Seasons of the Church Year

Have you ever found yourself wondering why the colors and symbols used in the worship service change throughout the year? Do you have questions about the meaning behind the Seasons of the Church Year? Click on the links below to find answers to your questions.

Advent      Christmas      Epiphany      Lent      Easter      Pentecost



Advent

The church begins its new year with Advent Sunday, the first Sunday of the Advent season. Advent Sunday always falls on or nearest St. Andrews Day, November 30. Because the secular calendar changes from year to year, Advent Sunday may fall on any day between November 27 and December 3. The season varies from 22 to 28 days in length, ending on Christmas Eve. It always contains four Sundays.

Advent originated as a time of preparation for candidates for church membership prior to their baptism on Epiphany, January 6. The Roman church set the season's length at four Sundays in the sixth century, and in the eleventh century Gregory VII decreed that this would be the standard for the whole church. In the late Middle Ages, penitence was added to the emphasis on preparation.

Advent is above all a time of joyful anticipation. The word "Advent" means "coming." It has a threefold meaning for Christians today: the coming of the Lord in human form at Christmas, the coming of the Lord in Word and Spirit, and the coming of the Lord in glory at the end of the age. It is, therefore, a time when the church looks back at the historical event of Christ's nativity, looks around at the revelation of Christ in scripture and experience, and looks ahead to Christ's return at the end of time. It is still thought of as a time of personal introspection and preparation. During Advent, emphasis is placed on the reading of Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah.

The lighting of an Advent wreath is a familiar custom during this season in churches and in homes. A wreath is formed, usually of evergreen branches, and adorned with four purple or blue candles. Some churches substitute a pink candle for one of the purple ones. A single white candle sits in the middle of the wreath. On each Sunday in Advent a new purple or red candle is lit until, at last, all four candles are burning. Some churches attach meanings to the four candles, such as hope, peace, love and joy. The increasing light shed by the candles represents the believers' increasing joy as the day of Jesus' coming approaches. On Christmas Day the white candle is lit to proclaim that the Light of the World has come.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: 22-28 days of Advent (always 4 Sundays) Meaning:
Advent = Coming. We remember Jesus coming into the world, into our hearts, and the promise that he will come again. Blue is the color of hope.
Color: Blue Color Blue
When: Four Sundays before Christmas


Christmas

Christmas is a season that begins on Christmas Day and lasts for 12 days (hence the title of the popular Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"), until January 5, the eve of Epiphany (known in England as "Twelfth Night"). The Christmas observance developed relatively late in the history of the church—early Christians considered the celebration of the Resurrection to be far more important, and both Jesus' birth and baptism were celebrated on Epiphany, January 6. In the fourth century, Roman Christians appropriated a pagan festival day honoring Sol Invictus (The Unconquered Sun) which was celebrated on December 25, the date of the winter solstice. On this the shortest day of the year, the Roman pagans hailed the "rebirth" of the sun, which from that day forward would increasingly rule the day. Christians saw an obvious parallel with the "Sun of Righteousness," a prophetic name for the Messiah. (Because of errors in the secular calendar, the winter solstice occurs in our day on December 21.)

The word "Christmas" is a contraction of "Christ Mass," the name given to the worship service for the day. Christmas is a season of great joy and is marked by reading the story of Jesus' birth, singing Christmas carols and songs, and by giving gifts after the pattern of God's greatest gift to us—His own Son.

Many of the popular customs of the Christmas season, such as the Christmas tree, the Yule log, and the Christmas wreath, have their origin in pagan observances and were adopted and given new significance by Christians.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: Christmas Day Meaning:
We celebrate the day of Jesus' birth. White is the color of light and purity. It is used when we celebrate special seasons remembering the life of Jesus and the Holy Trinity.
Color: Blue Color White
When: December 25th
Day: Sundays after Christmas Meaning:
Christmas continues for 12 days until Epiphany!
Color: Blue Color White
When: Only one in some years

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Epiphany

The Epiphany season, which begins on Epiphany Day, January 6, varies in length depending on the date set for Easter. It lasts until Septuagesima Sunday, 64 days before Easter. With the exception of Easter, it is the oldest season of the church year. In the early church, it was a time when new converts were admitted to the church after a period of preparation.

Like several other Christian seasons, Epiphany was appropriated by the church from a pagan festival. As early as 1996 B.C., the Egyptians celebrated the winter solstice (which then occurred on January 6) with a tribute to Aeon, the Virgin. At first, Epiphany was a celebration of both the birth and baptism of Jesus. After Christmas became a separate season, Epiphany became an observance of Jesus' baptism in the Eastern church and of the visit of the Magi in the Western church.

"Epiphany" means "to be made manifest," and Epiphany observances emphasize the manifestation of Jesus as "Light to the Gentiles" and the "Glory of Israel" to Simeon when Jesus was presented at the temple, the manifestation of Jesus as God's beloved Son at His baptism, and the manifestation of Jesus to the whole world as represented by the Wise Men of the East.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: Epiphany Meaning:
Epiphany = Revealing/Showing. We remember when the wise men were shown where to find baby Jesus.
Color: Blue Color White
When: January 6th
Day: Baptism of our Lord Meaning:
Remembering Jesus' baptism, and ours.
Color: Blue Color White
When: First Sunday after Epiphany
Day: 2nd-8th Sundays after Epiphany Meaning:
Green is the color of life and growth. We learn about our life in Christ in the green seasons.
Color: Blue Color Green
When: Less in some years
Day: Transfiguration Meaning:
Transfiguration=Changing. The story of how Jesus' appearance changed is in Matthew 17 and other gospels in the Bible.
Color: Blue Color White
When: Last Sunday after Epiphany

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Lent (including Holy Week)

Lent is a season lasting forty-six days which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the eve of Easter. (The name "Ash Wednesday" comes from the practice, continued in some churches today, of sprinkling ashes on the heads of the penitent.) Lent includes Holy Week, the last week of the season. The six Sundays during Lent are exempted, which means that Lent is observed for a total of forty days. This number reminds Christians of the forty days during which Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness following His baptism.

Lent derives from two sources: the fast preceding the Pascha (an early commemoration of both the Passion and the Resurrection), and a period of preparation for candidates for baptism. The fast originally lasted one day but was eventually extended to six. It became the model for Holy Week observances which were separated according to the events of Jesus' last week. The preparation period became the rest of the Lenten season.

Some churches continue the tradition of Lenten fasting today. Others encourage believers to make a sacrifice of self-denial in preparation for Easter observances. Lent is characterized as a time of personal reflection and repentance.

The last Sunday of Lent is Palm Sunday, when Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem is commemorated. Churches may be decorated with palm leaves, or worshipers may carry them in to the service as a reminder of the palm branches that were strewn before Jesus as he rode into the city. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, which is given to meditation on the events of Jesus' last week before His crucifixion. Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" probably comes from the Latin word "mandatum," which means "commandment." The reference is to Jesus' command that his disciples wash one another's feet. Maundy Thursday is a commemoration of the Last Supper, the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples the night he was betrayed. It is usually celebrated with Holy Communion. Friday of Holy Week is called Good Friday ("Good Friday" is probably a variant of "God's Friday," the same way we say "good-bye" today instead of "God be with ye"). Good Friday is an observance of Jesus' crucifixion. It is a somber day of reflection and repentance, and some churches remove flowers and all decorative elements from the sanctuary to reflect the mood. Saturday of Holy Week is sometimes called Holy Saturday, and is characterized by watchfulness and preparation.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: Ash Wednesday Meaning:
Black is the color of the ashes placed on foreheads.
Color: Blue Color Black
When: 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays
Day: Sundays in Lent Meaning:
Purple is the color of kings and Jesus is the King of all kings.
Color: Blue Color Purple
When: Five Sundays before Palm Sunday
Day: Palm / Passion Sunday Meaning:
Called Palm Sunday remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem and Palms were put in his path. Some churches also read the whole story of the Passion / Holy Week on this Sunday.
Color: Blue Color Scarlet
When: Sunday before Easter
Day: Maundy Thursday Meaning:
We celebrate the gift of the Lord's Supper / Holy Communion. Some churches also do a foot washing as Jesus did for his disciples.
Color: Blue Color Scarlet
When: Thursday before Easter
Day: Good Friday Meaning:
Black reminds us of death, especially Jesus' death for our sins on the cross.
Color: Blue Color Black
When: Friday before Easter
Day: Easter Vigil Meaning:
A long service of scripture readings and hymns may be done leading up to midnight and the first celebration of Easter day.
Color: Blue Color White
When: Saturday before Easter, also known as Holy Saturday

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Easter

The Easter season begins on Easter Sunday and continues for fifty days until Pentecost. Easter Sunday is the most joyful day of the Christian year. Though every Sunday is considered to be a "little Easter," Easter Sunday itself is the day of days on which Christ's Resurrection is celebrated. It is the oldest of Christian festival days.

Easter was originally called "Pascha" after the Hebrew word meaning "Passover." ("Easter" is a corruption of the name "Eostre," the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring who was honored at the vernal equinox.) Easter was originally celebrated as one continuous festival, but in the fourth century it was divided into separate observances of the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost.

The date of Easter, which determines much of the rest of the church calendar, is fixed according to the Paschal Calendar developed by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, in 527. Essentially, Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon falling on or after the first day of spring (March 21). Fixing Easter in such a manner causes it to fall at the same time as the Jewish Passover, since the first Easter coincided with that feast.

Because of Easter's relation to the lunar calendar, many popular seasonal traditions, such as Easter eggs and the Easter bunny, are more closely associated with pagan rites of fertility and spring than with Easter.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: Easter Day Meaning:
Color can also be gold, because of how precious this day is to us. Because Jesus lives, we can live well now and have eternal life after death.
Color: Blue Color White
When: Varies, can be anytime from March 22nd to April 25th.
Day: 2nd-6th Sundays of Easter Meaning:
Like Christmas, Easter is celebrated a long time!
Color: Blue Color White
When: 2nd-6th Sundays of Easter
Day: Ascension Meaning:
Ascension=Rising. We remember Jesus ascension into heaven and the promise to send the Spirit and be with us always.
Color: Blue Color White
When: 40th day of Easter, always on Thursday, sometimes celebrated on the Sunday after Ascension day
Day: 7th Sunday of Easter Meaning:
The last Sunday of Easter.
Color: Blue Color White
When: 7th Sunday of Easter

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Pentecost

Pentecost, which means "fiftieth day," is the beginning of the longest season of the church year. It lasts until the first Sunday in Advent. In some traditions, the whole season is called Pentecost. In others, Pentecost Sunday is followed by the Trinity season, which begins with Trinity Sunday a week later. In some churches, Pentecost is known as Whitsunday, after the white robes once worn by candidates for baptism on that day.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples while they were gathered in Jerusalem, and they were empowered to preach to people from every nation who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. The Acts of the Apostles records that about 3,000 were added to their number that day. Christians since have considered this event to be the founding of the church.

The model for Pentecost was the Feast of Weeks celebrated by Jews at the end of the grain harvest. Over time, the Feast of Weeks came to be associated with the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. The Jews saw this event as the founding of the Jewish nation, and early believers were quick to note a parallel with the founding of the Christian church.

[Information cited from Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture website*]

Day: Pentecost Meaning:
Pente=50. Red reminds us of the flames of fire seen on the disciples' heads when they received the Holy Spirit.
Color: Blue Color Scarlet
When: 50 days after Easter, not counting Sundays
Day: Trinity Sunday Meaning:
We celebrate God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Color: Blue Color White
When: 1st Sunday after Pentecost
Day: 2nd-27th Sundays after Pentecost Meaning:
A long season of life and growth when we learn much about our faith and life in Jesus.
Color: Blue Color Green
When: Less in some years
Day: Christ the King Sunday Meaning:
Christ=Messiah=Anointed one. Jesus is the one promised to save his people, which we remember just before beginning Advent again.
Color: Blue Color White
When: Last Sunday after Pentecost

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