CHURCH FEASTS AND FASTS WHOSE DATE DEPEND ON THE DATE OF EASTER.
Feasts, or Festivals, are days set apart by the church, either for the
grateful memorial of the most remarkable events connected with the plan of
redemption, or upon which to commemorate the actions and sufferings of
such persons as have been most instrumental in carrying forward the
designs of God for the salvation of mankind.
The ecclesiastical year is divided into eight seasons, namely:
Advent-tide, Christmas-tide, Epiphany-tide, Lenten-tide, Easter-tide,
Ascension-tide, Whitsun-tide, and Trinity-tide. The first day of each of
these seasons has been, and is now observed by the church in commemoration
of some of the most remarkable events connected with the plan of
redemption. All these will be noticed in the order in which they occur in
the ecclesiastical year, while many other days intervening, which are
observed as feasts or fasts, will be given a passing notice.
_a_--Advent Sunday, which is the day nearest St. Andrew's Day (Nov. 30),
or the first Sunday after the 26th of November, has been recognized since
the sixth century as the first day of the ecclesiastical year.
Advent (Latin _Adventus_, the coming,) signifies the coming of our
Saviour, the period of the approach of the nativity. As Advent-tide lasts
from Advent Sunday to Christmas, the length of the season depends upon
the day of the month on which Advent Sunday falls. As it may happen as
early as the 27th of November or as late as the 3d of December, so
Advent-tide will contain no more than twenty-eight days nor less than
twenty-two. It should be borne in mind that, though this festival is
classed among the movable feasts, it does not depend upon the date of
Easter, but upon the day of the month on which Advent Sunday falls. The
four Sundays before Christmas were made preparation days for the festival
of Christmas, and were called the first, second, third, and fourth Sundays
in Advent.
Ember days and Ember weeks are the four seasons set apart by the Western
church for special prayer and fasting, and the ordination of clergy; known
in the church as _quatuor tempora_, (the four seasons.) The Ember weeks
are the weeks next following St. Lucy's Day (Dec. 13th), the first Sunday
in Lent, Whitsun Day, and Holy Cross Day (Sept. 14th). The Wednesdays,
Fridays and Saturdays of these weeks are the Ember days distinctively. The
name by some is supposed to be derived from a German word signifying
Abstinence; by others it is supposed to signify Ashes.
_b_--Christmas (from Christ and the Saxon _maess_, signifying the mass and
a feast), is a festival held in commemoration of the nativity of our
Saviour throughout nearly the whole of Christendom. It is occupied,
therefore, with the event (the incarnation) which forms the center and
turning point of the history of the world. Though the day of Christ's
birth cannot be ascertained from the New Testament, nor from any other
source, yet the whole Christian world for more than 1300 years have
concurred in celebrating the nativity on the 25th of December. This is
the first of the four great feasts in the ecclesiastical year; the other
three are Easter, Ascension, and Whitsun Day. The length of Christmas-tide
or season is twelve days, lasting from the 25th of December to Epiphany.
_c_--Epiphany (Greek _Epiphania_, _Theophania_ or _Christophania_,) is a
festival in commemoration of the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the
world as the Son of God, and referring to the appearance of the star which
announced our Saviour's birth to the Gentiles, and the visit of the Magi,
or wise Men of the East to the infant Jesus. This festival is held on the
6th of January invariably, consequently is not a movable feast, though the
length of Epiphany-tide depends upon the date of Easter. As Easter may
happen as early as the 22d of March or as late as the 26th of April (a
variation of thirty-five days), so Epiphany-tide may consist of no less
than twelve days nor more than forty-seven, as the season always ends the
day before Septuagesima Sunday. (See tables at the close of this chapter.)
Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima. There being exactly fifty days
between the Sunday next before Lent and Easter Day, inclusive, that Sunday
was termed Quinquagesima, i. e., the fiftieth; and the two immediately
preceding Sundays were called from the next round numbers Sexagesima, the
sixtieth; and Septuagesima, the seventieth.
The Paschal Season extends from Septuagesima Sunday to Low Sunday, a
period of seventy days. It takes its name from the Paschal festival or
Easter, whose services end with Low Sunday, the octave, or eighth day, of
Easter. It begins with Septuagesima Sunday because the church services
then begin to prepare the minds of the faithful for the services of Lent,
which are themselves the preparation for Easter. May not Septuagesima
Sunday be so called because there are just seventy days in the Paschal
Season?
Shrove-tide literally means confession-time, and is the name given to the
days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. These days were so called
because on them, and especially on the last of them (Shrove Tuesday)
people were accustomed to confess their sins as a preparation for Lent. In
most Roman Catholic countries it begins with Quinquagesima Sunday, the
Sunday before Lent.
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, (Latin _dies cinerum_, the day of
Ashes), was so called because it was customary on that day for penitents
to appear in sackcloth, upon which occasion ashes were sprinkled upon
them.
_d_--Lent, (Anglo-Saxon _lengten_. Perhaps from _lenegan_, to lengthen,
because at this season the days lengthen) the forty days fast, is the
preparation for Easter, and is observed in commemoration of our Lord's
fast in the wilderness. In most languages the name given to this fast
signifies the number of days--forty; but our word Lent signifies the
Spring Fast, for Lenten-tide in the Anglo-Saxon language was the Season of
Spring, in German, Lenz.
The six Sundays in the Lenten-tide of forty-six days are not counted in
the fast, as all Sundays in the year are reckoned as feast days, because
our Saviour arose from the dead on the first day of the week.
Quadragesima Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, is so called by analogy
with the three Sundays which precede Lent, and which (as has already been
stated) are called respectively Septuagesima, seventieth; Sexagesima,
sixtieth; Quinquagesima, fiftieth; and then Quadragesima, fortieth; in
round numbers forty days before Easter.
Holy Week, the last week in Lent, called also Passion Week, because within
it is commemorated our Lord's sufferings. The days specially solemnized
are Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Holy, or Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
Palm Sunday (Latin _Dominica Palmarium_, or _Dominica_ in _Palmis_) is the
name usually given the Sunday before Easter; a day celebrated in
commemoration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, so called
because the people who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus
was coming, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and
cried, "Hosanna; blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of
the Lord."
Spy Wednesday, so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas,
or the day on which he made the bargain to deliver him into the hands of
his enemies for thirty pieces of silver.
Maundy Thursday (from _Dies mandati_, mandate Thursday), so called either
from the command given his disciples to love one another, or to
commemorate the sacrament of His supper.
Good Friday, so called in acknowledgment of the benefit derived from the
death of Christ.
The closing scenes in the life of Christ, the events of Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday of Holy Week, are events of much more importance than
were ever before crowded into any one week in the history of the world.
The betrayal on Wednesday, the institution of the sacrament on Thursday
night, also the words of our Saviour as recorded in John's gospel, from
the 14th to the 17th chapters inclusive, the agony and the bloody sweat in
the garden, the arrest and trial during Thursday night and Friday morning,
the crucifixion at the third hour, the darkness that was over all the land
from the sixth to the ninth hour, and the last words of the blessed Jesus,
"It is finished," (tasted death for every man); these we say, are events
of more importance to man than were ever before crowded into any one week
in the world's history.
The prophets who prophesied of these things, inquired and searched
diligently, "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ and the glory that should follow." And about an hour before this
prophecy began to be fulfilled our Saviour uttered these words: "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall
rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into
joy." It was probably not more than an hour from the time these words fell
from the Saviour's lips, that he was arrested and led away to undergo a
trial; cruel mocking and scourging, crucifixion and death upon the cross.
Then cometh Joseph of Arimathea, bringing fine linen, and Nicodemus with
his hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, and they two took the body of the
Lord Jesus and wrapped it in the linen with the spices, and laid it in
Joseph's own new tomb, which he had hewn out in a rock, wherein never man
before was laid, and rolled a great stone against the door of the
sepulcher and departed. Thus endeth Passion Week. While the body of Jesus
is in the sepulcher the world is rejoicing, and the disciples are weeping
and lamenting, according to the words of the Saviour, "Ye shall weep and
lament, but the world shall rejoice."
He dies! the friend of sinners dies!
Lo! Salem's daughters weep around;
A solemn darkness veils the skies,
A sudden trembling shakes the ground.
_e_--Easter (German, _Ostern_, Old Saxon _Oster_, from _osten_, signifying
rising,) is a church festival in commemoration of the resurrection of our
Lord from the dead. But the apparent victory which the enemies of Christ
had gained was of short duration, the rejoicing of the world did not long
continue, the remaining words of our Saviour must needs be fulfilled: "But
your sorrow shall be turned into joy." Now, upon the first day of the
week, very early in the morning, (Easter morning) the two Marys came to
the sepulcher bringing the sweet spices and ointments which they had
prepared for the purpose of anointing the body of the Lord Jesus, but were
greatly astonished when they saw that the great stone, which they had seen
rolled against the door of the sepulcher on Friday afternoon, was rolled
away, and an angel sitting upon it whose countenance was like lightning,
and for fear of whom the keepers did shake and become as dead men. But to
the women he said, "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus which was
crucified, He is not here, for He is risen." That you may know for a
certainty that He is risen, come and see the place where you saw Him laid
only a few hours ago. Now go quickly and tell His disciples that He is
risen from the dead, and behold He goeth before you into Galilee, there
shall ye see Him. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear
and great joy, and did run to carry the good news to the disciples. But
how much greater their joy soon after their departure when Jesus himself
met them with the comforting words, "Be not afraid, but go tell my
brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me."
The subject for conversation for the past two days had been Jesus and the
crucifixion, but now Jesus and the resurrection. Some believed, but some
doubted. Others ran to the sepulcher and found it even as the women had
said. While the chief priests and elders hired the soldiers to say that
the disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. But how
should they know what had become of Him if they were sleeping? The truth
was they were so overcome with fear by the brightness of the angels'
countenance that they became as dead men, not knowing what was transpiring
around them. But it was truly good tidings and great joy to the disciples
of Christ on that Easter morning.
The rising God forsakes the tomb;
In vain the tomb forbids His rise;
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal,
Christ has burst the gates of hell;
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ hath opened Paradise.
The spirit of Christ in the prophets had testified beforehand the
suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow. That morning and
that day was not only joyful to the disciples of Christ, but _glorious_;
it was "joy unspeakable and _full_ of glory." Although 1863 years have
rolled around since that Easter morning, yet we are as much interested in
what then and there transpired as were the Marys, and Peter, and John, who
were the first at the sepulcher, and who were permitted the same day to
see their risen Lord, whom having not seen, we love; in whom, though now
we see Him not, yet believing, we [as well as they] rejoice "with joy
unspeakable and full of glory."
Low Sunday. The first Sunday after Easter is so called because it was
customary to repeat on this day some part of the solemnity which was used
on Easter day, whence it took the name of Low Sunday, being celebrated as
a feast, but of a lower degree than Easter day itself. The next Sunday
after Easter has been popularly, so called in England, perhaps by
corruption for close, (_Pascha Clausum_) close of Easter. _Dominica_ in
_Albis_, (the Sunday of white garments) a title anciently given to the
first Sunday after Easter, because on this day those persons who had been
baptized at Easter appear for the last time in the chrysomes, or white
robes which they received at baptism. These were laid up in the church as
evidences of their baptismal profession.
Rogation Days, (Latin _rogare_, to beseech,) are the Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday after Rogation Sunday and before Ascension Day, (Holy Thursday.)
About the middle of the fifth century Mamertus, bishop of Vienna, upon the
prospect of a great fire that threatened his diocese, appointed that
extraordinary prayer and supplication should be offered up to God, with
fasting, for averting the impending evils upon the above mentioned days;
from which supplications (called by the Latins _rogationes_) these days
have ever since been called Rogation Days. As retained in our present
calendar, they are simply private fasts.
_f_--Ascension Day, or Holy Thursday, one of the great religious festivals
of the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, is held on the fortieth day
after Easter, and ten days before Whitsun Day, to commemorate the
Ascension of our Lord into heaven. Ascension Day has been observed at
least since the year of our Lord 64, and perhaps earlier. Saint Augustine
believed it to have been instituted either by the apostles themselves, or
the bishops immediately succeeding them.
Expectation Week is the whole of the interval between Ascension Day and
Whitsun Day, so called because at this time the apostles, according to the
command of our Saviour, continued at Jerusalem, in earnest prayer and
expectation of the Holy Comforter which was to abide with them forever.
The Sunday between Ascension Day and Whitsun Day is called Expectation
Sunday.
Pentecost, (Greek, _Pentecostos_, fiftieth), a Jewish festival; so called
because it was observed on the fiftieth day after the feast of unleavened
bread, called also the feast of weeks, being celebrated seven weeks from
the feast of the Passover. It also commemorated the giving of the law on
Mount Sinai upon that day. The origin of the Anglo-Saxon name of White
Sunday, which also occurs in Icelandic, is somewhat obscure, for in the
Roman churches the _Dominica_ in _Albis_, (Low Sunday, q. v.) so called
from the white robes then worn by the persons baptized at Easter, has
always been the Sunday immediately following Easter. It hardly seems
probable that there should be another Sunday of White Garments within six
weeks. In German it is known by the name _Pfingsten_, old German
_Wingsten_, old English _Whitsun_, hence, probably, our word Whitsun Day,
not White Sunday.
_g_--Whitsun Day, or Pentecost, is the last of the four _great_ festivals
in the ecclesiastical year, held in commemoration of the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on the infant church ten days after the Ascension. Among the
last words of our Saviour to the apostles on the very day that He was
taken up, were "Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry
ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endowed with power from on high."
After ten days of earnest, believing prayer, and expectation, suddenly,
but not unexpectedly, there came a sound from heaven as a rushing, mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of
them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance; and the multitude
came together, and were amazed, saying one to the other what meaneth this?
Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine. But Peter lifted up
his voice and said, these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but
the third hour of the day, (nine o'clock in the morning,) men are not
usually drunk so early in the morning; but this is that which the prophet
Joel eight hundred years ago said should come to pass in these last days;
the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost for which they
had been waiting for the past ten days; something of that _glory_ that
should follow the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of the
Lord Jesus into Heaven, the glory of the Christian church, of the
Christian dispensation, and which is destined to fill the whole earth.
"Waft, Waft, ye winds his story,
And you, ye waters, roll,
Till like a sea of glory,
It spreads from pole to pole."
_h_--Trinity Sunday, the octave, or eighth day of the feast of Pentecost,
is a church festival held in commemoration of the doctrine of the Trinity.
The introduction of this day into the calendar is of comparatively recent
date, it being established by Pope Benedict XI, in the year of our Lord
1305. It is probable that the zeal of many Christians against the use of
images in the eighth and ninth centuries may have been the first cause of
the appointment of a distinct day for meditating upon the nature of the
Holy Trinity in unity, or the one true God as distinguished from idols.
The reason for its late introduction is that in the creed of the church,
and in its psalms, hymns, and doxologies, great prominence was given to
this doctrine, and it was thought that there was no need to set apart a
particular day for that which was done every day. This is the last of the
movable feasts in the ecclesiastical year, being held eight weeks after
Easter; so it may happen as early as the 17th of May or as late as the
20th of June. The length of both Epiphany and Trinity-tide depend upon the
date of Easter. As Epiphany-tide is shortened by the early date of
Easter, so Trinity-tide is lengthened proportionately, and as
Epiphany-tide is lengthened by the later date of Easter so Trinity-tide is
shortened proportionately; so Trinity-tide may contain no more than 196
days nor less than 161. (See tables at the close of this chapter.)
All Saints Day, or All hallowmass (Anglo-Saxon _all_, and _halig_, holy) a
festival celebrated by the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches on the
first day of November, in honor of all Saints and martyrs. It was
introduced into the Western church in the beginning of the seventh century
by Boniface. The number of saints being exceedingly multiplied, it was
found too burdensome to dedicate a feast day to each, there being, indeed,
scarcely hours enough in the year to distribute among them all. It was
therefore resolved to commemorate on one day all who had no particular
day. By order of Gregory IV, it was celebrated on the first of November,
834; formerly the first of May was the day appointed. It was introduced
into England about 870, and is still observed in the English and Lutheran
churches, as well as the Church of Rome on the first of November.
All-Souls' Day, a festival held by Roman Catholics on the 2d of November,
for special prayer in behalf of all the faithful dead. It was first
introduced in 998, by Odilon, Abbot of Clugni, who enjoined it on his own
order. It was soon after adopted by neighboring churches. It is the day on
which, in the Romish church, extraordinary masses are repeated for the
relief of souls said to be in purgatory. Formerly on this day persons
dressed in black perambulated the towns and cities, each provided with a
bell of dismal tone, which was rung in public places by way of exhortation
to the people to remember the souls in purgatory. In some parts of the
west of England it is still the custom for the village children to go
around to all their neighbors souling, as they call it, collecting small
contributions, and singing the following verses, taken down from two of
the children themselves:
Soul! Soul! for a soul-cake,
Pray good mistress, for a soul-cake,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him that made us all.
Soul! soul! for an apple or two;
If you've got no apples, pears will do,
Up with your kettle, and down with your pan,
Give me a good big one and I'll be gone.
The soul cake referred to in the verses is a sort of bun which the people
used to make, and to give to one another on the 2d of November.
In the following tables there is presented at one view the day of the
month on which the principal feasts and fasts fall in the ecclesiastical
year 1817-18 and 1885-86. In the former Easter happens at its earliest
possible date, in the latter at its latest date in this century:
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------
_YEAR 1817-18._ | _Days in_ | _Sundays in_
|_Each Season._|_Each Season._
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------
| |
_a_--Advent Sunday, November 30th; | |
Advent-tide, | 25 | 4
| |
_1st_ Ember Week, after December 13th; | |
Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
_b_--Christmas, December 25th; | |
Christmas-tide, | 12 | 2
| |
_c_--Epiphany, January 6th; Epiphany-tide,| 12 | 1
Septuagesima Sunday, January 18th, | 7 | 1
Paschal season from Jan. 18th to | |
March 29th, 70 days | |
Sexagesima Sunday, January 25th, | 7 | 1
Quinquagesima Sunday, February 1st, | 3 | 1
Shrove-tide, (confession time) Shrove| |
Tues., Feb. 3d. | |
| |
_d_--Ash Wednesday, Feb 4th, Lent begins; | |
Lenten-tide, | 46 | 6
First Sunday in Lent (Quadragesima) | |
February 8th. | |
| |
_2d_ Ember Week after first Sunday in | |
Lent; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday| |
and Saturday. | |
Holy Week, the week before Easter; | |
Special Days, Palm Sunday, Spy | |
Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and | |
Good Friday, March 15th, 18th, | |
19th and 20th. | |
| |
_e_--Easter Sunday, March 22d; | |
Easter-tide, | 39 | 6
Low Sunday, March 29th; Paschal | |
Season ends. | |
Rogation Sunday, April 26th; Rogation| |
Days, the Monday, Tuesday and | |
Wednesday after Rogation Sunday. | |
| |
_f_--Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), April | |
30th; Ascension-tide, | 10 | 1
Expectation Sunday, First Sunday | |
after Ascension, May 3d. | |
| |
_g_--Whitsun Day, (Pentecost) May 10th; | |
Whitsun-tide, | 7 | 1
| |
_3d_ Ember Week, after Whitsun Day; Ember | |
Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
_h_--Trinity Sunday, May 17th; | 196 | 28
Trinity-tide, | |
| |
_4th_ Ember Week, after September 14th; | |
Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
All Saints' Day, November 1st. | |
| |
All Souls' Day, November 2d. | |
+--------------+--------------
Appendix K. | 364 | 52
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------
_YEAR 1885-86._ | _Days in_ | _Sundays in_
|_Each Season._|_Each Season._
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------
| |
_a_--Advent Sunday, November 29th, | |
Advent-tide, | 26 | 4
| |
_1st_ Ember Week, after December 13th; | |
Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
_b_--Christmas, December 25th; | |
Christmas-tide, | 12 | 2
| |
_c_--Epiphany, January 6th; Epiphany-tide,| 46 | 6
Septuagesima Sunday, February 21st, | 7 | 1
Paschal season, from Feb. 21st to May| |
2d, 70 days. | |
Sexagesima Sunday, February 28th, | 7 | 1
Quinquagesima Sunday, March 7th, | 3 | 1
Shrove-tide, (confession time) Shrove| |
Tues., Mar. 9th. | |
| |
_d_--Ash Wednesday, March 10th, Lent | |
begins; Lenten-tide | 46 | 6
First Sunday in Lent (Quadragesima) | |
March 14th. | |
| |
_2d_ Ember Week after first Sunday in | |
Lent; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday| |
and Saturday. | |
Holy Week, the week before Easter; | |
Special Days, Palm Sunday, Spy | |
Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good| |
Friday, April 18th, 21st, 22d and | |
23d. | |
| |
_e_--Easter Sunday, April 25th; | |
Easter-tide, | 39 | 6
Low Sunday, May 2d, Paschal Season | |
ends. | |
Rogation Sunday, May 30th; Rogation | |
Days, the Monday, Tuesday and | |
Wednesday after Rogation Sunday. | |
| |
_f_--Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), June | |
3d; Ascension-tide, | 10 | 1
Expectation Sunday, first Sunday | |
after Ascension, June 6th. | |
| |
_g_--Whitsun Day, (Pentecost) June 13th; | |
Whitsun-tide, | 7 | 1
| |
_3d_ Ember Week, after Whitsun Day; Ember | |
Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
_h_--Trinity Sunday, June 20th; | |
Trinity-tide, | 161 | 23
| |
_4th_ Ember Week, after September 14th; | |
Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and | |
Saturday. | |
| |
All Saints' Day, November 1st. | |
| |
All Souls' Day, November 2d | |
+--------------+--------------
Appendix K. | 364 | 52
------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------