Liturgical colours are colours of vestments and paraments within a Christian liturgy. The symbolism of violet, white, green, red, gold, black, rose, and other colours may serve to underline moods appropriate to a season of the liturgical year or may highlight a special occasion. Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions, especially the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Methodists, Lutheran and Anglican Churches. ... A Parament; (from Late Latin paramentum, adornment, parare, to prepare, equip), a term applied by ancient writers to the hangings or ornaments of a room of state. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... Violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses: first, referring to the color of light at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, approximately 380–420 nanometres (this is a spectral color). ... This article is about the color. ... For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Red (disambiguation). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... This article is about the color. ... Rose is the colour that is defined in colour theory as being the colour halfway between red and magenta (the web color fuchsia) on the color wheel. ... The month of October from a liturgical calendar for Abbotsbury Abbey. ...

Roman Catholicism

Generally, in the Roman Rite reformed by Pope Paul VI, the following colours are used.^[1] Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article, refers to the sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church that developed in the area of western Europe and northern Africa where Latin was for many centuries the language of education and culture. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ...

Table of Catholic Liturgical colours

Vestments made from cloth of silver or cloth of gold may be used on days of special solemnity. Historically, silver was permitted as a substitute for white, and gold as a substitute for white, red, or green. For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... Ordinary Time is a season of the Christian (especially the Catholic) liturgical calendar. ... Violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses: first, referring to the color of light at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, approximately 380–420 nanometres (this is a spectral color). ... For other uses, see Penance (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Atonement (disambiguation). ... Advent (from the Latin Adventus, implicitly coupled with Redemptoris, the coming of the Saviour) is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known as the season of Christmas. ... It has been suggested that Cuaresma be merged into this article or section. ... Holy Saturday is the day before Easter in the Christian calendar. ... This article is about the practice of confession in the Christian faith. ... Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar. ... Laetare Sunday (from the Latin verb laetari, meaning to be joyful) is a name formerly often used, and less commonly used today, to denote the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. ... This article is about the Christian religious holiday. ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass (informally, the funeral Mass), also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in... This article is about the color. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... In the Christian calendar, Holy Thursday (also called Maundy Thursday) is the Thursday before Easter, the day on which the Last Supper is said to have occurred. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the supernatural being. ... John the Apostle (Greek Ιωάννης, see names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. ... St. ... This article is about the Christian holiday. ... For other uses, see Saint (disambiguation). ... (Gospel of Matthew 19:6) Matrimony, The Seven Sacraments, Rogier van der Weyden, ca. ... For other uses, see Red (disambiguation). ... The Descent of the Holy Spirit in a 15th century illuminated manuscript. ... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ... Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). ... Eastern Orthodox Icon of the Exaltation of the Cross In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For... The symbols of the four Evangelists are here depicted in the Book of Kells The Four Evangelists are the four followers of Jesus to whom are ascribed the writings forming the four Gospels of the New Testament: the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. ... For other uses, see Martyr (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream... See Reform Judaism article about its Confirmation ceremony. ... Rose is the colour that is defined in colour theory as being the colour halfway between red and magenta (the web color fuchsia) on the color wheel. ... Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar. ... Laetare Sunday (from the Latin verb laetari, meaning to be joyful) is a name formerly often used, and less commonly used today, to denote the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. ... This article is about the color. ... Margaret of Spain, Empress of Austria, in Mourning, 1666; note the children and servants in mourning dress behind her. ... This article is about the Christian religious holiday. ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass (informally, the funeral Mass), also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in... Cloth of gold is a fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft - referred to as a spirally spun gold strip. In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band or strip of high content gold filé. In rarer instances, fine linen and wool have been... Cloth of gold is a fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft - referred to as a spirally spun gold strip. In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band/ or strip of high content gold filé. In rarer instances, fine linen and wool have been...

In addition to the general rules, there are some exceptions.

• White, in the United States, may be worn instead of violet or black at Funeral Masses expressing the hope of the Resurrection, especially in the funerals of children. This is also appropriate if white is traditionally the colour of mourning in a country, such as some Asian nations.
• Blue, a colour associated with the Virgin Mary, is allowed for the feast of the Immaculate Conception in some dioceses in Spain, Mexico and South America. In some places there is an unauthorized use of blue for all feasts of the Virgin Mary. In the Philippines because of the persistence of local priests in using this colour, the Vatican has granted it special usage in all Marian feasts, replacing white. Blue has also become an unauthorized but common colour in some places for the season of Advent,^[3] and in this case symbolizes expectation and hope - the blue of a new dawning day.

• White or cloth of gold may be worn from the 16th to the 24th December, when celebrating a traditional novena. This Spanish custom was abolished in the 1950s, but through an error, it was only abolished in Spain, and therefore remains licit and common in the Philippines. Further, if not enough vestments of the proper colour are available (particularly in concelebrations), white may always be substituted.

The Roman Rite promulgated by Pope St. Pius V, which is still used by some priests, varies from the above uses in some minor aspects. Violet is worn on days of fasting (such as Ember days and Rogation days), on the Sundays preceding Lent, and on vigils. Black is used on Good Friday and is the only colour proper at Masses for the Dead. This article is about the color. ... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Blue (disambiguation). ... Our Lady redirects here. ... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... This article is about the color. ... Cloth of gold is a fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft - referred to as a spirally spun gold strip. In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band/ or strip of high content gold filé. In rarer instances, fine linen and wool have been... The word Novena is the feminine form of the Medieval Latin word, novnus, nine each, which is from novem, nine. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article, refers to the sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church that developed in the area of western Europe and northern Africa where Latin was for many centuries the language of education and culture. ... Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. ... In the liturgical calendar of the Western Christian churches, Ember days are four separate sets of three days within the same week - specifically, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that were formerly set aside for fasting and prayer. ... Rogation days are the three days (Rogation Monday, Rogation Tuesday and Rogation Wednesday) immediately before Ascension Thursday in the Christian liturgical calendar. ...

Anglicanism

Many Anglican churches use the colours appointed in the Roman Rite. Others use the traditional colours associated with the Use of Sarum. In these churches, blue, rather than violet, is used during Advent and, especially among Anglo-Catholics, on Marian feasts. Crimson is used during Holy Week, or throughout Passiontide (Passion Week and Holy Week). Some churches replace violet during Lent (except the week or weeks during which crimson is used) with a Lenten array consisting of unbleached muslin cloth (varying in colour but usually ranging from off-white to beige) with accents of crimson or black. Other distinctions of colour exist, such as yellow for Doctors of the Church, but their use is now almost obsolete. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Priest gives blessing during a celebration of the Sarum Mass in the early 20th c. ... Advent (from the Latin Adventus, implicitly coupled with Redemptoris, the coming of the Saviour) is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known as the season of Christmas. ... The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, groups, ideas, customs and practices within Anglicanism that emphasise continuity with Catholic tradition. ... Our Lady redirects here. ... Holy Week (Latin: ) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... Passiontide, in the Christian liturgical year, is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on Passion Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday. ... Holy Week is the Christian week from Holy Monday through Easter (Resurrection) Sunday. ... It has been suggested that Cuaresma be merged into this article or section. ... Muslin is a type of finely-woven cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. ...

More traditional churches will use black on Good Friday and at requiem masses of adults. More commonly, White or Violet is often used for funerals and memorial services; white is always used at such services where a younger person has died. White is used at baptisms and weddings. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass (informally, the funeral Mass), also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ... Nuptial is the adjective of wedding. It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. ...

Table of Anglican Liturgical colours

Common Worship is a series of books of services and prayers, known as a liturgy, published by the Church of England. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Look up epiphany in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Please note: This page is an Abrahamic interpretation of candlemas. To avoid dispute between religious groups please see Imbolc for a non-Abrahamic view. ... Septuagesima (in full, Septuagesima Sunday) is the name given to the third from the last Sunday before Lent in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Sexagesima (in full, Sexagesima Sunday) is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with Anglican and Lutheran origins. ... Quinquagesima is the name for the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. ... In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. ... Passion Sunday is a term formerly used to denote the fifth Sunday of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar; since 1970, when the new church calendar approved by the Second Vatican Council went into effect, the term has been applied to the following Sunday, until then officially called Palm Sunday... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ... The Last Supper - museum copy of Master Pauls sculpture, from the main altar in St. ... Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). ... Holy Saturday is the day before Easter in the Christian calendar. ... Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 27-33 (see Good Friday). ...

Protestantism

Some Protestant churches, especially Lutherans and Methodists use a colour scheme similar to those used by Anglicans and Roman Catholics, although the practice is not universally followed. Many Protestant churches reject the idea of liturgical colours entirely. Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... For other uses, see Methodism (disambiguation). ...

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, uses the same colour scheme as that of the Anglicans and their Scandinavian Lutheran counterparts, but with the use of gold only for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services, with Holy Week using scarlet in place of crimson – congregations lacking scarlet vestments use purple from Palm Sunday through Holy Wednesday and white for Maundy Thursday. Black, traditionally use by the Anglican Communion for Good Friday and funerals, was used by the ELCA only for Ash Wednesday, but effective with the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) book, which replaces the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW), black is no longer suggested for Ash Wednesday or Good Friday – purple may be used for Ash Wednesday and no colour for Good Friday. In addition, the ELW suggests that blue, the traditional colour for Advent (with purple being the alternate), be used for the Advent season, reflecting the traditional use of blue in the Scandinavian Lutheran churches. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... Evangelical Lutheran Worship is the service book and hymnal for use in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. ... Lutheran Book of Worship is a hymnal and prayer book used by several Lutheran denominations in North America. ...

Both the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), along with the United Methodist Church use a similar system, but with purple being the primary colour for both Advent and Lent (with blue being the alternate colour for Advent only), and the use of gold in place of white for both Christmas and Easter (in similar practice to the Roman Catholic Church). In the WELS, the use of red is also done during the Period of End Times, a period of the Church in regards to the teachings of the Book of Revelation, culminating in the creation of the New Jerusalem (corresponding to Christ the King in the ELCA). In all three churches, including the ELCA, red is also worn on the last Sunday of October, in celebration of the Reformation on October 31st, when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses onto the door of Whittenburg Cathedral. LCMS redirects here. ... The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a North American religious denomination belonging to the Lutheran tradition within Christianity. ... This article is about the current Christian denomination based in the United States. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... The 95 Theses. ...

The United Methodist Church, prior to the early-1990s, used red solely for Pentecost, even including the Sundays after Pentecost Sunday, with the use of green being reserved for the season of Kingdomtide, which usually lasted from late August/early September until Christ the King (the last Sunday in Kingdomtide). Since the publication of the 1992 Book of Worship, the UMC has followed the ELCA practice of wearing red only for Pentecost and Reformation Sundays and green for the rest of the Pentecost season. Kingdomtide is a liturgical season observed in the autumn by the United Methodist Church, particularly in the United States, and certain other Protestant denominations. ...

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has sanctioned the use of liturgical colours and promoted their use in the 1995 Book of Common Worship. The scheme follows the general usage of the Lutheran and Methodist churches. However, it should be noted that no liturgical aesthetic is either prescribed or proscribed by Reformed theology or the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Emblem of the PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PC(USA) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. ... Emblem of the PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PC(USA) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. ...

Orthodoxy

The Orthodox churches do not have a universal system of colours, but only specify "light" or "dark" vestments in the service books. In the Greek tradtion, maroon or burgundy are common for solemn feast days, and a wide variety of colours are used at other times, the most common of which are gold and white. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The... The word Maroon can have the following meanings: Maroon is a color mixture composed of brown and purple. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their...

Slavic-use churches and others influenced by Western traditions have adopted a cycle of liturgical colours. The particulars may change from place to place, but generally:

• White is used for Pascha (in some areas bright red is used for Pascha), Nativity, Theophany, and other Great Feasts of the Lord
• Purple (or red) for Saturdays and Sundays during Great Lent
• Black for weekdays in Great Lent, and during Holy Week (except Holy Thursday)
• Green for Palm Sunday, Pentecost, feasts of the Holy Cross and "venerable" (monastic) saints
• Blue for feasts of the Theotokos
• Red for Holy Thursday, feasts of the Cross, John the Baptist, martyrs, and for every day of the Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast (except during one of the Great Feasts)
• Gold is used as the default, when no other colour is called for. Churches dedicated to the Theotokos may use blue as a default.

Previously, black would often be used for funerals, as a sign of penance and mourning, but in the second half of the 20th century white became more common, as a sign of the hope of the Resurrection. Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Look up theophany in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Easter/Pascha The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Easter or Pascha, is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Great Lent is the greatest fasting period in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter (or Holy Pascha). Although it is in many ways similar to Lent in Western Christianity, there are important differences in the timing of Lent... Holy Week (Latin: ) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... In the Christian calendar, Holy Thursday (also called Maundy Thursday) is the Thursday before Easter, the day on which the Last Supper is said to have occurred. ... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ... The Descent of the Holy Spirit in a 15th century illuminated manuscript. ... Eastern Orthodox Icon of the Exaltation of the Cross In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek: , translit. ... In the Christian calendar, Holy Thursday (also called Maundy Thursday) is the Thursday before Easter, the day on which the Last Supper is said to have occurred. ... St. ... For other uses, see Martyr (disambiguation). ... The Nativity Fast, practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, is believed to enable participants to draw closer to God by denying the body of worldly pleasure in preparation for celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is held on December 25th (Julian Calendar). ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Dormition of the Virgin redirects here. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek: , translit. ... For other uses, see Penance (disambiguation). ...

References

1. ^ Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 346
2. ^ The optional use of blue as a liturgical color for feasts of our Lady is restricted to a limited number of dioceses, as is explained in the text.
3. ^ Cantica Nova Puplications, Advent Blues, an editorial by Gary D. Penkala bemoaning the use of blue in the liturgy, December 2000

• Ordo missae celebrandae et divini officii persolvendi secundum calendarium romanum generale pro anno liturgico 2005-2006, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2005.

External links

• Christian Symbols, Crosses, Parament Colors; and their meanings
• "Liturgical colours". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.