The Christian Year (Liturgical Time)
The background colour of this website changes in line with the liturgical season.
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|
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 (Gold for The Ascension Day, Red for Pentecost) | Waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
| ORDINARY TIME ‘Sundays after Trinity’ | The 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). |
