The Christian Church Year

Introduction

The observance of the Church Year is a Christian custom with centuries of history behind it. The Lutheran Church has long recognized the value of the Church Year and has continued to follow it as a helpful guide for the annual review of the chief articles of our faith. The Church Year is organized into two sections around the great festivals of Christmas and Easter. Both sections follow the same pattern, and are made up of

a season of preparation,
a festival season and
an extended post-festival season.

The Christmas Section
1. Season of Preparation – Advent
  - Length: from four Sundays before Christmas through Christmas Eve.
  - Theme: the coming of Christ
  - Color: purple or blue
2. Festival Season
  - Length: December 25 to January 6
  - Theme: the incarnation and birth of the Son of God
  - Color: white
  - Christmas Day, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, December 25
  - The Circumcision and Name of Jesus, January 1
    (Note that the observance of January 1 as New Year’s Day is a secular holiday, and is not strictly speaking, a part of the Church Year.)
  - The Epiphany of our Lord, January 6
3. Post-Festival Season – Epiphany Season
  - Length: from one to six Sundays, depending on the date of Easter
  - Theme: Jesus manifests Himself to the world as the Son of God and Savior of all.
  - Color: green or white
The Easter Section
1. Season of Preparation – Pre-Lent
  - Length: three Sundays before Ash Wednesday:
    - Septuagesima,
    - Sexagesima and
    - Quinquagesima
  - Theme: preparation for the commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord
  - Color: green or purple
2. Season of Preparation – Lent
  - Length: from Ash Wednesday through Holy Week, forty days, excluding the Sundays
  - Theme: the redemption of mankind through the active and passive obedience of Christ
  - Color: purple
  - Palm Sunday
    - Theme: Jesus proclaimed as King and Messiah.
  - Maundy Thursday
    - Theme: the institution of the Sacrament of the Altar
    - Color: white when the Sacrament is celebrated
  - Good Friday
    - Theme: the reconciliation of God and man through the sacrificial death of the Son of God
    - Color: black
3. Festival Season
  - Length: Easter Sunday and six Sundays following
  - Theme: Jesus’ victory over sin and death by His resurrection
  - Color: white
  - Easter Sunday, the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord
    - Date: The first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
  - Ascension Day, the Ascension of Our Lord
    - Date: the fortieth day after Easter
    - Theme: Jesus’ ascension into heaven
  - Pentecost Day, the Feast of Pentecost
    - Date: the fiftieth day of Easter
    - Theme: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church
    - Color: red
  - Trinity Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Trinity
    - Date: the Sunday after Pentecost
    - Theme: the majesty of the Triune God
    - Color: white
Post-Festival Season – Sundays after Trinity
- Length: from 22 to 27 Sundays following the Feast of the Holy Trinity, depending on the date of Easter
- Theme: the teachings of Jesus and how His disciples are to live
- Color: green

Some Lesser Festival Days

St. Michael’s and All Angel’s Day
- Date: September 29
- Theme: God’s blessings on the believers through His angels
- Color: white
Reformation Day, The Festival of the Reformation
- Date: October 31
- Theme: the blessings of the Lutheran Reformation
- Color: red
All Saint’s Day
- Date: November 1
- Theme: the blessed fellowship of the believers on earth and in heaven
- Color: white
Thanksgiving Day, the national day of Thanksgiving
(Thanksgiving is a secular holiday but is rightly observed by Christians with special worship services.)
- Date: the fourth Thursday in November
- Theme: gratitude to God for His blessings
- Color: white or red