Home Menu
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 after Pentecost |
Day after Pentecost - Day before Trinity (May 29 - Jun 3, 2023) |
Green |
Trinity (Jun 4, 2023) |
Gold or |
White |
Day after Trinity - Saturday after Labour Day (Jun 5 - Sep 9,
2023) |
Green |
Creation Time (Sep 10 - Oct 8, 2023) |
Orange |
Thanksgiving Day - Day before Advent (Oct 9 - Dec 2, 2023) |
Green |
Advent |
Advent 1 - Day before Christmas Eve (Dec 3 - Dec 23, 2023) |
Blue |
Christmas |
Christmas Eve - Baptism of the Lord (Dec 24, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024) |
Gold or |
White |
Season after Epiphany |
Day after Baptism of the Lord - Shrove Tuesday (Jan 8 - Feb 13,
2024) |
Green |
Lent |
Ash Wednesday - Day before Palm Sunday (Feb 14 - Mar 23, 2024) |
Purple |
Palm Sunday (Mar 24, 2024) |
Red
or |
Purple |
Holy Week |
Holy Monday - Maundy Thursday (Mar 25 - 28, 2024) |
Red |
Good Friday - Holy Saturday (Mar 29 - 30, 2024) |
Black |
Easter |
Easter Sunday - Day before Pentecost (Mar 31 - May 18, 2024) |
Gold or |
White |
Pentecost (May 19, 2024) |
Red |
Season after Pentecost |
Day after Pentecost - Day before Trinity (May 20 - May 25, 2024) |
Green |
Trinity (May 26, 2024) |
Gold or |
White |
Day after Trinity - Saturday after Labour Day (May 27 - Sep 7,
2024) |
Green |
Creation Time (Sep 8 - Oct 13, 2024) |
Orange |
Thanksgiving Day - Day before Advent (Oct 14 - Nov 30, 2024) |
Green |