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The liturgical yearis the cycle of liturgical seasons in the Catholic Church. This cycle determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read during the celebration of the Eucharist. Distinct liturgical colours appear in connection with different seasons of the liturgical year. The dates of the festivals vary somewhat between the Western (Latin Rite and the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, though the sequence and logic is 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, vestments for clergy, scriptural 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 by a list called a lectionary. Following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's, the adoption and use of lectionaries in Protestant churches increased. In particular, the growing influence of the Revised Common Lectionary led to a greater awareness of the Christian year among Protestants in the later decades of the twentieth century, especially among mainline denominations.

Moveable Feasts

Main article: Moveable feast

In both the East and the West, the dates of many feasts vary from year to year, though in almost all cases this is due to the variation in the date of Easter, and all other dates follow from that. The extent to which the fasts and festivals are celebrated also varies between churches; in general Protestant churches observe far fewer of them than Catholic and Orthodox churches, and in particular are less likely to celebrate feasts of the Virgin Mary and the Saints.

Latin Rite liturgical calendar

Advent

The first season of the liturgical year begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Historically observed as a "fast", its purpose focuses on preparation for the coming Christ. Although often conceived as awaiting the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas, the modern lectionary points the season more toward eschatological themes--awaiting the final coming of Christ, when "the wolf shall live with the lamb" (Isaiah 11:6) and when God will have "brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly" (The Magnificat, Luke 1:52)--particularly in the earlier half of the season. This period of waiting 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'.

Color: Violet, or in some traditions Blue. On the third Sunday of Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday, Rose/Pink is used in some places.

Although the Roman Catholic rite omits the "Gloria in Excelsis" in Mass of the season (as opposed to Mass of a feast), the "Alleluia" remains (although the pre-Vatican II rite had no "Alleluia" in Mass of the season other than on Sunday).

Christmas

Christmastide begins on the evening of Christmas Eve (December 24) and ends on the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. Christmas Day itself is December 25. The 12-day length of the Christmas season gives rise to "The Twelve Days of Christmas"; despite what retailers and the media might have one believe, the Twelve Days begin on Christmas Day, instead of ending on it.

The Roman Catholic calendar has the Christmas liturgical season continuing to the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (the old octave day of Epiphany), which in pre-Vatican II calendar was fixed on January 13. Color: White or Gold.

Ordinary Time ("Time after Epiphany" and "Septuagesima")

"Ordinary" comes from the same root as our word "ordinal", and in this sense means "the counted weeks". In the Roman Catholic Church and in some Protestant traditions, these are the common weeks which do not belong to a proper season. It consists of either 33 or 34 Sundays, depending on the year. In the modern Roman rite, the first portion of Ordinary Time extends from the day following the Feast of the Baptism of Christ until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). This first installment has anywhere from three to eight Sundays, depending on how early or late Easter falls in a given year. In other rites, including Protestant ones, Ordinary Time may start as early as the day after Epiphany or as late as the day after Candlemas.

The terminology of "Ordinary Time" replaces the older language of the Seasons of "Time After Epiphany" and "Septuagesima" (pre-Lenten season), which are still in use by traditional Catholics and other Catholics who attend the ancient, pre-Vatican II Mass known as the Tridentine Rite. Some Protestant rites also use the older terminology.

In the older Roman rite, the Time after Epiphany could have anywhere from one to six Sundays, with Septuagesima as a 17-day season beginning nine Sundays before Easter and ending on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Any omitted Sundays after Epiphany are transferred to the time after Pentecost and celebrated between the Twenty-Third Sunday and the Last Sunday. If, however, there are not enough Sundays in the year to accommodate all such Sundays, then the one which would otherwise occur on Septuagesima Sunday is celebrated on the previous day (Saturday); in the case of Easter falling so late that there were only 23 Sundays After Pentecost, the Mass for 23rd Sunday was celebrated on the day before the Last Sunday After Pentecost. The 1962 reform changed this, instead dropping the displaced Sunday Mass for that year. During Septuagesima, certain customs of Lent are adopted, including the suppression of the "Alleluja" and, on Sundays, the Gloria, and the vestments are violet.

Color: Green.

Lent and Passiontide

Lent is a major fast taken by the Church to prepare for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, at the conclusion of Holy Week. There are forty days of Lent, counting from Ash Wednesday through the Easter Triduum, but not including Sundays. The final week of Lent is known as Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday. The final three days of Lent are known as the Easter Triduum.

Before the 1970 reforms, the last two weeks of Lent in the Catholic Church were known as Passiontide. During this season, the Gloria Patri is suppressed except after the Psalms in the Divine Office, the readings begin to focus even more on the Passion of Christ, and, most noticeably, the crucifixes and images of the saints are covered with violet cloth. On the Friday before Good Friday is the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Should the Feasts of St. Joseph or the Annunciation fall during Holy Week, they are transferred to the week following Easter.

Color: Violet. In some traditions, Rose may be used on the 4th Sunday of Lent, called Laetare Sunday.

The Easter Triduum consists of:

Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday
- at the evening worship service or Mass of the Lord's Supper
- some churches who celebrate this day as Maundy Thursday engage in the ritual of ceremonial footwashing.
- Color: White.

Good Friday
- the celebration of His passion
- Color: Varies: No color, Red, or Black are used in different traditions. (Where colored hangings are removed for this day, liturgical color applies to vestments only.)
- In the Roman Catholic rite, a crucifix (not necessarily the one which stands on or near the altar on other days of the year) is ceremoniously unveiled. (And in pre-Vatican II, other crucifixes were to be unveiled, without ceremony, after the Good Friday service.)

Holy Saturday
- commemoration of the day Christ lay in the Tomb
- Color: None

Easter Vigil
- held after sunset of Holy Saturday, or before dawn on Easter Day, in anticipation of the celebration of the resurrection.
  See also Paschal candle
- Color: White, often together with Gold.
- In pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic rite, during the "Gloria in Excelsis" at the Mass, the organ and bells are used in the liturgy for the first time in 2 days, and the statues, which have been veiled during Passion time, are unveiled.

Easter

The date of Easter varies from year to year, but is set to be close to the date of Jesus' resurrection, which the holiday recognizes. The Easter season extends from the Easter Vigil through Pentecost Sunday on the Catholic and Protestant calendars. On the calendar used by traditional Catholics, Eastertide lasts until the end of the Octave of Pentecost, at None of the following Ember Saturday.

The Easter octave allows for no other feasts to be celebrated or commemorated during it (possible exception is the Greater Litanies if Easter falls late enough). If Easter is so early that March 25 falls in Easter week, Annunciation feast is postponed to the following week.

Ascension is the fortieth day of Easter, always a Thursday. Pentecost is the fiftieth.

Color: White or Gold, except on Pentecost, on which the color is Red.

Ordinary Time ("Time after Pentecost" and "Kingdomtide")

Ordinary Time resumes after the Easter Season, on Pentecost Monday, and ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent. Before the Roman liturgical calendar was reformed at the Second Vatican Council, the Sundays in this part of the year were listed as "Sundays after Pentecost" by Roman Catholics; the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestants still adhere to this terminology. The first Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday and in many traditions the last Sunday of Ordinary Time is the Feast of Christ the King.

Variations during this season include:

In the Catholic and some Anglican traditions the feast of Corpus Christi occurs eleven days after Pentecost.
All Saints' Day is celebrated on November 1st or the Sunday following. The liturgical color is White.
The final few weeks of Ordinary Time have a distinctive focus on the coming of the Kingdom of God (so that the liturgical year turns full circle by anticipating one of the predominant themes of Advent). The final three Sundays have a strong eschatological theme, though without any change in designation for those Sundays.

Color: Green

Assumption of Mary

August 15th. On this date, which is the same as the Eastern tradition of the Dormition, the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven is celebrated. This feast day is perhaps the oldest feast day in the Christian Church, being celebrated in both the East and the West. The teaching on this feast was dogmatically defined on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII in the Papal Bull, Munificentissimus Deus.

Protestant calendars

Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, including Protestant calendars since this cycle pre-dates the Protestant Reformation. Generally, the liturgical seasons in western Christianity are Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time (Time after Epiphany), Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time (Time after Pentecost).

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches

The Liturgical year in the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches is characterized by alternating fasts and feasts, and is in many ways similar to the Catholic liturgical year described above. However it is traditionally held to begin on September 1, not on the first Sunday of Advent. It includes the 12 Great Feasts, plus Pascha (Easter) itself, the Feast of Feasts. These feasts generally mark various significant events in the lives of Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary (Theotokos). Winter Lent is one name for the extended fast leading up to the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ (Christmas). Great Lent is the extended fast leading up to Holy Week and Pascha. Other times are especially set aside as well. Two other extended fasts are the Apostles' Fast, generally about one to two weeks leading up to the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and the fast leading up to the Dormition of the Theotokos, which is for the two weeks prior to that feast, from August 1 to August 14.

The twelve Great Feasts

The Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8)
- birth of the Theotokos to Joachim and Anne
The Exultation of the Cross (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 "Yes"

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, known as "Kyriou-Pascha," is considered an extremely wondrous 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 and other Christian believers.
Transfiguration of Our Lord (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)

Resources

Stookey, L.H. Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church, 1996. ISBN 0-687-01136-1

Hickman, Hoyt L., et al. Handbook of the Christian Year, 1986. ISBN 0-687-16575-X

Webber, Robert E. Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year, 2004. ISBN 0-8010-9175-6

Schmemann, Fr. Alexander. The Church Year (Celebration of Faith Series, Sermons Vol. 2), 1994. ISBN 0-88141-138-8

External links

Universalis — 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