Ethan Walker
The Catholic Church has a rich and varied system of liturgical seasons, feast days, and holy days. The Church calendar is constructed around these celebrations, which commemorate the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. In the Catholic Church, feast days are ranked in order of importance, with solemnities being the most important, followed by feasts, and then memorials, which can be obligatory or optional. The number of feast days has changed over time, with reductions made by Popes Urban VIII and Benedict XIII. Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation, which include major feast days such as the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and the Feast of All Saints.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic feast days in the Byzantine Empire | 66 entire Holy Days and 27 half Holy Days |
| Number of feast days after Urban VIII's reduction in 1642 | 36 |
| Number of feast days in Spain after Benedict XIII's reduction in 1727 | 17 |
| Number of feast days in Austria in 1745 | 15 |
| Number of major Catholic feast days in America | 3 |
| Catholic feast days that are also Holy Days of Obligation | January 1, August 15, November 1 |
| Catholic feast days that are also Lenten Days of Fast, Abstinence, and Penance | Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Fridays of Lent |
| Types of feast days in the Catholic Church | solemnities, feasts, memorials (obligatory or optional) |
| Types of feast days in the Eastern Orthodox Church | Great Feasts, middle, minor |
| Types of feast days in the Russian Orthodox Church | All-night vigils, Polyeleos, Great Doxology, Sextuple |
| Types of feast days in the Roman Rite | doubles (of three or four kinds), Semidoubles, Simples |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic feast days are ranked by importance
In the Catholic Church, feast days are ranked in accordance with their importance. In the post-Vatican II form of the Roman Rite, feast days are ranked (in descending order of importance) as solemnities, feasts, or memorials (obligatory or optional).
Solemnities are the highest-ranking type of feast day, commemorating an event in the life of Jesus or Mary, or celebrating a Saint important to the whole Church or the local community. All holy days of obligation on a global level are solemnities, but not all solemnities are holy days of obligation. For example, Christmas (the Nativity of the Lord Jesus) is a solemnity that is always a holy day of obligation, whereas the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is not a holy day of obligation. On a local level, the reverse is also possible, as in Germany, where the global feast of St. Stephen is a holy day of obligation without being raised to solemnity.
The second rank of feast days is simply referred to as 'feasts'. These commemorate lesser events in the life of Jesus, Mary, or an Apostle, or they may celebrate major saints. Many saints are celebrated on these secondary liturgical days, including Sts. Simon and Jude, St. Stephen, and the Holy Angels. Important events in Christian history are also identified as feasts, such as the Baptism of the Lord, the Conversion of St. Paul, the Transfiguration, the Visitation, the Presentation of the Lord, the Holy Family, the Birth of Mary, the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the Holy Innocents, the Triumph of the Holy Cross, and the Chair of Peter.
Memorials, the third category of celebrations, are the commemoration of a saint of lesser importance. Many memorials are optional or only observed in specific dioceses, regions, or nations.
In addition to these three categories, there are also seasonal weekdays and feria or ferial weekdays. A seasonal weekday is a day in Advent, Christmastide, Lent, or Eastertide, on which no solemnity, feast, or memorial is observed. A feria or ferial weekday is a weekday in Ordinary Time on which no solemnity, feast, or memorial is observed.
The ranking of feast days has evolved over time and varies between different churches. In the Catholic Church, Pope John XXIII's 1960 Code of Rubrics divides liturgical days into I, II, III, and IV class days. Those who use earlier forms of the Roman Rite rank feast days as doubles (of three or four kinds), semidoubles, and simples. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the ranking of feasts varies from church to church, with Great Feasts, middle, and minor feasts in the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on feast days
The Catholic Church has a rich and intricate system of liturgical seasons and feast days, which form the ecclesiastical year. Feast days, or Holy Days, are dedicated to the sacred mysteries and events recorded in the history of redemption, honouring the Virgin Mother of Christ, His apostles, martyrs, and saints. These days are marked by special services and rest from work. While every day is considered a celebration in the Catholic Church, feast days are ranked in order of importance, with solemnities being the most important, followed by feasts, and then memorials (which can be obligatory or optional).
Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and special Holy Days of Obligation. However, not every Feast Day is a Holy Day of Obligation. The obligation to celebrate Mass on certain holy days that fall on a Saturday or Monday has been abolished, but parishes are encouraged to continue observing these days by offering Mass for those who wish to attend. These include the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (January 1), the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15), and the Feast of All Saints (November 1).
The Catholic Church also observes Lenten Days of Fast, Abstinence, and Penance, which include Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days, fasting is observed, allowing only one full meal, with a light breakfast and lunch not forbidden. Abstinence, which means refraining from eating meat, is also practised on Fridays throughout the year, although it is not required by law.
The number of feast days in the Catholic Church has varied over time. In the Byzantine Empire in 1166, there were sixty-six entire Holy Days and twenty-seven half Holy Days. In the 16th century, Pope Urban VIII reduced the number of feast days, leaving thirty-six feasts or eighty-five days free from labour. Further reductions were made in the 18th century for Spain, Sicily, and Austria, with only fifteen full Holy Days remaining in Austria.
In summary, Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and designated Holy Days of Obligation, which include certain major Feast Days. The Catholic Church's liturgical calendar is designed to commemorate sacred events and individuals, fostering a sense of spiritual community and devotion.
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The calendar of saints organises the liturgical year
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organising the liturgical year. Each day is associated with one or more saints and is referred to as the feast day of that saint. The word "feast" in this context means an annual religious celebration dedicated to a particular saint. The system arose from the early Christian custom of commemorating each martyr annually on the date of their death or their birth into heaven, referred to in Latin as the martyr's dies natalis ('day of birth').
The liturgical year consists of a seasonal cycle and a sanctoral cycle, called the Proper of Time and the Proper of Saints, respectively. Both are organised and published in a liturgical calendar, which is also enriched by observances proper to local churches, whether national, diocesan, or otherwise. The liturgical year begins on the First Sunday of Advent during the preceding calendar year. For example, the First Sunday of Advent in 2019 began the 2020 liturgical year. The organisation of each liturgical year is governed by the Church and ultimately integrated into a liturgical calendar.
The liturgical calendar is constructed so that during each of the fasting seasons, there is a feast. The four fasting seasons are Great Lent, the Nativity Fast, the Apostles' Fast, and the Dormition Fast. Great Lent is the most important fast, extending for forty days prior to Palm Sunday and Holy Week, as preparation for Pascha (Easter). The Nativity Fast is a full forty days of preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas). The Apostles' Fast lasts anywhere from eight days to six weeks in preparation for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The Dormition Fast is two weeks in preparation for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
In the Catholic Church, feast days are ranked in accordance with their importance. In the post-Vatican II form of the Roman Rite, feast days are ranked (in descending order of importance) as solemnities, feasts, or memorials (obligatory or optional). Pope John XXIII's 1960 Code of Rubrics divides liturgical days into I, II, III, and IV class days. Those who use even earlier forms of the Roman Rite rank feast days as doubles (of three or four kinds), Semidoubles, and Simples. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, a calendar of saints is called a Menologion.
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The Orthodox churches recall the Resurrection of Christ every Sunday
The Catholic Church observes several feast days, which are ranked in order of importance as solemnities, feasts, or memorials (obligatory or optional). The Orthodox Church, on the other hand, commemorates the Resurrection of Christ every year on Great and Holy Pascha and every week on the Lord's Day, which is also called Sunday. This belief in Christ's resurrection is a fundamental tenet of the Orthodox Church, affirming Christ's teachings, His divinity, and His redemption of humanity.
The Orthodox Church consists of several administratively independent regional churches, resulting in diverse liturgical celebrations and regional customs. Despite these variations, there are some commonalities in how Orthodox Christians commemorate Christ's resurrection. For example, during the Paschal season, the Easter greeting is used in place of the usual greetings, and church services start and end differently with various hymns being replaced by the Easter anthem, sung thrice.
On the eve of Pascha, Greeks dress up and carry white candles to attend the liturgy, where they wait for midnight. During the liturgy, priests chant "Christos Anesti!" as they pass the Holy Light, from which the faithful light their candles and pass the light to others, exchanging greetings of "Christos Anesti!" and "Alithos Anesti!" or "Truly, He is risen!". The Holy Fire, which occurs annually on the day before Pascha in Jesus Christ's tomb in Jerusalem, is considered a miracle by the Orthodox.
The Feast of Pascha (Easter) is preceded by a 19-Sunday period, including the Triodion or pre-Lenten period, Great Lent, Holy Week, and Great and Holy Week. The Feast of Pascha begins a 40-day celebration, after which the church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost. The Sunday following Pentecost is the Feast of All Saints, concluding the cycle of movable feasts.
In the Orthodox Church, the Resurrection of Christ is depicted in icons that express the theological significance of the event rather than a historical portrayal. These icons, known as dogmatic icons, highlight the abolition of Hades and death, as well as the Resurrection of humanity, reflecting the belief that Christ's resurrection destroyed the power of death, and those who believe in Him will be resurrected with Him.
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The Byzantine Empire had 66 Holy Days
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, had a rich history that included a variety of religious traditions and practices. Among these was the observance of Holy Days, which played a significant role in the spiritual life of the empire.
The Byzantine calendar, based on the Orthodox-Byzantine calendar and biblical chronography, influenced the timing and significance of these Holy Days. While the empire adopted the Christian Era (Anno Domini) in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Byzantine calendar continued to be used in Russia, which had received Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium. This calendar had a unique way of calculating leap days, similar to the Julian calendar, by doubling the sixth day before the calends of March, resulting in February 24 occurring twice.
The Byzantine Empire had a total of 66 Holy Days, which were significant dates on the Orthodox liturgical calendar. These Holy Days included the Twelve Great Feasts, eight of which honoured Jesus Christ, and four dedicated to the Virgin Mary, known as the Theotokos. The greatest of all these Holy Days was Pascha (Easter), commemorating the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Among the Twelve Great Feasts were important events such as the Nativity of the Theotokos on September 8, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, the Presentation of the Theotokos on November 21, and the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) on December 25. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross held particular significance as it commemorated the recovery of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, previously captured by the Persians in Jerusalem in 614 and reclaimed in 629 by the forces of the Byzantine Empire.
Other notable Holy Days included the Feast of the Epiphany, the Ascension of Our Lord, and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. These days were celebrated with joy and devotion by the people of the Byzantine Empire, integrating religious tradition and cultural expression.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 12 major Catholic feast days, including Easter, Christmas, Epiphany, Hypapante, Palm Sunday, Ascension, Pentecost, Transfiguration, Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and four feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The four feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary are her Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, Annunciation, and Falling Asleep.
In the post-Vatican II form of the Roman Rite, Catholic feast days are ranked in descending order of importance as solemnities, feasts, or memorials (obligatory or optional).
Obligatory memorials include the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and the Feast of All Saints.
Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and special Holy Days of Obligation, which may include practices such as fasting and abstinence during certain periods, such as Lent.
