The Worship (Liturgical) Year

Just as schools, colleges, and universities have an academic year, businesses have a financial year, and the UK has a tax year, so the Christian Church has an annual calendar that determines when certain religious events are prepared for, remembered and celebrated. The yearly calendar recalls essential events in Jesus Christ's life (the Church's founder) and the Church itself. The calendar originated from the need to remember Jesus and to teach a pre-literate society about the events of the life of Christ, His teachings and miracles, death and resurrection via remembrance, re-enactment, participation and repetition.

There are three main branches of worldwide Christianity:

the Roman Catholic Church,
the Orthodox Church,
and the Protestant Churches (Bethania is a Protestant Church)

They all celebrate Christmas and Easter, but there are other events that different branches observe. They are marked by some branches and denominations but not others. This article will briefly look at the main ones. However, it is important to note that the Church Calendar (which is why this article is included on the website) often, but not always, determines what happens during particular Sunday services, the Bible texts used, and sometimes the subject of the sermons.

The basic unit of the Church calendar is a week - seven days. Sunday is the first day of the week and the principal day for mainline Christian worship.

The Church year has seasons. These are:

Advent (usually spans 4 Sundays), followed by ...
Christmas (12 days), then ...
Epiphany. Next is ...
Ordinary Time 1, (length varies), is not a season as such.
Lent (40 days), which includes Holy Week (1 week).
Easter begins on Easter Sunday and ends at Pentecost (also a Sunday)
Ordinary Time 2 (length varies). It is also known as The Season after Pentecost.

The two sections of ordinary time are essentially gap fillers.

In addition to the seasons, there are numerous special feast days, festival days, and holy days that are observed within the seasons, and not just on Sundays. Some of these include Pentecost, Ascension Day, Ash Wednesday, etc. In some branches of Christianity, almost every day of the year is assigned to remember a saint's or significant figure's life. 'Saints' are Christians remembered particularly by some traditions, such as the Roman Catholic Church, who have been credited with miraculous events. Many are martyrs who were killed for their faith. Some of these saints’ days are well-known to us in the United Kingdom and include St David’s Day (for Wales) on 1 March; St Patrick’s Day (for Ireland) on 17 March; St George’s Day (for England) on 23 April and St Andrew’s Day (for Scotland) on 30 November. In the Bible, though, every true Christian is called a saint, and there is no distinction between them.

Note. The listing of Seasons below includes some of the better-known feast days, festival days and holy days in bold type.

A. Advent – November/December

Advent means "coming" or "arrival."

Advent is seen as the beginning of the church year and, therefore, the first season in the Christian calendar. It is regarded as a time of preparation, looking back at Christ’s birth, preparing for the coming Christmas season, and looking forward to his second coming. It usually begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which can fall between the end of November and early December.

B. Christmas - December/January

Christmas Day In Western churches, Christmas Day always falls on 25 December. It is a fixed date and does not move. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. The Christmas season lasts 12 days and is a major Christian festival. It remembers the coming of a Servant and a Saviour to Earth, i.e., Jesus the Messiah. His coming to Earth was foretold many times in the Old Testament part of the Bible.
Boxing Day/St Stephens Day - 26th December
Holy Innocents (Matthew 2:13-18)

C. Epiphany - January

Epiphany means "manifestation."

Epiphany (Matthew 2:1-12) is on 6 January and is also a fixed date. It remembers the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus to give Him gifts. Traditionally, it is also known as Twelfth Night, when people take down their Christmas decorations. It is also the date when some Christians mark the baptism of Jesus at the age of about 30 in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches particularly celebrate Epiphany.
The Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36, 2 Peter 1:16–18)
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent, traditionally marked by feasting and celebration. In the UK, it is also known as Pancake Day. In other parts of the world, it is called Mardi Gras.

D. Lent – February/March/April

Lent means "fortieth" and corresponds with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by the Devil. The season runs up to Easter. Lent is a time of solemnity and self-reflection for Christians, and many will "fast" (abstain) from certain foods and/or activities.

Ash Wednesday. Many Christians, but not usually Protestants, attend church on Ash Wednesday to seek forgiveness from God for their sins.
Mothering Sunday. Originally, it was a day set apart to celebrate the Church's motherly nature. It is now a commercialised occasion to thank mothers and celebrate motherhood. In the UK, it is usually placed on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Holy Week - March/April

Holy Week is the last week of Lent and specifically recalls the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday. Holy Week begins on Palm/Passion Sunday, the Sunday before Easter Day/Sunday.

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday. (Zechariah 9:9) This is the day Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He was greeted by adoring crowds waving the branches of palm trees. The week continues through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Maundy Thursday is notable for the night of Jesus' betrayal by Judas and his arrest. Soldiers took Jesus after he had celebrated the Jewish feast of Passover with his closest followers at a meal now known as The Last Supper, which forms the basis of Communion/Eucharist.
Good Friday (John 19:1-37) was the day of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Many churches, especially Anglican, mark the last hours of his life with a special, solemn service during Good Friday afternoon. The Bible book of Mark records the time of Jesus’ death as 3 pm).
Holy Saturday/Easter Eve. Holy Week and Lent ends on Holy Saturday. In some denominations, this day is known as Silent Saturday.

E. Easter - March to June

Easter Day/Sunday celebrates Jesus coming back to life after being crucified and killed. It is THE most significant date in the Christian calendar and marks the day Jesus rose back to life from the dead. It is the second MAJOR season observed by all Christian churches. Jesus' followers discovered that His tomb was open and empty even though Roman soldiers guarded it. He appeared to hundreds of people over a period of six weeks. The date for Easter Sunday is not fixed like Christmas Day. It changes each year but always falls in March or April. Its exact timing is linked to the phases of the moon and the Jewish festival of Passover.
Ascension Day (Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53) is on a Thursday in April or May. It is the fortieth day after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the day when Jesus ascended - literally rose up in the air - and returned to heaven. This occurred on the Mount of Olives, which overlooks Jerusalem after His resurrection.
Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11) (aka Whit Sunday) – May/June. This is seven weeks after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as the birthday of the Christian church. It marks the day Jesus’ closest followers had a supernatural experience from God in the form of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit inspired and empowered them to preach about Jesus and miraculously heal people just as He had done. True Christians today have the Holy Spirit in them.

F. The Season After Pentecost (sometimes known as Ordinary Time)

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost and falls in May or June. It is the day when the church celebrates the Holy Trinity—the three persons of God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all of one essence and co-eternal. This is the fundamental unifying doctrine of true worldwide Christianity.
All Saints' Day commemorates the Christian belief that there is life after death. It is a day when Christians celebrate that all people who have followed, do follow, and will follow Jesus Christ and His teachings will be reunited in heaven after they die.
Remembrance Sunday is usually the Sunday closest to November 11th, Armistice Day, which saw the official end of World War 1.
Christ The King This is the last Sunday of the Christian year, and it is a fitting end to the year when Christ is remembered as the reigning King above ALL. It brings assurance and comfort to many Christians. It is celebrated on the Sunday before the first Sunday of Advent.