The Christian year is divided into seven seasons and begins on the First Sunday of Advent, four weeks before Christmas. The seasons are:
Season | Principal Feasts and other Principal Holy Days |
Advent | |
Christmas | Christmas Day (25 December) |
Epiphany | Epiphany (6 January); The Presentation of Christ in the Temple or Candlemas (2 February) |
Ordinary Time | |
Lent | Ash Wednesday; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday |
Easter | Easter Day; Ascension Day; Pentecost or Whit Sunday |
Ordinary Time | Trinity Sunday; All Saints’ Day (1 November) |
Where dates are fixed they are shown, otherwise they are dependent on the date of Easter.
For details of all Holy Days in the Church of England calendar, click here.
We have produced a book, Season to Season, to assist teachers in primary schools in teaching about the church's year. The festivals covered are: Harvest, Advent, All Saints' Day, Christmas, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity.
The book costs £9.95 but is available to schools which are subscribers to Chester Diocesan Family of Schools for £5.00. To order a copy contact Sandra Reynolds.