"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." — Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Anglican year walks through the whole story of salvation, season by season — each with its own mood, readings and liturgical colour. The year begins not in January but with Advent Sunday, four Sundays before Christmas.
The Seasons
- Advent (purple) — four Sundays of watchful preparation for Christ’s coming, both at Bethlehem and at the end of the age.
- Christmas (white/gold) — the twelve days celebrating the Incarnation, from Christmas Day to Epiphany.
- Epiphany (green) — the manifestation of Christ to the nations; the visit of the Magi and the revelation of Jesus in the world.
- Lent (purple) — forty days of fasting, prayer and penitence beginning on Ash Wednesday, walking toward the cross.
- Holy Week — Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper), Good Friday (the crucifixion) and the Easter Vigil.
- Easter (white/gold) — fifty days of resurrection joy: “The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!”
- Pentecost (Trinity season) (red, then green) — the gift of the Holy Spirit and the long green season of growth in ordinary time, until Advent returns.
Festivals We Mark
Along the way the calendar keeps the great feasts — Christmas Day, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day — and saints’ days including our patronal festival of St. Peter (June 29, shared with St. Paul), when we celebrate the parish’s patron saint.
The Sunday readings for each season come from the Revised Common Lectionary — see this week’s on our Daily Readings page.