LITURGICAL NOTES on the CHRISTIAN CALENDAR

Edited by Bishop McKinley Young

Advent Season is the beginning of the Christian year and includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The colors for Advent are Purple or Blue and the Sundays are noted as Sundays in Advent***.

Christmastide, usually two Sundays between December 25 and January 4th designated as Sundays after Christmas Day. The color is White.

The Season of Epiphany is four to nine Sundays between January 4, which is Epiphany Sunday and continuing to the beginning of Lent which depends upon the date of Easter. The designation is Sundays after Epiphany. On Epiphany Sunday the color is White or Gold. The color is Green for the remainder of the season.

The Lenten Season covers forty days and includes six Sundays before Easter designated as Sundays in Lent. The fifth Sunday may be called Passion Sunday and the sixth is called Palm Sunday. The color for Lent is Purple. The color for Passion and Palm Sunday is Purple or Red.

The color for Easter is White or Gold. Eastertide embraces Easter Day and six other Sundays designated as Sundays after Easter of which the last may be called Ascension Day. The color is White.

Pentecost (The birth of the Christian Church) begins with Pentecost Sunday and continues until the season of Advent. The color for Pentecost is Red. Trinity Sunday is June 7, 2009 and the color is White. All of the remaining twenty-four (24) Sundays are designated as Sundays after Pentecost and the color is Green.

The Communion Table, Altar Table should be furnished with an appropriate cross 24 or 30 inches in height. The cross should be in the center and is taller than the candles which are on both sides of the cross representing the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ. The Flower Vases are on the outside of the candles. Only “Live Flowers” should be placed on the Communion Table and in the Chancel Area. [Candles on the table should be lit at the beginning of worship either by Acolytes or Stewards. They should be extinguished at the close of worship and prior to the Doxology, Benediction and the Recessional.]

*** [Some Congregations use an Advent Wreath which has Four Candles plus the Christmas Candle. Three of the four candles are Purple, one is Pink and the Christmas candle is White]

Sources: The Book of Worship AMEC & UMC