Liturgical colors

[Rick of Wessex]

Dear brothers and sisters,

How many liturgical colors are used in the Anglican Church and what's their meaning?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

[AveMaria]

Oooh, liturgical colors, one of my favorite topics, after vestments & paraments!

The answer, of course, is "It depends!" - in true Anglican fashion! To generalize, the more "high church" , the more liturgical colors you'll see.

Green is traditional for Ordinary Times, it's the color of growth.

White and gold are sometimes used for Christmas Eve or Christmas day, Easter Day, as well as weddings, baptisms, and various Holy Days. They symbolize purity and joy.

Violet is traditional for Lent and Advent. It symbolizes the sovereignty of Christ and repentence from sin. Of course, some churches have chosen to use grey or light brown during Lent, instead.

Red is for Pentecost, it symbolizes blood and fire. It is also often used during Holy Week (last week of Lent).

Black, symbolizing death, is sometimes used for funerals (sometimes white is used, instead) and on Good Friday.

Blue is often used to honor the Virgin Mary. You'll sometimes see blue used during Advent.

Rose Pink is sometimes used on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, to honor the Virgin Mary, and sometimes on other Marian days.

You'll see green, white, red, and violet just about everywhere, some parishes will add in rose/pink and gold.

Additionally, white is traditional for commemorating saints who died of natural causes, while red is used for those who were martyred.
Hope I haven't confused you!

[Songspinner]

We also use pink on Candlemass, a big Marian Day.

[Bonifatius]

In the Anglican Church (C of E) blue is also used as the colour for Lay Readers (they have a blue reader's scarf which looks a bit like a stole but isn't). I think this has to do with the fact that blue is not one of our traditional liturgical colours (like violet/purple, red, green and white) and so the readers can be distinguished from the priests ...

[RobNJ]

In the Anglican Church (C of E) blue is also used as the colour for Lay Readers (they have a blue reader's scarf which looks a bit like a stole but isn't). I think this has to do with the fact that blue is not one of our traditional liturgical colours (like violet/purple, red, green and white) and so the readers can be distinguished from the priests ...
Are readers are distiguished by their walking to the lectern at the proper time;)

[PaladinValer]

Blue and violet are interchangable in the ECUSA, I should add. :)

[benedictine]

So are White and Gold, I think.

[Rick of Wessex]

Dear sisters and brothers, thanks for the answers!

I noticed also an interesting similarity between Orhtodox and Anglican liturgical colors: Orthodox priests also wear blue on the Feasts of the Mother of God. That's interesting. ;)

Rick

[PaladinValer]

Benedictine, you are correct; white and gold are indeed interchangable.

Rick of Wessex, as a liturgical Church, we Anglicans hold to nearly all the same Traditions as you Eastern Orthodox. In fact, relations between our Churches have actually been, historically, better and brighter than the relation between us and the Vatican Catholics. We have many Eastern Orthodox elements in our Anglican Church due to those good relations (and they've been there for quite some time), and we even honor 1 or 2 Eastern Orthodox Saints in our list of canonized Saints (I hope we add more!).

[Bonifatius]

Are readers are distiguished by their walking to the lectern at the proper time;)
So are ours ;)
Maybe I should explain that the term "Lay Reader" in the C of E denotes not a person who reads lessons during Mass but an episcopally licensed lay preacher who is allowed to lead services of the word and to preach publicly.

Greetz
Bonifatius

[benedictine]

Same here in the ECUSA.

[Wigglesworth]

For this season of Advent, one of my local churches is violet while another is blue. Does this say anything about their theology, or whether they are more high church vs. low church, or is it just the priest's preference?

[happyinhisgrace]

For this season of Advent, one of my local churches is violet while another is blue. Does this say anything about their theology, or whether they are more high church vs. low church, or is it just the priest's preference?Ours is a deep blueish purple. Now I am wondering what would the difference be?

[chalice_thunder]

An additional color has come into use for Holy Week, beginning with the Palm Sunday liturgy and concluding with the Good Friday Liturgy (or in some churches the early service [not vigil] on Holy Saturday.

Many striking vestments/paraments/banners in the color of oxblood...a deep, bricky kind of red. (very different from the red used at Pentecost)

[chalice_thunder]

For this season of Advent, one of my local churches is violet while another is blue. Does this say anything about their theology, or whether they are more high church vs. low church, or is it just the priest's preference?

Hopefully NOT JUST the priest! ;)

Advent's other historic color is blue - coming from the Sarum Rite from early England. Those who call Advent a "mini-Lent" do not like the use of blue - as they see the season in a more penitential light.

Many who use blue reject the penitential label, instead favoring the feelings of expectation and hope - perhaps best embodied in the Virgin Mary. Blue is Mary’s color.

[Albion]

So are ours ;)
Maybe I should explain that the term "Lay Reader" in the C of E denotes not a person who reads lessons during Mass but an episcopally licensed lay preacher who is allowed to lead services of the word and to preach publicly.

Greetz
Bonifatius
All:

You've just about proved an historical truth. In the history of the Church, almost every color and variation of those colors has been used at one time or another. I'd never heard of pink for Marian days, however. Usually, that is for the 3d Sunday in Advent and the 4th in Lent. Here's another question: What are the official colors (as opposed to what is used with no one objecting)?

I think that would be red, white, green, and violet. See if you can find an answer in the church's documents.

Anyway, about Lay Readers. They can say Morning and Evening Prayer and deliver a homily but supposedly only a pre-determined one, nothing of their own creation.

[Polycarp1]

You need to add one: black or unclad (of altar, pulpit, etc., not of vestments! :eek: ) for Good Friday.

Violet is the color of penitence and expectation, hence used for Lent and Advent. But a deep royal blue is also appropriate for Advent, celebrating the two comings of the King. Pink is not official but often used for the two "relief" Sundays -- 3 Advent and 4 Lent, IIRC, when seasonal discipline may be relieved.

White is used throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas, Triniy Sunday, throughout the Easter Season, and on feasts of non-martyr saints. Red is used at Pentecost and on feasts of martyrs. Epiphany Season and the Season After Pentecost (After Trinity Sunday in England) are the "green seasons."

Some churches have two sets of white linens and vestments, one with gold embroidery/lining used for Easter and principal feasts, and one without, used for "ordinary white Sundays and lesser feast days."

The use of blue for Feasts of St. Mary is very much unofficial but practiced in many higher churches. Note that if a church uses blue for both Advent and feasts of our Lady, they are not the same blue -- Advent should be a darker, royal blue; Our Lady's color is a paler, sky or robin's-egg blue.

[chalice_thunder]

You need to add one: black or unclad (of altar, pulpit, etc., not of vestments! :eek: )
.

Ever eloquent! ;)

[pmcleanj]

... Pink is not official but often used ...
... blue for Feasts of St. Mary is very much unofficial ...

What makes a colour "official?" Does ECUSA have canon law on the colours of paraments? Are there rubrics in the 1979?

My understanding was that the use of coloured paraments is adiaphoric, and the specific colours are simply a matter of consensus.

[RobNJ]

What makes a colour "official?" Does ECUSA have canon law on the colours of paraments? Are there rubrics in the 1979?

My understanding was that the use of coloured paraments is adiaphoric, and the specific colours are simply a matter of consensus.
I'm SURE there's no cannon law on the colours.....now as for the COLORS;).. nothing I've seen in the '79 BCP..as far as I know, it's just tradition..if I'm wrong on that, rest assured someone will be more than happy to correct me:D

[pmcleanj]

I'm SURE there's no cannon law on the colours.....now as for the COLORS;).. :D I thought of making that distinction myself! But I decided not to be pert! :P

[RobNJ]

:D I thought of making that distinction myself! But I decided not to be pert! :P
Well...SOMEBODY had to do it!!:wave:

[Albion]

I'm SURE there's no cannon law on the colours.....now as for the COLORS;).. nothing I've seen in the '79 BCP..as far as I know, it's just tradition..if I'm wrong on that, rest assured someone will be more than happy to correct me:D
I wouldn't be so sure about that before investigating. Many churches do have such a statement in their canons, and I suppose that ECUSA would also. I might be able to find a copy around here, but maybe not. This has nothing to do with the BCP since it does not intend that there be such instructions but that doesn't mean that the ECUSA or ACC Constitution and Canons wouldn't. That's where you find all the technical stuff.

[Polycarp1]

Mmmm -- I don't have a clue whether the green/violet/red/white scheme is "official" in the sense that it's adopted by canon at any given level of the church -- but there are quasi-official publications, like the annual Episcopal Church Kalendar (the odd spelling is accurate), which describe the proper colors for a given day. It's in that sense that I meant that the four main colors plus black are "official" and royal and sky blue and pink are not.

[Albion]

Mmmm -- I don't have a clue whether the green/violet/red/white scheme is "official" in the sense that it's adopted by canon at any given level of the church -- but there are quasi-official publications, like the annual Episcopal Church Kalendar (the odd spelling is accurate), which describe the proper colors for a given day. It's in that sense that I meant that the four main colors plus black are "official" and royal and sky blue and pink are not.
Good point.

[pmcleanj]

This has nothing to do with the BCP since it does not intend that there be such instructions but that doesn't mean that the ECUSA or ACC Constitution and Canons wouldn't. That's where you find all the technical stuff.

The canons of the ACC certainly don't contain that level of liturgical minutae. The ECUSA canons, however -- at least by the the impression I've formed from my participation in the Liturgics-L mailing list, may be somewhat more prescriptive. And of course in England there may well be acts of Parliament regarding such things; but were not the use of liturgical colours and paraments in general part of the liturgical reform/restoration of the nineteenth century? In which case one would expect such acts to prohibit the use of paraments, rather than prescribe them.

The BCP does in fact contain one rubrical instruction I can think of regarding paraments, that being that "The Lord's Table, at the Communion time, shall have a fair white linen cloth upon it."