Rachel Evans
The Catholic liturgical calendar is comprised of six seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. Each season is associated with a specific colour, with green being the most common, representing Ordinary Time, or any time of year between Easter and Advent, and between Christmas and Lent. The liturgical colours of the Catholic Church are steeped in tradition and symbolism, with each colour carrying a unique meaning and significance. These colours adorn the vestments of the clergy, the paraments, and the decorations within the church, creating a visual representation of the liturgical season and enhancing the spiritual experience of the congregation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of liturgical colours | 6 primary colours: red, white, gold, violet, green, and black |
| In the Russian Orthodox Church, up to 9 colours may be used | |
| The Coptic tradition only uses white vestments, with gold and silver | |
| The Ethiopian tradition embraces a wide variety of liturgical colours | |
| The Byzantine Rite does not have a universal system of colours | |
| The Sarum Rite used in England before the Reformation had a distinct set of liturgical colours | |
| The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) use purple as the primary colour for Advent and Lent | |
| The United Methodist Church, prior to the early 1990s, used red solely for Pentecost | |
| Liturgical colours and their meanings/occasions | White (or gold): Christmas, Easter, celebrations of the Lord (except his Passion), of Mary, of Angels, of Saints who were not Martyrs, and solemnities |
| Red: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost Sunday, celebrations of the Lord's Passion, of Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs | |
| Violet/Purple: Advent, Lent, Holy Thursday, and Holy Saturday | |
| Green: Ordinary Time (the time between liturgical seasons) | |
| Rose/Pink: Third Sunday of Advent, Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday during Lent) |
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What You'll Learn
Advent: purple, violet, or rose pink
The liturgical colours of Advent are purple, violet, or rose pink. Advent is a period of preparation and repentance, and the colours purple and violet symbolise this. Purple dye was very expensive, and so it is a symbol of humility.
Advent is the first season of the Church year, which consists of six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. The liturgical calendar begins with Advent, which falls on the four Sundays before Christmas Day. The season always lasts somewhere between 21 and 28 days.
The colours used by churches throughout the liturgical calendar vary from tradition to tradition, and even from church to church. However, there are some broad similarities. During Advent, purple or violet are the typical colours, with rose pink sometimes used for the third week, beginning with Gaudete Sunday. This is known as Rose Sunday, and the pink vestments mark a softening of the penitential tone of the season.
In the Sarum Rite, a medieval liturgical rite used in England before the Reformation, deep blue was used for Advent. This may be referred to as "Sarum blue". The Methodist Church, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) use purple as the primary colour for Advent, with blue as an alternate colour.
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Christmas: white, gold, or silver
The liturgical colours of the Catholic Church calendar are used to mark the seasons and celebrations of the Church year. The liturgical colours vary depending on the tradition and church. The liturgical colour for Christmas is white, symbolising the purity of Christ and the joy of the birth of Jesus. Some traditions also use gold during Christmas, representing the three wise men bearing gifts for Jesus and the Star of Bethlehem. Silver is not a traditional liturgical colour, but it is often used alongside gold and white in Christmas decorations to create a stunning and elegant holiday palette.
The liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church consists of six seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. The liturgical colours of these seasons vary, with Advent being purple or violet, Christmas being white or gold, and Ordinary Time being green.
White is a common liturgical colour used throughout the Catholic Church year, including during Christmas and Easter. It is also worn on Marian feast days, such as the celebrations of Mary and the Angels. White symbolises purity, joy, and celebration.
Gold is not a traditional liturgical colour but is often used during Christmas to represent the three wise men and the Star of Bethlehem. It is also used during Easter to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gold symbolises richness, warmth, and majesty.
Silver is not traditionally associated with the liturgical colours of the Catholic Church. However, it is often used in Christmas decorations alongside gold and white to create a stunning and elegant holiday aesthetic. Silver symbolises elegance, sophistication, and contrast.
In summary, the liturgical colour for Christmas in the Catholic Church is primarily white, with some traditions also incorporating gold. Silver is not a traditional liturgical colour but is used in Christmas decorations to create a beautiful holiday atmosphere. These colours symbolise the joy, purity, and celebration of the birth of Jesus, as well as the richness and warmth of the wise men's gifts and the guiding star.
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Ordinary Time: green
The liturgical colour for Ordinary Time is green. This period falls outside the two great seasons of Christmastide and Eastertide, or their respective preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. Ordinary Time includes the days between Christmastide and Lent, and between Eastertide and Advent.
Ordinary Time typically contains about 33 or 34 weeks, depending on how other Catholic feast days fall. The weeks are identified or counted using ordinal numbers, from the 1st week of Ordinary Time in January to the 34th week, which begins towards the end of November. The last Sunday of Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The colour green is used to represent the time of growth and expansion of the Church following the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Green is a natural colour, often a symbol for growth and new life. Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time to allow the mystery of Christ to penetrate ever more deeply into history.
The word "ordinary" comes from the Latin "ordinalis", meaning "numbered" or "ruled". This refers to the ongoing and rhythmical nature of the season, reflecting the rhythm of everyday life. It is not meant to suggest that the season is plain or unexciting.
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Lent: violet, purple, or red-violet
The liturgical colours of the Catholic Church vary from tradition to tradition, and even from church to church. However, there are some broad similarities. The liturgical calendar begins with Advent, which is observed with the colours purple, violet, or blue. The Christmas season is then observed with the colours white, gold, or silver. After Epiphany, the church enters Ordinary Time, which is universally marked with the colour green.
Lent is a penitential season that recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert. It begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts until Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. The liturgical colours of Lent are violet, purple, or red-violet. These colours are traditionally more red-violet than the deep purple used during Advent. On Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, rose may also be used.
Violet, purple, and red-violet are colours of penitence and fasting. They are also used during Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and includes Good Friday. On these days, the liturgical colour is red, representing the Passion of Christ. On Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, white or violet may be worn.
The Easter season begins on Easter Sunday, when the resurrection is celebrated with the colours white, gold, or silver. The liturgical colour of Easter is used until Pentecost, when red is used to mark the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus.
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Easter: white, gold, or red
The liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church consists of six seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. Each day in the liturgical calendar corresponds to a liturgical colour, with vestments and hangings in the church adopting the colour of the day. The liturgical colours used in the Catholic Church include violet, blue, white, green, red, gold, black, and rose.
The liturgical colours of Easter are white, gold, and red. White is the colour of joy, innocence, purity, and glory, and is worn during the Easter season to celebrate the Resurrection. Gold is sometimes used in place of white, particularly during Easter Sunday services, to evoke the spring rebirth. Red is the colour of blood and is worn on Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, to represent the blood of Jesus Christ shed for humanity.
The use of gold and white vestments during Easter is in keeping with the practice of the Catholic Church, as well as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). In the Byzantine Rite, which is used by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Byzantine Lutheran Churches, and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite, there is no universal system of colours. However, gold and white are the most common colours used.
The colour scheme of the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar is not uniform across all traditions and churches. For instance, the Church of England suggests a colour scheme that includes gold and white as distinct colours. In some Spanish countries, blue is an approved liturgical colour for Marian feast days.
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Frequently asked questions
The liturgical colours in the Catholic calendar vary from church to church, but the primary colours are red, white, gold, violet, green, and black.
Each liturgical colour signifies a different mood and season. For example, green symbolises life, hope, and anticipation, while red symbolises God's love, blood, fire, and the celebration of martyrs.
White (or gold) is used during the Christmas and Easter seasons, and on major feast days, such as celebrations of the Lord (except for his Passion), of Mary, of the Angels, and of Saints who were not martyrs. White is also used for funerals as it symbolises purity, light, glory, and joy.
Red is typically worn during Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Pentecost. It is also used during the Period of End Times and on Reformation Sunday, which falls on the Sunday on or before October 31st.
