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Seasons, Feast and Holy Days
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Advent:
From the Latin adventus ("coming"), the period celebrating
the coming of Jesus at Christmas. The beginning of the Church year
and the four weeks leading up to and concluding with The Feast of
the Nativity and the Nativity season.
The colors for Advent are violet (purple) or blue. Blue is the traditional Anglican color for Advent, as it originated in Sarum, England and it commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary. Purple was adopted from the Roman Catholic Church and it is a better color for Lent.
Advent Sunday: The first day in Advent and the first day of the Christian year.
Advent Wreath: A special wreath containing five candles used in churches and homes as reminders of the four Sundays of Advent (before Christmas). Four of the candles are arranged in a circle, the fifth, a white candle, is placed in the center. Traditionally, one additional candle is lighted each Sunday until on the fourth Sunday all four candles are lighted. On Christmas
Day, the fifth candle is lighted. The four candles can be purple in color, following the Roman Catholic color system or blue, following the Sarum
blue of the Anglican color system.
All Saints' Day: November 1; a
feast day in the church in commemoration of all the known and
unknown saints and martyrs.
Ascension Day: The Feast commemorating the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven and the end of the resurrection appearances. This Feast is forty days after Easter and always occurs on a Thursday. The colors for Ascension are white or gold. This day and the Sunday following end the Easter Season.
Ash Wednesday: A day of special devotion which marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a period of spiritual discipline, fasting and moderation in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. It is one of the most important days of the church year. In the Ash Wednesday service, ashes are lightly smeared onto the forehead of a person by the priest or bishop, as a reminder that "dust thou art, and to dust thou shall return" (BCP pp. 264ff).
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