Tradition
Type

JAN January

Epiphany

The manifestation of Christ to the Magi. Closes the Twelve Days of Christmas in Western tradition.

Feast
Baptism of the Lord

Sunday after Epiphany. Closes the Christmas season in the Roman Catholic calendar.

Feast
Orthodox Christmas See guide

Nativity of Christ in the Orthodox calendar. Falls on Jan 7 in the Gregorian calendar (Dec 25 Julian).

Feast
Saint Basil the Great (Orthodox New Year)

Feast of Saint Basil and the Orthodox New Year. Jan 1 Julian = Jan 14 Gregorian.

Saint's day
Theophany

The baptism of Christ. The Orthodox parallel to Western Epiphany (Jan 6 Julian = Jan 19 Gregorian).

Feast

FEB February

Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas)

The presentation of the infant Jesus at the Temple. Marked with the blessing of candles.

Feast

MAR March

Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)

The day before Ash Wednesday. The last day before Lent, traditionally a final use of rich foods.

Seasonal
Ash Wednesday

First day of Lent. Marked by the imposition of ashes on the forehead.

Fast
First Sunday of Lent

Opens the season of Lent proper after Ash Wednesday and the days following.

Seasonal
Saint Patrick's Day

Feast of Saint Patrick of Ireland (c. 385-461). Observed as a holy day of obligation in Ireland.

Saint's day
Saint Joseph's Day

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of Mary. A holy day of obligation in some Catholic regions.

Saint's day
Annunciation

The angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary. Nine months before Christmas.

Feast

APR April

Palm Sunday

The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Opens Holy Week.

Feast
Maundy Thursday

The institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The first day of the Easter Triduum.

Feast
Good Friday

The crucifixion of Christ. A day of fasting and solemn liturgy.

Fast
Holy Saturday

The day Christ lay in the tomb. The Easter Vigil is celebrated this evening in most liturgical traditions.

Fast
Easter Sunday See guide

The Resurrection. The principal feast of the Christian year.

Feast
Divine Mercy Sunday

Second Sunday of Easter. Established as a feast for the universal Church in 2000.

Feast
Pascha (Orthodox Easter) See guide

The Orthodox observance of the Resurrection. Calculated by Julian Computus.

Feast

MAY May

Ascension

Christ's ascension into heaven, forty days after the Resurrection.

Feast
Visitation

Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth. The setting of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

Feast

JUN June

Pentecost See guide

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. Marks the end of the Easter season.

Feast
Trinity Sunday

Honors the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western calendar.

Feast
Pentecost (Orthodox)

Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fifty days after Pascha in the Orthodox calendar.

Feast
Corpus Christi

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Often transferred to the following Sunday in the US.

Feast
Birth of John the Baptist

Six months before Christmas. One of the few saints whose birth (rather than death) is celebrated.

Saint's day
Sacred Heart of Jesus

Devotion to the heart of Christ as a symbol of divine love. Friday after Corpus Christi.

Feast
Saints Peter and Paul

Joint feast of the two principal apostles. A holy day of obligation in much of the Catholic world.

Saint's day

AUG August

Transfiguration

Christ's transfiguration on the mountain before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9).

Feast
Assumption of Mary

Mary's bodily assumption into heaven. A holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church.

Feast
Dormition of the Theotokos

The repose of the Virgin Mary in Orthodox tradition. Aug 15 Julian = Aug 28 Gregorian.

Feast

SEP September

Nativity of Mary

Birth of the Virgin Mary. Observed nine months after the Immaculate Conception.

Feast
Holy Cross Day

Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Commemorates the recovery of the True Cross by Empress Helena.

Feast
Nativity of the Theotokos (Orthodox)

Birth of the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox calendar. Sep 8 Julian = Sep 21 Gregorian.

Feast
Exaltation of the Cross (Orthodox)

Orthodox observance of the recovery of the True Cross. Sep 14 Julian = Sep 27 Gregorian.

Feast
Saint Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas)

Feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael in Western tradition.

Saint's day

OCT October

Saint Francis of Assisi

Feast of Saint Francis (1181-1226). Widely marked by the Blessing of the Animals.

Saint's day
World Communion Sunday

First Sunday in October. An ecumenical observance of shared communion across denominations.

Seasonal
Reformation Day

Commemorates Martin Luther posting the Ninety-five Theses (1517). Observed by Lutherans and Reformed Protestants.

Seasonal

NOV November

All Saints' Day

Honors all the saints, known and unknown. A holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church.

Feast
All Souls' Day

Commemoration of all the faithful departed. Distinct from All Saints in honoring the souls of the dead in purgatory.

Feast
Presentation of the Virgin Mary

Mary's presentation in the Temple as a young child, drawn from non-canonical tradition.

Feast
Christ the King

Last Sunday of Ordinary Time, immediately before the First Sunday of Advent.

Feast
Thanksgiving Day (US)

US national holiday with strong Christian observance: fourth Thursday of November.

Seasonal
Saint Andrew's Day

Feast of the apostle Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and Greece.

Saint's day

DEC December

First Sunday of Advent See guide

Opens the season of Advent and the Western liturgical year.

Seasonal
Saint Nicholas Day

Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra (c. 270-343), the historical figure behind the Santa Claus tradition.

Saint's day
Immaculate Conception

Mary's conception without original sin. A holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church.

Feast
Saint Lucy's Day

Feast of Saint Lucy (283-304). Widely observed in Scandinavia with candle-lit processions.

Saint's day
Christmas Eve See guide

The evening before Christmas Day. Vigil Masses, Lessons and Carols, and candlelight services are widespread.

Feast
Christmas Day See guide

The Nativity of Jesus. The principal Christian feast of the Western liturgical year.

Feast