunciation of the
Theotokos (
March 25)
**
Gabriel's announcement to the
Theotokos that she will conceive the Christ, and her wilful agreement thereto
Note: In Eastern practice, should this feast fall during Holy Week or on Pascha itself, the feast of the Annunciation is not transferred to another day. In fact, the conjunction of the feasts of the Annunciation and Pascha (''dipli Paschalia'', el, διπλή Πασχαλιά) is considered an extremely festive event.
*
Entry into Jerusalem (Sunday before
Pascha)
** known in the West as Palm Sunday.
*
Ascension (40 days after Pascha)
** Christ's ascension into Heaven following his resurrection.
*
Pentecost (50 days after Pascha)
** The
Holy Spirit comes and indwells the
apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
and other Christian believers.
*
Transfiguration of Our Lord
In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it ().
In thes ...
(
August 6)
** Christ's Transfiguration as witnessed by Peter, James and John.
*
Dormition of the Theotokos (
August 15)
** The falling asleep of the
Theotokos (cf. the
Assumption of Mary in
Western Christianity)
Other feasts
Some additional feasts are observed with as though they were Great Feasts:
*
The Protection of the Mother of God (October 1), especially among the
Russian Orthodox
* The Feast of
Saint James the Just (October 23)
* The Feast of
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26)
* The Feast of the Holy
Archangels Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
and
Gabriel (November 8)
* The Feast of
Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of
Myra in
Lycia (December 6)
* The Feast of the Conception of
Mary by Saints
Joachim and
Anne (December 9)
* The Feast of
Saint Spiridon (December 12)
* The Feast of
Saint Stephen the Deacon (December 27)
* The Feast of
Saint Basil the Great and the
Circumcision of Christ (January 1)
* The Feast of the
Three Holy Hierarchs
The Three Hierarchs ( grc, Οἱ Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχαι; ell, Οι Τρεις Ιεράρχες) of Eastern Christianity refers to Basil the Great (also known as Basil of Caesarea), Gregory the Theologian (also known as Gregory of Nazianzu ...
:
Basil the Great,
Gregory the Theologian and
John Chrysostom (January 30)
* The Feast of the
Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste or the Holy Forty (Ancient/Katharevousa Greek ''Ἅγιοι Τεσσεράκοντα''; Demotic: ''Άγιοι Σαράντα'') were a group of Roman soldiers in the Legio XII ''Fulminata'' (Armed with Lightning) w ...
(March 9)
* The Feast of
Saint Patrick (March 17)
* The Feast of
Saint George (April 23)
* The Feast of the Holy Emperors
Constantine and
Helen
Helen may refer to:
People
* Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world
* Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress
* Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Helen, ...
(May 21)
* The
Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (June 24)
* The Feast of
Saints Peter and Paul Peter and Paul may refer to:
* Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle considered together
** Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June in the Catholic liturgical calendar
** St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (disambiguation)
* ''Peter and Paul'' (film), 19 ...
(June 29)
* The Feast of
Saint Elijah
Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) was, according to the Books of ...
the
Prophet (July 20)
* The Feast of
Saint Christina of Bolsena the Great Martyr (July 24)
* The
Beheading of St. John the Baptist
The beheading of John the Baptist, also known as the decollation of Saint John the Baptist or the beheading of the Forerunner, is a biblical event commemorated as a holy day by various Christian churches. According to the New Testament, Herod ...
(August 29)
* Beginning of the
Indiction-Ecclesiastical Year (September 1)
* The
Patronal Feast of a church or monastery
Every day throughout the year commemorates some saint or some event in the lives of
Christ or the
Theotokos. When a feast on the moveable cycle occurs, the feast on the fixed cycle that was set for that calendar day is transferred, with the
propers of the feast often being chanted at
Compline on the nearest convenient day.
Cycles
In addition to the Fixed and Moveable Cycles, there are a number of other
liturgical cycles in the ecclesiastical year that affect the celebration of the divine services. These include, the
Daily Cycle, the
Weekly Cycle, the Cycle of
Matins Gospel
The Matins Gospel is the solemn chanting of a lection from one of the Four Gospels during Matins in the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.
The reading of the Gospel is the highpoint of the servi ...
s, and the
Octoechos.
Oriental Orthodox and P'ent'ay Evangelical Churches
Western Christianity
Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, and are also followed in many Protestant churches, including the Lutheran, Anglican, and other traditions. Generally, the seasons in liturgical western Christianity are
Advent,
Christmas, Ordinary Time (Time after
Epiphany),
Lent,
Easter, and Ordinary Time (Time after
Pentecost). Some Protestant traditions do not include Ordinary Time: every day falls into a denominated season. Other Protestant churches, such as a minority in the Reformed tradition, reject the liturgical year entirely on the grounds that its observance is not directed in scripture.
Vanderbilt University Professor Hoyt L. Hickman, with regard to the calendars of the Western Christians Churches that use the
Revised Common Lectionary
The Revised Common Lectionary is a lectionary of readings or pericopes from the Bible for use in Christian worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. It was preceded by the Common ...
,
including Methodists, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans and some Baptists and Presbyterians, among others, states that:
Protestant Churches, with exception of the Lutheran and Anglican, generally observe fewer if any feasts with regard to the saints than the aforementioned liturgical denominations, in addition to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Denominational specifics
Catholic Church
The
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
sets aside certain days and seasons of each year to recall and celebrate various events in the life of Christ. In its
Roman Rite the liturgical year begins with
Advent, the time of preparation for both the celebration of Jesus' birth, and his expected second coming at the end of time. This season lasts until
Christmas Eve on December 24.
[Barry, ''One Faith, One Lord'' (2001), p. 116] Christmastide follows, beginning with First Vespers of Christmas on the evening of December 24 and ending with the
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, or Theophany, is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Originally the baptism of Christ was celebrated on Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Ma ...
.
Lent is the period of purification and penance that begins on
Ash Wednesday and ends on
Holy Thursday. The Holy Thursday evening
Mass of the Lord's Supper marks the beginning of the
Easter Triduum
The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum (Latin: ''Triduum Paschale''), Holy Triduum (Latin: ''Triduum Sacrum''), or the Three Days, is the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high poin ...
, which includes
Good Friday,
Holy Saturday, and
Easter Sunday.
The days of the Easter Triduum recall Jesus'
Last Supper with his disciples, death on the cross, burial, and resurrection. The seven-week liturgical
season of Easter immediately follows the Triduum, climaxing at
Pentecost. This last feast recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples after the
Ascension of Jesus. The rest of the liturgical year is commonly known as
Ordinary Time.
There are many forms of liturgy in the Catholic Church. Even putting aside the many Eastern rites in use, the
Latin liturgical rites alone include the
Ambrosian Rite
The Ambrosian Rite is a Catholic Western liturgical rite, named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century, which differs from the Roman Rite. It is used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of the Archdiocese ...
, the
Mozarabic Rite, and the
Cistercian Rite, as well as other forms that have been largely abandoned in favour of adopting the
Roman Rite.
The liturgical calendar in that form of the Roman Rite (see
General Roman Calendar)
of 1960 differs in some respects from that of the present form of the Roman Rite.
Lutheran Churches
Anglican Church
The
Church of England,
Mother Church of the
Anglican Communion, uses a liturgical year that is in most respects identical to that of the 1969 Catholic Common Lectionary. While the calendars contained within the ''
Book of Common Prayer'' and the ''
Alternative Service Book'' (1980) have no "Ordinary Time", ''
Common Worship'' (2000) adopted the ecumenical 1983
Revised Common Lectionary
The Revised Common Lectionary is a lectionary of readings or pericopes from the Bible for use in Christian worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. It was preceded by the Common ...
. The few exceptions are Sundays following Christmas and
Transfiguration, observed on the last Sunday before Lent instead of on ''
Reminiscere''.
In some Anglican traditions (including the Church of England) the Christmas season is followed by an Epiphany season, which begins on the Eve of the Epiphany (on 6 January or the nearest Sunday) and ends on the
Feast of the Presentation (on February 2 or the nearest Sunday). Ordinary Time then begins after this period.
The ''
Book of Common Prayer'' contains within it the traditional Western Eucharistic lectionary which traces its roots to the ''Comes'' of St. Jerome in the 5th century. Its similarity to the ancient lectionary is particularly obvious during Trinity season (Sundays after the Sunday after Pentecost), reflecting that understanding of sanctification.
Reformed Churches
Reformed Christians emphasize weekly celebration of the
Lord's Day. While some of them celebrate also what they call the five
evangelical feasts, others celebrate no holy days but the Lord's Day and reject the liturgical year as non-scriptural, and as therefore inconsistent with the
regulative principle of worship.
Liturgical calendar
Advent
Advent (from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
word ''
adventus'', which means "arrival" or "coming") is the first season of the liturgical year. It begins four Sundays before Christmas, the Sunday falling on or nearest to November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve. Traditionally observed as a "fast", it focuses on preparation for the coming of
Christ, not only the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas, but also, in the first weeks, on the
eschatological final coming of Christ, making Advent "a period for devout and joyful expectation".
This season is often marked by the
Advent Wreath, a garland of evergreens with four candles. Although the main symbolism of the advent wreath is simply marking the progression of time, many churches attach themes to each candle, most often 'hope', 'faith', 'joy', and 'love'. Other popular devotions during Advent include the use of the
Advent Calendar
An Advent calendar is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the date of the First Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, many reusable Advent calendars made of paper or wood ...
or the
Tree of Jesse to count down the days to Christmas.
''Liturgical colour'': violet or purple; blue in some traditions, such as Anglican/Episcopalian, Methodist, and Lutheran.
Christmastide
The
Christmas season immediately follows Advent. The traditional
Twelve Days of Christmas begin with
Christmas Eve on the evening of
December 24 and continue until the feast of
Epiphany. The actual Christmas season continues until the
Feast of the Baptism of Christ, which in the present form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, or the following Monday if that Sunday is Epiphany.
In the pre-1970 form, this feast is celebrated on January 13, unless January 13 is a Sunday, in which case the feast of the
Holy Family is celebrated instead.
Until the suppression of the Octave of the Epiphany in the 1960 reforms, January 13 was the Octave day of the Epiphany, providing the date for the end of the season.
Traditionally, the end of Christmastide was February 2, or the
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as
Candlemas. This feast recounts the 40 days of rest Mary took before being purified and presenting her first-born son to the Temple in Jerusalem. In medieval times, Candlemas eve (Feb. 1st) marked the day when all Christmas decorations, including the
Christmas tree and the
Nativity scene, were taken down. However, the tradition of ending Christmastide on Candlemas has slowly waned, except in some pockets of the Hispanic world where Candlemas (or La Fiesta de la Candelaria) is still an important feast and the unofficial end of the Christmas season.
''Liturgical colour'': white
Ordinary Time
"Ordinary" comes from the same root as our word "ordinal", and in this sense means "the counted weeks". In the Catholic Church and in some Protestant traditions, these are the common weeks which do not belong to a proper season. In Latin, these seasons are called the weeks , or "through the year".
In the current form of the Roman Rite adopted following the Second Vatican Council, Ordinary Time consists of 33 or 34 Sundays and is divided into two sections. The first portion extends from the day following the Feast of the Baptism of Christ until the day before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). It contains anywhere from three to eight Sundays, depending on how early or late Easter falls.
The main focus in the readings of the Mass is Christ's earthly ministry, rather than any one particular event. The counting of the Sundays resumes following Eastertide; however, two Sundays are replaced by Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, and depending on whether the year has 52 or 53 weeks, one may be omitted.
In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite, the Time after Epiphany has anywhere from one to six Sundays. As in the current form of the rite, the season mainly concerns Christ's preaching and ministry, with many of his parables read as the Gospel readings. The season begins on January 14 and ends on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday. Omitted Sundays after Epiphany are transferred to Time after Pentecost and celebrated between the Twenty-Third and the Last Sunday after Pentecost according to an order indicated in the
Code of Rubrics
The Code of Rubrics is a three-part liturgical document promulgated in 1960 under Pope John XXIII, which in the form of a legal code indicated the liturgical and sacramental law governing the celebration of the Roman Rite Mass and Divine Offic ...
, 18, with complete omission of any for which there is no Sunday available in the current year. Before the 1960 revisions, the omitted Sunday would be celebrated on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday, or, in the case of the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, on the Saturday before the Last Sunday after Pentecost.
''Liturgical colour'': green
Septuagesima/Pre-Lenten Season
Septuagesima (from the Latin word for "seventieth") is a two-and-a-half-week period before Lent. This pre-Lent season is present in the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite and in some Protestant calendars. It is a transition from the first part of the season ''per annum'' to the season of Lent, and a preparation for the fasting and penance which begin on Ash Wednesday. Although most of the
Divine Office remains the same as during the season ''per annum'', certain customs of Lent are adopted, including the suppression of the "Alleluia", the replacement of the
Alleluia at Mass with the
Tract
Tract may refer to:
Geography and real estate
* Housing tract, an area of land that is subdivided into smaller individual lots
* Land lot or tract, a section of land
* Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census
W ...
and the Gloria is no longer said on Sundays.
In the 1969 reform of the Roman Rite, this intermediate season was removed, with these weeks becoming part of Ordinary Time.
''Liturgical colour'' (where observed): violet or purple
Lent and Passiontide
Lent is a major penitential season of preparation for
Easter. It begins on
Ash Wednesday and, if the penitential days of
Good Friday and
Holy Saturday are included, lasts for forty days, since the six Sundays within the season are not counted.
In the Roman Rite, the
Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the
Te Deum are not used in the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours respectively, except on Solemnities and Feasts, and the
Alleluia and verse that usually precede the reading of the Gospel is either omitted or replaced with another acclamation.
Lutheran churches make these same omissions.
As in Advent, the deacon and subdeacon of the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite do not wear their habitual dalmatic and tunicle (signs of joy) in Masses of the season during Lent; instead they wear "folded chasubles", in accordance with the ancient custom.
In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite, the two weeks before Easter form the season of Passiontide, a subsection of the Lenten season that begins with
Matins of
Ash Wednesday and ends immediately before the Mass of the
Easter Vigil. In this form, what used to be officially called
Passion Sunday, has the official name of the First Sunday in Passiontide, and
Palm Sunday has the additional name of the Second Sunday in Passiontide. In Sunday and ferial Masses (but not on feasts celebrated in the first of these two weeks) the
Gloria Patri is omitted at the
Entrance Antiphon and at the Lavabo, as well as in the responds in the Divine Office.
In the post-1969 form of the Roman Rite, "Passion Sunday" and "Palm Sunday" are both names for the Sunday before Easter, officially called "Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion". The former Passion Sunday became a fifth Sunday of Lent. The earlier form reads Matthew's account on Sunday, Mark's on Tuesday, and Luke's on Wednesday, while the post-1969 form reads the Passion only on Palm Sunday (with the three Synoptic Gospels arranged in a three-year cycle) and on
Good Friday, when it reads the Passion according to John, as also do earlier forms of the Roman Rite.
The veiling of crucifixes and images of the saints with violet cloth, which was obligatory before 1970, is left to the decision of the national bishops' conferences. In the United States, it is permitted but not required, at the discretion of the pastor. In all forms, the readings concern the events leading up to the
Last Supper and the betrayal, Passion, and death of Christ.
The week before Easter is called
Holy Week.
In the Roman Rite, feasts that fall within that week are simply omitted, unless they have the rank of Solemnity, in which case they are transferred to another date. The only solemnities inscribed in the General Calendar that can fall within that week are those of
St. Joseph and the
Annunciation.
''Liturgical colour'': violet or purple. The colour rose may be used, where it is the practice, on
Laetare Sunday
Laetare Sunday (Church Latin: ; Classical Latin: ; English: , , , , ) is the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. Traditionally, this Sunday has been a day of celebration, within the austere period ...
(4th Sunday of Lent). On
Palm Sunday the colour since 1970 is red, by earlier rules violet or purple, with red being used after 1955 for the blessing of the palms.
Easter Triduum
The Easter Triduum consists of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Each of these days begins liturgically not with the morning but with the preceding evening.
The triduum begins on the evening before Good Friday with
Mass of the Lord's Supper, celebrated with white vestments, and often includes a ritual of ceremonial footwashing. It is customary on this night for a vigil involving private prayer to take place, beginning after the evening service and continuing until midnight. This vigil is occasionally renewed at dawn, continuing until the Good Friday liturgy.
During the day of
Good Friday Mass is not celebrated in the Catholic Church. Instead a Celebration of the Passion of the Lord is held in the afternoon or evening. It consists of three parts: a
Liturgy of the Word that includes the reading of the account of the
Passion by
John the Evangelist and concludes with a solemn
Universal Prayer. Other churches also have their Good Friday commemoration of the Passion.
The colour of vestments varies: no colour, red, or black are used in different traditions. Coloured hangings may be removed. Lutheran churches often either remove colourful adornments and icons, or veil them with drab cloth. The service is usually plain with somber music, ending with the congregation leaving in silence. In the Catholic, some Lutheran, and High Anglican rites, a crucifix (not necessarily the one which stands on or near the altar on other days of the year) is ceremoniously unveiled. Other crucifixes are unveiled, without ceremony, after the service.
Holy Saturday commemorates the day during which Christ lay in the tomb. In the Catholic Church, there is no Mass on this day; the Easter Vigil Mass, which, though celebrated properly at the following midnight, is often celebrated in the evening, is an Easter Mass. With no liturgical celebration, there is no question of a liturgical colour.
The
Easter Vigil is held in the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus. See also
Paschal candle. The liturgical colour is white, often together with gold. In the Roman Rite, during the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" the organ and bells are used in the liturgy for the first time in 2 days, and the statues, which have been veiled during Passiontide (at least in the Roman Rite through the 1962 version), are unveiled. In Lutheran churches, colours and icons are re-displayed as well.
Eastertide
Easter is the celebration of
Jesus' Resurrection. The date of Easter varies from year to year, according to a lunar-calendar dating system (see
computus for details). In the Roman Rite, the Easter season extends from the
Easter Vigil through
Pentecost Sunday. In the pre-1970 form of the rite, this season includes also the
Octave of Pentecost, so Eastertide lasts until
None of the following Saturday.
In the Roman Rite, the
Easter octave allows no other feasts to be celebrated or commemorated during it; a solemnity, such as the Annunciation, falling within it is transferred to the following Monday. If Easter Sunday or Easter Monday falls on 25 April, the Greater Litanies, which in the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite are on that day, are transferred to the following Tuesday.
By a decree of May 5, 2000, the Second Sunday of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Day itself), is known also in the Roman Rite as the
Feast of the Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy Sunday (also known as the Feast of the Divine Mercy) is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, which concludes the Octave of Easter. The feast day is observed in the Roman Rite calendar, as well as some Anglo-Catholics of th ...
.
Ascension Thursday, which celebrates the return of Jesus to heaven following his resurrection, is the fortieth day of Easter, but, in places where it is not observed as a
Holy Day of Obligation, the post-1969 form of the Roman rite transfers it to the following Sunday.
Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the Easter season. It celebrates the sending of the
Holy Spirit to the
Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
, which traditionally marks the birth of the Church, see also
Apostolic Age
Christianity in the 1st century covers the formative history of Christianity from the start of the ministry of Jesus (–29 AD) to the death of the last of the Twelve Apostles () and is thus also known as the Apostolic Age. Early Christianity ...
.
''Liturgical colour'': white, but red on the feast of Pentecost.
Ordinary Time, Time after Pentecost, Time after Trinity, or Kingdomtide
This season, under various names, follows the Easter season and the feasts of Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. In the post-1969 form of the Roman rite, Ordinary Time resumes on
Pentecost Monday
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. ...
, omitting the Sunday which would have fallen on Pentecost. In the earlier form, where Pentecost is celebrated with an octave, the Time after Pentecost begins at Vespers on the Saturday after Pentecost. The Sundays resume their numbering at the point that will make the Sunday before Advent the thirty-fourth, omitting any weeks for which there is no room (present-day form of the Roman Rite) or are numbered as "Sundays after Pentecost" (pre-1970 Roman Rite,
Eastern Orthodoxy and some Protestants) or as "Sundays after Trinity" (some Protestants). This season ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent.
Feasts during this season include:
*
Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost
*
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Roman Rite and some Anglican and Lutheran traditions), Thursday of the second week after Pentecost, often celebrated on the following Sunday
*
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Roman Rite), Friday of the third week after Pentecost
*
Assumption of Mary on 15 August
*
Feast of Christ the King
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true kingship of Christ ...
, last Sunday before Advent (Roman Rite, Lutherans, Anglicans) or last Sunday in October (1925–1969 form of the Roman Rite)
In the final few weeks of Ordinary Time, many churches direct attention to the coming of the Kingdom of God, thus ending the liturgical year with an
eschatological theme that is one of the predominant themes of the season of Advent that began the liturgical year. For instance, in the
extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, the Gospel of the Last Sunday is and in the ordinary form of the Roman Rite all the last three Sundays of the liturgical year are affected by the theme of the
Second Coming.
While the Roman Rite adopts no special designation for this final part of Ordinary Time, some denominations do, and may also change the liturgical colour. The
Church of England uses the term "Sundays before Advent" for the final four Sundays and permits red vestments as an alternative. The
United Methodist Church may use the name "
Kingdomtide".
The
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) uses the terms "Third-Last, Second-Last and Last Sunday in the Church Year" and does not change from green. The LCMS does not officially celebrate a "Feast of Christ the King." The
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) uses the term "Period of End Times" and assigns red vestments to the first and second Sundays.
Calendar of saints
* In some Protestant traditions, especially those with closer ties to the Lutheran tradition,
Reformation Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday preceding October 31, commemorating the purported day
Martin Luther posted the
95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in
Wittenberg. The liturgical colour is red, celebrating the
Holy Spirit's continuing work in renewing the Church.
* Most Western traditions celebrate
All Saints' Day (All Hallow's Day) on November 1 or the Sunday following, with the eve of this feast,
All Hallow's Eve being October 31. The liturgical colour is white. The following day, November 2, is
All Souls' Day. The period including these days is often referred to as
Allhallowtide or Allsaintstide.
*
Saints Days are observed by
Lutherans and include the apostles, Virgin Mary and noteworthy figures in the Christian faith. The Confession of St. Peter
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity starting on January 18. Conversion of St. Paul ended week of prayer on January 25.
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr January 15 (
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America only), Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of the Mary
Candlemas on February 2. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus
St Joseph
Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...
on March 19,
Annunciation March 25,
Visitation of Mary on May 31.
*
Lutherans also celebrate
St John the Baptist or the Beheading of St John the Baptist on June 24,
St Mary Magdalene July 22,
St. Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, Mother of Our Lord or the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15, Holy Cross Day September 14, Francis of Assisi, renewal of the Church
St. Francis of Assisi on October 4, and the Holy Innocents, Martyrs December 28.
* Lesser Feasts and Commemorations on the
Lutheran liturgical calendar include
Anthony of Egypt on January 17, Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, martyr
Henry of Uppsala on January 19, Timothy, Titus and Silas, missionaries
St Timothy
Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus ( Greek: ; ''Timótheos'', meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God") was an early Christian evangelist and the first Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates died around the year AD 97.
Timothy was f ...
,
St Titus and
St Silas Day on January 26, Ansgar, Bishop of Hamburg, missionary to Denmark and Sweden
St Ansgar on February 3, Cyril, monk and Methodius, bishop, missionaries to the Slavs
St Cyril and St Methodius on February 14,
Gregory the Great on March 12,
St Patrick on March 17,
Olavus Petri, priest and Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala, on April 19,
St Anselm on April 21,
Catherine of Siena on April 29,
St Athanasius on May 2,
St Monica on May 4,
Eric IX of Sweden on May 18,
St Boniface on June 5,
Basil the Great,
Gregory of Nyssa and
Gregory of Nazianzus on June 14,
Benedict of Nursia on July 11,
Birgitta of Sweden on July 23,
St Anne, Mother of Mary on July 26,
St Dominic
Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scient ...
on August 8,
Augustine of Hippo on August 28,
St Cyprian on September 16,
Teresa of Avila on October 15,
Martin de Porres on November 3,
Martin of Tours on November 11,
Elizabeth of Hungary on November 17,
St Lucy on December 13. There are many other holy days in the Lutheran calendar.
* Some traditions celebrate
St. Michael's Day (Michaelmas) on September 29.
* Some traditions celebrate
St. Martin's Day (Martinmas) on November 11.
''Liturgical colours'': white if the saint was not martyred; red if the saint was martyred
=Hierarchy of feast days
=
There are degrees of solemnity of the office of the feast days of saints. In the 13th century, the Roman Rite distinguished three ranks: simple, semidouble and double, with consequent differences in the recitation of the
Divine Office or Breviary. The simple feast commenced with the chapter (''capitulum'') of First Vespers, and ended with None. It had three lessons and took the psalms of Matins from the ferial office; the rest of the office was like the semidouble. The semidouble feast had two Vespers, nine lessons in Matins, and ended with Compline. The antiphons before the psalms were only intoned. In the Mass, the semidouble had always at least three "orationes" or
collects. On a double feast the antiphons were sung in their entirety, before and after the psalms, while in Lauds and Vespers there were no ''suffragia'' of the saints, and the Mass had only one "oratio" (if no commemoration was prescribed). If ordinary double feasts (referred to also as lesser doubles) occurred with feasts of a higher rank, they could be simplified, except the octave days of some feasts and the feasts of the Doctors of the Church, which were transferred.
To the existing distinction between major and ordinary or minor doubles,
Pope Clement VIII added two more ranks, those of first-class or second-class doubles. Some of these two classes were kept with octaves. This was still the situation when the 1907 articl
Ecclesiastical Feastsin the
Catholic Encyclopedia was written. In accordance with the rules then in force, feast days of any form of double, if impeded by "occurrence" (falling on the same day) with a feast day of higher class, were transferred to another day.
Pope Pius X simplified matters considerably in his 1911
reform of the Roman Breviary. In the case of occurrence the lower-ranking feast day could become a
commemoration within the celebration of the higher-ranking one. Until then, ordinary doubles took precedence over most of the semidouble Sundays, resulting in many of the Sunday Masses rarely being said. While retaining the semidouble rite for Sundays, Pius X's reform permitted only the most important feast days to be celebrated on Sunday, although commemorations were still made until
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 28 Oc ...
's reform of 1960.
The division into doubles (of various kinds) semidoubles and simples continued until 1955, when
Pope Pius XII abolished the rank of semidouble, making all the previous semidoubles simples, and reducing the previous simples to a mere commemoration in the Mass of another feast day or of the feria on which they fell (see
General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII).
Then, in 1960, Pope John XXIII issued the
Code of Rubrics
The Code of Rubrics is a three-part liturgical document promulgated in 1960 under Pope John XXIII, which in the form of a legal code indicated the liturgical and sacramental law governing the celebration of the Roman Rite Mass and Divine Offic ...
, completely ending the ranking of feast days by doubles etc., and replacing it by a ranking, applied not only to feast days but to all liturgical days, as I, II, III, and IV class days.
The
1969 revision by
Pope Paul VI divided feast days into "solemnities", "feasts" and "memorials", corresponding approximately to Pope John XXIII's I, II and III class feast days. Commemorations were abolished. While some of the memorials are considered obligatory, others are optional, permitting a choice on some days between two or three memorials, or between one or more memorials and the celebration of the feria. On a day to which no obligatory celebration is assigned, the Mass may be of any saint mentioned in the
Roman Martyrology for that day.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal
355 c
=Assumption of Mary
=
Observed by Catholics and some Anglicans on August 15, which is the same as the Eastern and Orthodox feast of the Dormition, the end of the earthly life of the Virgin Mary and, for some, her bodily Assumption into heaven, is celebrated. The Catholic teaching on this feast was defined as dogma on November 1, 1950, by Pope Pius XII in his bull, '' Munificentissimus Deus''.
In other Anglican and Lutheran traditions, as well as a few others, August 15 is celebrated as St. Mary, Mother of the Lord.
''Liturgical colour'': white
Secular observance
Because of the dominance of Christianity in Europe throughout the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, many features of the Christian year became incorporated into the secular calendar. Many of its feasts (e.g., Christmas, Mardi Gras, Saint Patrick's Day) remain holidays, and are now celebrated by people of all faiths and none — in some cases worldwide. The secular celebrations bear varying degrees of likeness to the religious feasts from which they derived, often also including elements of ritual from pagan festivals of similar date.
See also
*
*
References
Further reading
* Stookey, L. H. ''Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church'', 1996.
* Hickman, Hoyt L., et al. ''Handbook of the Christian Year'', 1986.
* Webber, Robert E. ''Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year'', 2004.
* Schmemann, Fr. Alexander. ''The Church Year (Celebration of Faith Series, Sermons Vol. 2)'', 1994.
* Talley, Thomas J. ''The Origins of the Liturgical Year'', Ed. 2. 1991.
External links
* The Catholic Church's liturgical calendar, fro
US Catholic Bishops
, or fro
O.S.V. publishing
.
— A liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church including the Liturgy of the Hours and the Mass readings.
Greek Orthodox Calendar
– Greek Orthodox Calendar & Online Chapel
Russian Orthodox Calendar
at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church
Lectionary Central
– For the study and use of the traditional Western Eucharistic lectionary (Anglican).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liturgical Year
*
Seasons
Christian terminology
Types of year