A color chart showing the various colors used in the sanctuary for the seasons of the Christian Church Year, as well as the dates for the current year. Sunday, August 31, 2025, is: Ordinary Time Next Sunday >>. Red symbolizes the color of fire to represent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and times when the work of the Holy Spirit is emphasized.
During Holy Week it represents the blood of Christ. Red is also used for ordinations, church anniversaries and civil observances such as Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. These are the colors of the Liturgical Year.
In the Catholic Church, each season has a color and each color has a meaning. Here is the guide to the colors of the Liturgical Year and what they mean. The color red communicates the motif of strength-strength and power the Holy Spirit gives in order for God's people to call on the name of Jesus Christ and share that powerful name with others.
There is no question that red is a compelling festive color. Consequently, it serves well as the traditional color for the heroic martyrs of the church. Liturgical Color Guide: Understanding the Liturgical Seasons and Colors Liturgy is a form of public religious worship within the different denominations of Christianity.
During this public worship, colors are worn to signify different feelings and times of year. How to choose the right colors? Choosing the right colors should be based on the church's liturgical calendar, and the colors they. Other liturgical colors not represented on this calendar include rose (Third Sun.
of Advent and Fourth Sun. of Lent), black (Masses for the Dead), and gold or silver (permitted in the United States for more solemn occasions). See the full Liturgical Calendar for more information on all the liturgical celebrations available each day.
Liturgical colors have been used for centuries by worshiping communities in many Christian faith traditions. Whether your community uses them for digital visual presentations, in artwork, or on paraments and vestments, they bring a beautifully symbolic unification of the Body of Christ in worship. The colors for major festival days and seasons are listed below in order of the Christian Year.
Liturgical Colors and the seasons of the church year The use of colors to differentiate liturgical seasons became a common practice in the Western church in about the fourth century. At first, usages varied considerably but by the 12th century Pope Innocent III systematized the use of five colors: Violet, White, Black, Red and Green. "Liturgical Colors" in Episcopal worship signify our place in the Church Year: WHITE, the color of Jesus' burial garments, for Christmas, Easter, and other 'feasts' or festival days, as well as marriages and funerals.