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Liturgical calendar 2026 and 2027

The liturgical calendar orders the church's year around the life of Christ: his birth, his death and resurrection, and the sending of the Spirit at Pentecost. Christmas and Epiphany fall on fixed dates. Easter moves with the spring full moon, and Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, and Pentecost move with it. The dates below follow the Western (Gregorian) reckoning shared by Catholic and most Protestant congregations, each with the traditional color of the day.

Orders of worship and seasonal readings are in the worship library.

The church year


2026

Liturgical dates for 2026
Date Observance Season Color
Tue, Jan 6, 2026

Epiphany

Christ made known to the nations. Keep the feast simple and Scriptural.

Epiphany white
Wed, Feb 18, 2026

Ash Wednesday

The church enters fasting and repentance. Dust you are; preach Christ who raises the dead.

Lent purple
Sun, Mar 29, 2026

Palm Sunday

The King enters Jerusalem. Read the Passion. Do not rush past the cross.

Holy Week crimson
Fri, Apr 3, 2026

Good Friday

Christ crucified. Keep the service spare. Let Scripture speak longer than commentary.

Holy Week crimson
Sun, Apr 5, 2026

Easter Day

The Lord is risen. Proclaim resurrection with joy that still knows the wounds.

Easter white
Sun, May 24, 2026

Pentecost

The Spirit poured out. Preach the church birth without carnival noise.

Pentecost red
Sun, Nov 29, 2026

First Sunday of Advent

Watch and wait. Advent is longing for Christ’s coming, not a shopping countdown.

Advent violet
Fri, Dec 25, 2026

Christmas Day

The Word became flesh. Keep the incarnation at the center of every carol and sermon.

Christmas gold

The church year


2027

Liturgical dates for 2027
Date Observance Season Color
Wed, Jan 6, 2027

Epiphany

Christ made known to the nations. Keep the feast simple and Scriptural.

Epiphany white
Wed, Feb 10, 2027

Ash Wednesday

The church enters fasting and repentance. Dust you are; preach Christ who raises the dead.

Lent purple
Sun, Mar 21, 2027

Palm Sunday

The King enters Jerusalem. Read the Passion. Do not rush past the cross.

Holy Week crimson
Fri, Mar 26, 2027

Good Friday

Christ crucified. Keep the service spare. Let Scripture speak longer than commentary.

Holy Week crimson
Sun, Mar 28, 2027

Easter Day

The Lord is risen. Proclaim resurrection with joy that still knows the wounds.

Easter white
Sun, May 16, 2027

Pentecost

The Spirit poured out. Preach the church birth without carnival noise.

Pentecost red
Sun, Nov 28, 2027

First Sunday of Advent

Watch and wait. Advent is longing for Christ’s coming, not a shopping countdown.

Advent violet
Sat, Dec 25, 2027

Christmas Day

The Word became flesh. Keep the incarnation at the center of every carol and sermon.

Christmas gold

Reference


Seasons and colors

Advent

Four Sundays before Christmas

Hope, repentance, and watchfulness.

Christmas

Dec 25 through Epiphany eve

Incarnation celebrated in white and gold.

Epiphany

Jan 6 and following

Christ revealed to the nations.

Lent

Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

Fasting, prayer, and catechesis toward the cross.

Holy Week

Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday

The Passion week. Keep the tone grave and clear.

Easter

Easter Day through Pentecost

Resurrection joy that lasts fifty days.

Pentecost

Fifty days after Easter

Spirit and church sent into the world.

Ordinary Time

The long green season

Growth in the Word between the great feasts.