Church Seasons

Seasons of the Church Year

Advent: The season of the Christian year that is the four Sundays before Christmas. It is a time of anticipation or waiting for the coming of the Christ Child. Advent Concludes with Christmas Eve.

Christmastide: The season of the Christian year, two or three Sundays after Christmas Day.

Ordinary Time I: The Season of the Christian Year between Epiphany (celebrating the Baptism of Jesus – January 6 – remember the "Twelve Days of Christmas"?) and Ash Wednesday (the Beginning of Lent)

Lent: The season of the Christian Year that includes the forty days before Easter [the 40 days does not include the Sundays during this season.] Lent signifies Christ's wanderings and trials in the wilderness. It also represents the time of preparation that Jesus had before he went to Jerusalem and the Cross. It is a time of prayer, meditation, fasting and repentance.

Holy Week; The week beginning with Palm Sunday [which celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem; Maundy Thursday [when Jesus celebrated the Lord’s Supper with his friends]; Good Friday [the day when Jesus died on the cross for us]; And Easter Sunday [the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave!]

Eastertide: The Season of the Christian Year between Easter Sunday and ending with Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost: The season of the Christian year which marks the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. It begins with Pentecost Sunday, which is 50 days after Easter.

Ordinary Time II: The Season of the Christian Year between Pentecost Sunday and the first Sunday of Advent


Colors Of The Christian Year

White (Purity) - Festivals of great joy of the work of our Lord (Easter and Christmas). Also, All Saints Day - anticipating the purity of the Saints before the throne of God. - Nov. 1; Christ the King - the last Sunday before Advent; Transfiguration of the Lord - the Sunday before Ash Wednesday; and Trinity Sunday - the Sunday after Pentecost.

Red (Fire) - Festival of Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

Black/Nothing - Remembering Christ’s death on the Cross (Good Friday and Saturday of Holy Week)

Purple (Royalty and Repentence) - Seasons of penitence or preparation (Lent and Advent)

Green (Growth) - All other times (Ordinary Times I & II)