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Special Religious
Days & Holidays
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"Holy Days"
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November 1
All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day or
All Hallows Day
ranks fourth among the major feasts of the Christian year, along with
Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. All Saints commemorates all the saints
and martyrs, especially those not remembered on their own special days during
the church year. All Saints' Day may be symbolized by the
Hand of God. This symbol embodies the idea that the hand of God is over
the souls of the righteousness.
The origins of All Saints' Day are
uncertain. Its roots are grounded in the second and third centuries when a
unique reverence was accorded to those who bore witness to Christ by being
imprisoned for the faith (confessors) or by dying for it (martyrs.) After
the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in the early fourth century, the
church was able to give free expression to the reverence for its heroes of the
faith.
The ritual observance of All Saints' Day
brings the long summer and fall season of Pentecost nearer to its end and the
beginning of the first season of the liturgical year., Advent. Advent
begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (December 1, 2002) and continues
until the first Eucharist of Christmas.
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December 25
Christmas Day
Christmas Day always falls on December 25. It is preceded by
a period of penitence and followed by a season of joy. The
Christmas
Season begins on Christmas Eve with vespers and ends on the eve of
Epiphany with vespers.
The early church did not celebrate Christmas as we do today. The birth and
baptism of Jesus were commemorated on Epiphany, which falls on January 6th.
Christmas developed from a pagan festival celebrating the birth of the sun-god.
The sun-god is said to have had a rebirth on the first day of winter, or the
shortest day of the year. This was usually on December 21. In the fourth
century it occurred on December 25. In the first half of the fourth
century, Christians took over the festival and instituted it at Rome. The
festival then spread slowly from Rome to other parts of Christendom until it
overshadowed Epiphany.
There are still arguments among the scholars on the actual date of Jesus' birth.
They differ from 4 B.C. to 6 A.D. The difference stems from the lack of
actual historical evidence and mistakes in the calendars through out the years.
The color for the Christmas season is white, except for two special days
when red is used. These dates are
Saint Stephen, Martyr on December 26th and The Holy Innocents, Martyrs on
December 28th.
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday,
according to A New Dictionary for Episcopalians,
is the day before Ash Wednesday. It is named for the "shriving," or
confessions and absolutions traditionally performed on that day. Shrove
Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Traditionally, it is
the last day of eating meat and merry making. Usually, the last of the
eggs, dairy products and fat is used up on Shrove Tuesday with the making of
pancakes.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday,
according to A New Dictionary for Episcopalians,
is the forty-sixth day, or forty days not counting Sundays, before Easter that
marks the beginning of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, the celebrant makes the
sign of the cross on the forehead of the worshipers using the ashes made from
the palm leaves left over from the preceding Palm Sunday celebrations.
Lent
Lent, beginning with Ash
Wednesday, is a 40-day period of preparation for Christ's death and
resurrection. From the Book of Common Prayer
Ash Wednesday liturgy, we are invited
"to the observance of Holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer,
fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's Holy Word."
For example, we can:
* Begin Lent by attending one of the two Ash Wednesday Services
offered at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church,
* Establish a regular time of day for prayer or Bible study,
* Arrange our busy schedule so we can attend a weekday service,
* Commit ourselves to taking part in the Sunday Service,
* Participate in the Lenten Soup 'n Salad dinners and Lenten programs held on
Wednesday evenings,
* Establish a "Family Reading Time,"
* Give up a favorite treat during lent and use the money to fill your Lenten
Coin Folder,
* Volunteer at The Thrift Shop,
* Become involved in something at Saint Andrew's.
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Holy Week
(Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter
Sunday)
Palm Sunday - Enter Jerusalem
Holy Monday - Clearing The Temple
Holy Tuesday - A Day of Teaching
Holy Wednesday - The Plan To Kill Jesus
Maundy Thursday - The Last Supper
Maundy Thursday is the day of the week which the
church remembers Christ's institution of the Eucharist. The name Maundy is
a shortened form of the word commandment in its early spelling "commaundment" or
of the Latin words "mandatum novum," which means "new commandment." The
Gospel associated with this day is Jesus' saying to his disciples, "I give
you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you."
Good Friday - Death On The Cross
The Friday before Easter, Good Friday, is the day on
which we remember the crucifixion of Jesus with a day of fasting, abstinence,
penance, and special devotion. No Eucharist is celebrated this day; the
altar was stripped at the end of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday. Good
Friday Liturgy includes the Stations of the Cross.
Holy Saturday - In The Grave
This festival became known as the Great Vigil of
Easter because on the Saturday night prior to Easter Day, those who had been
studying for three years to become Christians (Catechumens), stayed up all night
listening to Bible stories about God's love and singing Psalms. Then at
first light on Easter morning they were baptized and received Holy Eucharist for
the first time. Our Great Vigil begins in darkness with the lighting of
the new fire symbolizing the Light of Christ returning to the world after the
darkness of Maundy Thursday, of Good Friday, and of Holy Saturday. The
Paschal Candle is lighted from the new fire and is carried to the front of the
church.
Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of Our Lord
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