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Liturgical Colours
The
United Church of Canada does not prescribe a particular set of
colours for vestments and church decorations. A number of colour schemes
have been used in recent centuries, some of which are quite complex.
They were first mentioned in the twelfth century.
Liturgical colours draw the attention
of worshipers to the rhythms of the liturgical year. However, schemes
for the use of colour should be regarded as suggestions and not as
absolute rules.
The use of red as sign of blood and fire
is easily explained, as is the use of white for purity in some cultures.
Reasons for the use of other colours are less accessible. In practice,
gold is often substituted for white and may suggest more immediately the
glory implied by the major feasts for which white is designated.
The scheme of white, green, violet
(purple), and red (and also black) was first legislated in rubrics by
Pope Pius V in 1570, but local customs persisted for a long time. It
became popular outside the Roman Catholic Church during the last
century. Blue was added for the season of Advent because it is an
ancient liturgical colour and was chosen to distinguish Advent from the
season of Lent, whose character is different.
Season |
Period |
Colour |
Lent |
Ash Wednesday - Day before Palm Sunday (Feb 17 - Mar 27, 2021) |
Purple |
Palm Sunday - Maundy Thursday (Mar 28 - Apr 1, 2021) |
Red
or |
Purple |
Good Friday - Holy Saturday (Apr 2 - 3, 2021) |
Black |
Easter |
Easter Sunday - Day before Pentecost (Apr 4 - May 23, 2021) |
Gold or |
White |
Pentecost (May 24, 2021) |
Red |
Season after Pentecost |
Day after Pentecost - Day before Trinity (May 25 - 29, 2021) |
Green |
Trinity (May 30, 2021) |
Gold or |
White |
Day after Trinity - Saturday after Labour Day (May 31 - Sep 11,
2021) |
Green |
Creation Time (Sep 12 - Oct 10, 2021) |
Orange |
Thanksgiving Day - Day before Advent (Oct 11 - Nov 27, 2021) |
Green |
Advent |
Advent 1 - Christmas Eve (Nov 28 - Dec 24, 2021) |
Blue or |
Purple |
Christmas |
Christmas Day - Epiphany (Dec 25, 2021 - Jan 6, 2022) |
Gold or |
White |
Season after Epiphany |
Day after Epiphany - Shrove Tuesday (Jan 7 - Mar 1, 2022) |
Green |
Lent |
Ash Wednesday - Day before Palm Sunday (Mar 2 - Apr 9, 2022) |
Purple |
Palm Sunday - Maundy Thursday (Apr 10 - Apr 14, 2022) |
Red
or |
Purple |
Good Friday - Holy Saturday (Apr 15 - 16, 2022) |
Black |
Easter |
Easter Sunday - Day before Pentecost (Apr 17 - Jun 4, 2022) |
Gold or |
White |
Pentecost (Jun 5, 2022) |
Red |