SEASON

DATES

COLOUR

MAIN THEMES

ADVENT

Four Sundays before Christmas

Purple

Waiting

The promise of light in darkness

Preparation for Christ’s coming and second coming

CHRISTMAS 

24 December to 5 January

White (or Gold up to Christmas 2)

Christ’s birth as ‘the word made flesh’
The Incarnation

EPIPHANY

6 January (The Epiphany) to 2 February (Candlemas / Feast of the Presentation)

White

The Gospel for all people

ORDINARY TIME

3 February to Shrove Tuesday

Green

[sometimes a very short season]

Growth (Creation)

LENT

Ash Wednesday to Eve of 5th Sunday in Lent

Purple

Penitence, seeking for God’s forgiveness, self denial

Preparation for Easter

(Lent was originally linked with Baptism)

PASSIONTIDE

(and Holy Week)

5th Sunday in Lent to  Easter Eve

Violet or Red

White at evening Eucharist on Thursday

Jesus’ death on the Cross – our Salvation

EASTERTIDE

Easter Day to the Eve of the Ascension 

White

(Gold on Easter Day)

Jesus’ resurrection

Resurrection hope for us all

Living in the  light of the Resurrection

ASCENSIONTIDE

Ascension Thursday to Pentecost

White 

(Red for Pentecost)

Waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit

ORDINARY TIME

‘Sundays after Trinity’

Day after Pentecost to 31 October

Green

(White for Trinity Sunday)

Growth in faith

Christian living

Continuous reading of the scriptures

The
‘Kingdom’ Season

1 November (All Saints) to Eve of Advent Sunday

Red (or Green)

 The Kingdom of God

The Faithful Departed (All Saints & All Souls)

Remembrance

Christ the King (Sunday before Advent)