Liturgical colors & Calendar of the Church Year

WHITE

  • The color of Jesus’ burial garments
  • Christmas through the Baptism of Jesus
  • Easter & Easter Season
  • Epiphany Sunday
  • Baptism of the Lord Sunday
  • Transfiguration Sunday
  • Trinity Sunday
  • All Saints
  • Christ the King Sunday
  • marriages
  • funerals

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Calendar of the Church Year


The calendar (BCP, pp. 15-33) orders the liturgical year of the Episcopal Church by identifying two cycles of feasts and holy days-one dependent upon the movable date of Easter Day and the other dependent upon the fixed date of Christmas, Dec. 25.  Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after Mar. 21. The sequence of all Sundays in the church year is based on the date of Easter. The date of Easter determines the beginning of the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday and the date of Pentecost on the fiftieth day of the Easter season. The Sundays of Advent are always the four Sundays before Christmas Day. The church year begins on the first Sunday of Advent.


  • Advent - The first season of the church year, beginning with the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continuing through the day before Christmas.
  • Christmas - The Christmas season lasts twelve days, from Christmas Day until Jan. 5, the day before the Epiphany.
  • Epiphany - The manifestation of Christ to the peoples of the earth. The coming of the Magi is celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6
  •  Lent -  In the western church the forty days of Lent extend from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, omitting Sundays. The last three days of Lent are the sacred Triduum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
  • Easter - The feast of Christ's resurrection. Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter always falls between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25 inclusive.​
  • Pentecost - The season after Pentecost,  begins on the Monday following Pentecost, and continues through most of the summer and autumn. Trinity Sunday which is the First Sunday after Pentecost.


Epiphany season and the season after Pentecost vary in length depending on the date of Easter.

Resources:  www.episcopalchurch.org       Liturgical  Calendar for 2018

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~ Information on this page was graciously contributed  by  Joan McNulty

"Liturgical Colors" in Episcopal worship signify our place in the Church Year.  A number of parishioners choose to wear the Liturgical colors during each designated season. This information below is included for your advisement regarding that decision:

PURPLE/VIOLET

  • Represents periods of periods of preparation and repentance 
  • Advent (or Sarum BLUE)
  • Lent (or UNBLEACHED LINEN)

GREEN​

  • Epiphany
  • ‘Ordinary Time’ after Pentecost​

RED​

  • Day of Pentecost
  • some saint days
  • ordinations

OXBLOOD RED

  • Holy Week​