Fish Eaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism


Ecclesiastes 3:1 "All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven"


Seasonal Customs


Below are links to pages that describe customs, traditions, devotions, legends, and lore related to the traditional Catholic liturgical year per the 1962 Missal and calendar used by most traditional priestly fraternities. All Biblical references are to the Douay-Rheims with the Septuagint's Psalm numbering. The dates given in italics are movable, so they might come before or after the feasts that surround them as listed below. See also a list of novenas arranged by date for ease in marking your calendar. All of the referenced novenas are available on the Novenas page.

Skip to:
Advent
Christmastide
Time After Epiphany
Septuagesima
Lent
Eastertide
Time after Pentecost


Advent


December: dedicated to the Immaculate Conception


The Season of Advent Overview


Advent Wreath & Candles The four Sundays of Advent. The first Sunday will fall between 27 November and 3 December.


Nativity Scenes 1st Sunday of Advent


Advent Calendars 1-24 December


Jesse Trees 1-24 December


Rorate Masses Any time throughout Advent


Feast of St. Barbara 4 December


St. Nicholas Eve and Day 5 and 6 December


Feast of the Immaculate Conception 8 December


Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 12 December


Feast of St. Lucy 13 December


Ember Days: Advent Embertide Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (St. Lucy's Day)


Gaudete Sunday 3rd Sunday of Advent


Las Posadas 16-24 December


Novena de Aguinaldos 16-24 December


The Golden Nights: O Antiphons 17-23 December


Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle 21 December

Christmastide



The Season of Christmastide Overview


Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 24-25 December


Feast of St. Stephen the Deacon 26 December


Feast of St. John the Evangelist 27 December


Childermas: the Feast of the Holy Innocents 28 December


Feast of St. Thomas Becket 29 December


Feast of St. Sylvester 31 December
 

January: dedicated to the Holy Name and Childhood of Jesus



Feast of the Circumcision 1 January


Feast of the Holy Name 1st Sunday of the year, or 2 January if this Sunday falls on the 1st, 6th, or 7th


Twelfth Night 5 January


Feast of the Epiphany 6 January


Feast of the Holy Family 1st Sunday after the Epiphany


The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ 13 January

Time After Epiphany (Epiphanytide)



The Season of Time After Epiphany Overview


The Chair of Unity Octave 18 - 25 January


Feast of St. Sebastian 20 January


St. Agnes Eve & St. Agnes Day 20 & 21 January

Septuagesima



The Season of Septuagesima Overview


Septuagesima Sunday and its Vigil 3rd Saturday and Sunday before Ash Wednesday (some time between 18 January and 22 February)


February: dedicated to the Holy Family



The Eve and Feast of St. Brigid 31 January and 1 February


Candlemas 2 February


Feast of St. Blaise 3 February


Feast of St. Agatha 5 February


Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes 11 February


Shrovetide 48 days before Easter, Shrovetide will begin on a date between 2 February and 8 March, inclusive.

Lent



The Season of Lent Overview


Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday will fall between 4 February and 10 March, inclusive.


Feast of St. Valentine 14 February


Ember Days: Lenten Embertide Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the 1st Sunday of Lent

March: dedicated to St. Joseph



Laetare Sunday 4th Sunday of Lent


Passiontide begins:


Passion Sunday 2 Sundays before Easter Sunday


Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary Two Fridays before Easter


Feast of St. Patrick 17 March


Feast of St. Joseph 19 March


Feast of St. Gabriel the Archangel 24 March


Lady Day: the Feast of the Annunciation 25 March


Holy Week Begins:



Palm Sunday 1 Sunday before Easter


Spy Wednesday The Wednesday before Easter


The Sacred Triduum Begins:


Maundy Thursday The Thursday before Easter


Good Friday The Friday before Easter


Holy Saturday The Saturday before Easter

Eastertide



The Season of Eastertide Overview


Easter Sunday Easter will fall between 22 March and 25 April

April: dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament


Low Sunday The Sunday after Easter


Total Solar Eclipse 8 April 2024, United States


The Feast of St. George 23 April


Rogation Day and Rogationtide 25 April and the 3 days before Ascension Thursday


Walpurgisnacht and the Feast of St. Walburga 30 April and 1 May

May: dedicated to Mary


May Crowning 1 May (or early May)


Ascension Thursday 40 days after Easter


Feast of St. Dymphna 15 May


Vigil of the Pentecost & Pentecost (Whitsunday) 50 days after Easter


Ember Days: Whit Embertide Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost


The Feast of St. Rita of Cascia 22 May


Trinity Sunday The Sunday after Pentecost


Feast of Corpus Christi The Thursday after Trinity Sunday


Feast of St. Joan of Arc 30 May


Queenship of Mary 31 May

Time After Pentecost


June: dedicated to the Sacred Heart


The Season of Time After Pentecost Overview


Feast of the Sacred Heart The Friday a week after Corpus Christi


Feast of St. Anthony of Padua 13 June


St. Germaine Cousin (Ste. Germaine de Pibrac) 15 June


St. John's Eve & St. John's Day 23 & 24 June


Feast of Saints Peter and Paul 29 June


Peter's Pence Collection The Sunday nearest to 29 June, the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul

July: dedicated to the Precious Blood


Feast of the Visitation 2 July


Sicily: U Fistinu: Feast of Saint Rosalia
10-15 July


Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel 16 July


Feast of St. Mary Magdalen 22 July


Feast of St. James the Greater 25 July


Feast of St. Anne 26 July


Feast of St. Martha 29 July

August: dedicated to the Immaculate Heart


Lammas: The Feast of St.Peter's Chains and of The Holy Machabees
1 August


Feast of St. Dominic 4 August


Our Lady of the Snows 5 August


Feast of the Transfiguration 6 August


Feast of the Fourteen Holy Helpers 8 August


Feast of St. Lawrence 10 August


Marymass: Feast of the Assumption 15 August


St. Michael's Lent 15 August


Feast of St. Roch (San Rocco) 16 August


Feast of St. Joachim 16 August


Hungary: St. Stephen's Day 20 August


Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 22 August


Feast of King Saint Louis IX 25 August


The Decollation of St. John the Baptist 29 August

September: dedicated to the Seven Dolors of Mary


Feast of King St. Stephen I of Hungary 2 September


Feast of St. Rosalia 4 September


Feast of the Nativity of Mary, and Our Lady of Covadonga 8 September


Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary 12 September


Roodmas: Exaltation of the Holy Cross 14 September


Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 15 September


Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen 17 September


Feast of St. Januarius (San Gennaro) 19 September


Ember Days: Michaelmas Embertide Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the third Sunday in September


Feast of Our Lady of Ransom 24 September


Our Lady of Walsingham 24 September


Feast of Saints Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf, and Companions (the "North American Martyrs" or "Canadian Martyrs") 26 September


Feast of St. Wenceslaus 28 September


Michaelmas: the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel 29 September

October: dedicated to the Holy Rosary


Feast of the Guardian Angels 2 October


Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux 3 October


Feast of St. Francis of Assisi 4 October


Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 11 October


Feast of St. Gerard Majella 16 October


Feast of St. Raphael the Archangel 24 October


Feast of Christ the King The last Sunday of October


Hallowe'en: All Hallows' Eve 31 October

November: dedicated to the Poor Souls


Hallowmas: All Saints' Day 1 November


All Souls Day 2 November


Martinmas: the Feast of St. Martin 11 November


Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary 19 November


Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 21 November


Feast of St. Cecilia 22 November


Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria 25 November


Last Sunday of Time After Pentecost The first Sunday before Advent


The 1,000 Hail Mary Devotion 29 November - 22 December


The Eve and Feast of St. Andrew 29 and 30 November




 

For a list of Catholic movies that would be good to watch
throughout the liturgical year, see the Catholic Movies page of this site.

 


 
Back to Being Catholic
Index


Quantcast