Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church uses colours to connect Catholics visually to a particular event or mystery as they move through the liturgical year. The choice of colour is not random or decorative but has a specific meaning. The liturgical colours used by the Catholic Church include white, gold, silver, purple, violet, green, red, black, rose pink, and blue. These colours are used on sacred vestments, banners, altar frontals, the ambo, and sometimes the veil over the chalice. The colours used and their meanings have evolved over the centuries, with the first person to systematize the Roman Catholic colour scheme being Pope Innocent III, pontiff from 1198 to 1216.
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What You'll Learn
- White symbolises joy and purity, and is used for Christmas and Easter
- Red symbolises the passion of Christ and martyrdom, and is used for Pentecost Sunday
- Purple symbolises penance, waiting and mourning, and is used during Advent and Lent
- Green is a symbol of hope and life, and is used during Ordinary Time
- Gold is used for festive celebrations
White symbolises joy and purity, and is used for Christmas and Easter
White is one of the four main liturgical colours used by the Catholic Church, the others being green, red, and purple. It symbolises joy and purity resulting from faith. It is commonly used in liturgical vestments by priests every day, regardless of the liturgical season or celebration.
White is particularly associated with the worship of Jesus and Mary during Christmas and Easter. It also symbolises the resurrection of Christ, rising in exaltation of the faith.
In the Coptic tradition, followed by the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Coptic Catholic Church, only white vestments are used, with gold and silver being considered variations of white. The exception is during Passion Week when black is worn.
In the Catholic Church, white is used during Christmas Time and Easter Time, as well as for celebrations of the Lord (except for his Passion), of Mary, of the Angels, and of Saints who were not Martyrs. It is also used for solemnities of the Most Holy Trinity, All Saints, and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, among other feast days.
White is also one of the most commonly used colours in the Greek tradition, along with gold. In the Byzantine Rite, which is used by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Byzantine Lutheran Churches, and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite, the service books only specify "light" or "dark" vestments.
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Red symbolises the passion of Christ and martyrdom, and is used for Pentecost Sunday
In the Catholic Church, the colour red symbolises the passion of Christ and the blood spilled in martyrdom by Him and the Saints. It is used for the liturgical vestments on days of celebration of the Lord's Passion, of Apostles, and of Evangelists, as well as celebrations of Martyrs.
Red is the liturgical colour for Pentecost Sunday, which is celebrated 50 days after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. It is one of the most important events in the life of the early Christian Church. The United Methodist Church, prior to the early 1990s, used red solely for Pentecost Sunday, even including the Sundays after Pentecost.
Red is also used for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and the celebrations dedicated to the Passion of the Lord. It may also be used for ordinations, church anniversaries, and memorial services for ordained clergy.
The use of red during the Period of End Times, a period of the Church regarding the teachings of the Book of Revelation, culminating in the creation of the New Jerusalem, is observed in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). In all three churches, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), red is also worn on the last Sunday of October, in celebration of the Reformation on October 31, when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses onto the door of Wittenberg Castle Church.
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Purple symbolises penance, waiting and mourning, and is used during Advent and Lent
Purple is a liturgical colour used by the Catholic Church to symbolise penance, waiting, and mourning. It is most commonly used during the Advent and Lent seasons. Purple is also used during Mass for the dead, and can be replaced by black vestments.
Purple is one of the six liturgical colours of the Catholic Church, alongside white, red, black, green, and rose/pink. The first person to systematise the Roman Catholic colour scheme was Pope Innocent III, who named the colours white, red, black, and green. The current six colours were codified in 1570 with the promulgation of the Roman Missal after the Council of Trent.
The use of purple during Advent and Lent is linked to its symbolic meaning. Advent is a period of preparation and repentance, and Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Purple is meant to evoke a sense of humility, reminding Catholics of the violet flower that bows its head.
In addition to purple, the colour blue is sometimes used during Advent, and pink is used during the third week of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. Blue is a popular colour for Advent in the Anglican Church, which adopted the Sarum Rite, a medieval liturgical rite used in England before the Reformation.
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Green is a symbol of hope and life, and is used during Ordinary Time
The Catholic Church uses colours to connect Catholics visually to a particular event or mystery as they move through the liturgical year. The liturgical calendar begins with Advent, which is typically represented by dark blue or purple/violet, and sometimes pink for the third week. Christmas and Easter are usually represented by white, symbolising joy and purity resulting from faith, as well as the resurrection.
Following Epiphany, we enter Ordinary Time, which is universally represented by green. Green symbolises hope, perseverance, and continued listening. It is also a sign of life in nature, representing growth and life. It is the colour worn most often during liturgies in Ordinary Time, which makes up most of the Church's year.
After Pentecost, we again enter Ordinary Time and return to green. There are a few days during this period that get special attention. Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, is represented by white (or gold). Reformation Sunday, which falls on or before October 31, can be marked with red. All Saints' Day (November 1) or the first Sunday thereafter can be marked with white or red.
Finally, the church calendar ends with Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent, which is represented by white (or gold).
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Gold is used for festive celebrations
Gold is a liturgical colour used in the Catholic Church to signify solemnity and festivity. It is often used interchangeably with white, the colour of joy and celebration, and is particularly associated with Christmas, Easter, and major feast days.
In the Catholic liturgical calendar, the colour for each day corresponds to the main liturgical celebration of that day. While white is the predominant colour for Christmas and Easter, gold is used as a variation of white on these occasions. For instance, gold vestments may be used during Christmas Mass, which is a festive and joyful occasion.
Gold is also used during major feast days, such as the celebrations of the Lord (except for his Passion), of Mary, of the Angels, and of Saints who were not Martyrs. These occasions are marked by the joy and triumph that gold symbolises.
In addition to festive occasions, gold is also used during solemn celebrations, such as funerals. While white is often used to symbolise the Resurrection during funeral services, gold is considered a more precious variation, befitting the solemnity of the occasion.
The use of gold vestments during liturgical celebrations is not limited to the Catholic Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Coptic Catholic Church also utilise gold, considering it a variation of white. Similarly, the Russian Orthodox Church, which uses up to nine different liturgical colours, includes gold as a trimming on vestments, along with red and blue.
Overall, the use of gold in Catholic liturgical colours signifies festivity, triumph, and solemnity, making it a fitting choice for celebrations and significant occasions.
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Frequently asked questions
The liturgical colours used in the Catholic Church include white, gold, silver, purple, violet, green, red, rose pink, black, and blue. The colours are used to symbolise a particular event or mystery, drawing on the blessings of God and engaging the senses. For example, white symbolises joy, purity, and the resurrection, while purple is linked to penance, waiting, and mourning.
The liturgical colours are used at different times throughout the liturgical calendar. White is used during Christmas and Easter, as well as on major feast days. Purple is used during Advent and Lent, while green is common during Ordinary Time. Red is used on Palm Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, and the feast days of martyrs. Rose pink may be used on the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent.
The different liturgical colours emerged from the fact that people like variety, and they have been a part of the liturgy since the beginning of the church. The colours are chosen specifically to connect Catholics to a particular event or mystery as they move through the liturgical year.
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