Liturgical Calendar and Feast Days
The Liturgical Year is an annual cycle of seasons and feasts that celebrates the Paschal Mystery, especially focusing on Christ's Death and Resurrection (Easter Cycle), and Birth (Christmas Cycle). The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "In the Liturgical Year the various aspects of the one Paschal mystery unfold. The celebration of the Liturgical Year is meant to draw the Catholic faithful into the Mystery of Christ, helping them to experience His divine life more fully and deeply. This includes remembering and celebrating the lives of the saints, especially Mary, the Mother of God: "By keeping the memorials of the saints - first of all the holy Mother of God, then the apostles, the martyrs, and other saints - on fixed days of the Liturgical Year, the Church on earth shows that she is united with the liturgy of heaven. She gives glory to Christ for having accomplished his salvation in his glorified members; their example encourages her on her way to the Father." (C CC 1195)
The Western and Eastern rites of the Catholic Church hold the major feast days and seasons in common, but differ on many of the solemnities and feasts. Below are the most important feast days, plus some of the feasts unique to the Eastern Catholic Church
LITURGICAL AND FEAST DAY
*Holy Days of obligation
Paschal and the 12 Great Feasts
Includes Major Civil Holidays in the United States
In the Season of Pentecost
September 1: The Beginning of the Church Year
September 7: Labor Day (USA)
September 8: Feast of Nativity of the Mother of God
September 14: Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross
October 1: Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God
October 11: Sunday of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council
October 12: Columbus Day (USA)
November 8: Syn-axis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers
November 11: Veterans' Day (USA)
Preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord
November 15: Nativity Fast (Philip's Fast also known as Advent)
November 21: The Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple
November 26: Thanksgiving Day (USA)
December 6: St Nicholas the Wonder worker and Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
December 9: Conception by Anne of the Most Holy Mother of God (Immaculate Conception)
December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13: Second Sunday Before Christmas (Holy Forefathers)
December 20: Sunday Before Christmas (Holy Fathers)
Season of the Christmas cycle
*December 25: The Nativity of our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ
December 26: Syn-axis of the Most Holy Mother of God
December 27: Sunday after Christmas; Memory of the Holy Joseph, Husband of Mary; of David, Prophet and King; of the Holy Apostle, James, Brother of the Lord; and of the First-Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen
January 1: Circumcision of Our Lord and the Memory of St. Basil the Great
January 3: Sunday Before Theophany
January 6: Theophany (Baptism) of Our Lord
January 10: Sunday After Theophany
Pr-Paschal Season
January 10: Sunday of Zacchaeus
January 17: Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
January 18: Martin Luther King Day (USA)
January 24: Sunday of the Prodigal Son
January 29: Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom
January 30: First All-Souls Saturday
January 31: Sunday of Meat Fare
February 2: Encounter of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna (Presentation in the Temple)
February 7: Sunday of Cheese Fare
The Great Fast
February 14: First Sunday of the Great Fast (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
February 20: Second All-Souls Saturday
February 21: Second Sunday of the Great Fast (St. Gregory Palamas)
February 27: Third All-Souls Saturday
February 28: Third Sunday of the Great Fast (Veneration of the Holy Cross)
March 5: Fourth All-Souls Saturday
March 6: Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast (St. John of the Ladder)
March 12: Akathistos Saturday
March 13: Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast (St. Mary of Egypt)
Holy Week
March 19: Saturday of Lazarus
March 20: Palm Sunday
March 21: Great and Holy Monday
March 22: Great and Holy Tuesday
March 23: Great and Holy Wednesday
March 24: Great and Holy Thursday
March 25: Annunciation of the Mother of God
March 25: Great and Holy Friday
March 26: Great and Holy Saturday
March 27: Paschal (Easter Sunday)
Paschal Season
Mar 27-Apr 3: Bright Week
April 3: Second Sunday of Paschal (Thomas Sunday)
April 10: Third Sunday of Paschal (Ointment-Bearing Women)
April 17: Fourth Sunday of Paschal (Healing of the Paralytic) Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius
April 24: Fifth Sunday of Paschal (Samaritan Woman)
May 1: Sixth Sunday Sunday of Paschal (Man Born Blind)
*May 5: Ascension of Our Lord, Thursday (40 days after Easter)
May 8: Seventh Sunday of Paschal (Fathers of the First Council)
May 14: Fifth All-Souls Saturday
May 15: Feast of Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter)
Season of Pentecost
May 22: Sunday of All Saints
May 30: Memorial Day (USA)
June 1-28: The Apostles' Fast
June 24: The Birth of John the Baptist
*June 29: Feast of SS Peter and Paul, Apostles
July 4: Independence Day (USA)
July 17: Sunday of the Fathers of the First 6 Ecumenical Councils
July 20: Elijah Great Prophet (the Holy Prophet Elias)
August 1-14: Dormition Fast
August 6: Transfiguration of Our Lord
*August 15: Dormition of the Mother of God
August 29: Beheading of John
The Liturgical Year is an annual cycle of seasons and feasts that celebrates the Paschal Mystery, especially focusing on Christ's Death and Resurrection (Easter Cycle), and Birth (Christmas Cycle). The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "In the Liturgical Year the various aspects of the one Paschal mystery unfold. The celebration of the Liturgical Year is meant to draw the Catholic faithful into the Mystery of Christ, helping them to experience His divine life more fully and deeply. This includes remembering and celebrating the lives of the saints, especially Mary, the Mother of God: "By keeping the memorials of the saints - first of all the holy Mother of God, then the apostles, the martyrs, and other saints - on fixed days of the Liturgical Year, the Church on earth shows that she is united with the liturgy of heaven. She gives glory to Christ for having accomplished his salvation in his glorified members; their example encourages her on her way to the Father." (C CC 1195)
The Western and Eastern rites of the Catholic Church hold the major feast days and seasons in common, but differ on many of the solemnities and feasts. Below are the most important feast days, plus some of the feasts unique to the Eastern Catholic Church
LITURGICAL AND FEAST DAY
*Holy Days of obligation
Paschal and the 12 Great Feasts
Includes Major Civil Holidays in the United States
In the Season of Pentecost
September 1: The Beginning of the Church Year
September 7: Labor Day (USA)
September 8: Feast of Nativity of the Mother of God
September 14: Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross
October 1: Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God
October 11: Sunday of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council
October 12: Columbus Day (USA)
November 8: Syn-axis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers
November 11: Veterans' Day (USA)
Preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord
November 15: Nativity Fast (Philip's Fast also known as Advent)
November 21: The Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple
November 26: Thanksgiving Day (USA)
December 6: St Nicholas the Wonder worker and Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
December 9: Conception by Anne of the Most Holy Mother of God (Immaculate Conception)
December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13: Second Sunday Before Christmas (Holy Forefathers)
December 20: Sunday Before Christmas (Holy Fathers)
Season of the Christmas cycle
*December 25: The Nativity of our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ
December 26: Syn-axis of the Most Holy Mother of God
December 27: Sunday after Christmas; Memory of the Holy Joseph, Husband of Mary; of David, Prophet and King; of the Holy Apostle, James, Brother of the Lord; and of the First-Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen
January 1: Circumcision of Our Lord and the Memory of St. Basil the Great
January 3: Sunday Before Theophany
January 6: Theophany (Baptism) of Our Lord
January 10: Sunday After Theophany
Pr-Paschal Season
January 10: Sunday of Zacchaeus
January 17: Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
January 18: Martin Luther King Day (USA)
January 24: Sunday of the Prodigal Son
January 29: Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom
January 30: First All-Souls Saturday
January 31: Sunday of Meat Fare
February 2: Encounter of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna (Presentation in the Temple)
February 7: Sunday of Cheese Fare
The Great Fast
February 14: First Sunday of the Great Fast (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
February 20: Second All-Souls Saturday
February 21: Second Sunday of the Great Fast (St. Gregory Palamas)
February 27: Third All-Souls Saturday
February 28: Third Sunday of the Great Fast (Veneration of the Holy Cross)
March 5: Fourth All-Souls Saturday
March 6: Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast (St. John of the Ladder)
March 12: Akathistos Saturday
March 13: Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast (St. Mary of Egypt)
Holy Week
March 19: Saturday of Lazarus
March 20: Palm Sunday
March 21: Great and Holy Monday
March 22: Great and Holy Tuesday
March 23: Great and Holy Wednesday
March 24: Great and Holy Thursday
March 25: Annunciation of the Mother of God
March 25: Great and Holy Friday
March 26: Great and Holy Saturday
March 27: Paschal (Easter Sunday)
Paschal Season
Mar 27-Apr 3: Bright Week
April 3: Second Sunday of Paschal (Thomas Sunday)
April 10: Third Sunday of Paschal (Ointment-Bearing Women)
April 17: Fourth Sunday of Paschal (Healing of the Paralytic) Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius
April 24: Fifth Sunday of Paschal (Samaritan Woman)
May 1: Sixth Sunday Sunday of Paschal (Man Born Blind)
*May 5: Ascension of Our Lord, Thursday (40 days after Easter)
May 8: Seventh Sunday of Paschal (Fathers of the First Council)
May 14: Fifth All-Souls Saturday
May 15: Feast of Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter)
Season of Pentecost
May 22: Sunday of All Saints
May 30: Memorial Day (USA)
June 1-28: The Apostles' Fast
June 24: The Birth of John the Baptist
*June 29: Feast of SS Peter and Paul, Apostles
July 4: Independence Day (USA)
July 17: Sunday of the Fathers of the First 6 Ecumenical Councils
July 20: Elijah Great Prophet (the Holy Prophet Elias)
August 1-14: Dormition Fast
August 6: Transfiguration of Our Lord
*August 15: Dormition of the Mother of God
August 29: Beheading of John