Festivals

• annual cycle from Advent Sunday to the last Sunday after Pentecost
• purple robes are warn during times of fasting particularly Lent and Advent
• White/ gold are warn for the major Christian festivals: Easter, Christmas and Ascension day
• red robes are worn during Holy Week and Pentecost and also on martyrs and saints days. Alter cloths will also be red
• green robes are worn at other times in the ordinary days
• Pentecost is 50 days after Easter

• we remember the coming of Jesus into the world
• remember Jesus coming again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead (parousia)
• four Sunday's before Christmas and a candle is lit on the advent wreath every week
• each candle represents a different theme such as joy and hope
• Christians will use this time to prepare for Christmas thorough prayers and receiving confession

• the birth of Jesus
• incarnation of Jesus becoming human
• midnight mass
• crib is displayed showing the nativity scene where Jesus was born
• giving presents represent God's gift of his son

• remembers the wise men visiting Jesus and the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
• as special mass where the Gospel reading is about the wise men meeting Jesus

• is the 40 days leading up to Easter
• begins with Ash Wednesday when Christians go to church and receive the ashes
• the ashes symbolise repentance
• Christians remember the time Jesus was tempted in the desert by the devil

CHRISTIANS MAY DO THE FOLLOWING:

• prayer: help them get closer to God
• fasting: they may give up something for 40 days
• works of mercy: like feeding the hungry, visit the sick or helping those in need

• Jesus arriving into Jerusalem on a donkey
• people spread their cloaks on the ground and waved palms in the air
• many Christians see this event as the first one leading up to Jesus' death

• day of Jesus' last supper
• praying in the garden of Gethsemane
• Jesus' arrest
• the priest washes the feet of 12 parishioners feet to symbolise what Jesus did for his disciples
• "Do this in memory of me"
• side chapel set out for prayer and remembers Jesus praying

• the day that Jesus was crucified
• mass at 3:00pm
• readings telling the story of Jesus' crucifixion
• adoration of the cross (kiss the feet of Jesus) as a sign that Christians accept Jesus dies to save them of their sins

• Jesus is dead
• the church is bare with no decorations
• no sacraments can be received

• Jesus rises from the dead (resurrection)
• midnight mass where candles are used to show light over coming darkness
• lighting of the paschal candle
• hymns and songs of praise
• renew baptismal promises
• 40 days after the resurrection is the ascension
• 50 days after the resurrection is Pentecost