Liturgical colours

Liturgical colors denote the colors of robes, vestments and frontals, which are used to certain liturgies of some Christian churches. They are to exercise a sense of effect on mood and consciousness of man. In the liturgy of the first colors of the profane environment have been for the garments of those who were doing services at the altar taken. Depending on rank this were the differing intensity and varies over a large area applied shades of purple. Colored differentiations according to the time of the church year came on in the Carolingian period and were made ​​obligatory in the 16th century by the Council of Trent. The liturgical color for robes and vestments are used today in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches about equally.

Roman Catholic Church

In the early days, until the 12th century, the selection of garments intended mainly according to their value. Was used accordingly costly apparel for high festivals. Only later they began to also depend on the symbolism of the colors. In the medieval church, the rites of Holy Mass differed regionally, corresponding there were different arrangements with regard to the liturgical color. The symbolism of colors was interpreted differently, in the Germanic tradition about most was red instead of white as a festive color. Following the adoption of the Roman Missal of 1570 in the wake of the Council of Trent, however, put more and more of a standardization of the liturgy in favor of the Roman rite. Locally, it remained still beyond this time in retaining the original colors canon. Since the Second Vatican Council ( 1962-1965 ) following the liturgical colors are used in the Roman Catholic Church:

• White, the color of the light is exclusively for high festivals such as Christmas and Easter with the subsequent hard times, Mr. festivals such as Corpus Christi and Christ the King, as well as Marian feasts and festivals of the saints who are not martyred, worn, also the Feast of the Archangels. Gold and silver are to be understood as a particularly festive variant of white color and not a separate liturgical color.
• Red, the color of blood, fire, and a symbol of the Holy Spirit, is supported on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Exaltation of the Cross, in the feasts of the martyrs, to Pentecost and Confirmation
• Violet, a symbol of the transition and transformation, is carried in the penitential seasons before Easter ( Lent) and Christmas ( Advent ), as an alternative to black and in the church on the feast of All Souls and funeral. In the extraordinary form of the Roman rite it is further provided for Communion celebration of Good Friday, for the celebration of Mass on Palm Sunday ( but not for the Palm Sunday procession ), and for the first part of the Easter Vigil to Gloria. Furthermore, it is there also the color of the pre-Lenten from Septuagesima to Ash Wednesday.
• Green, the color of growth and the hope is worn on the Sundays in Ordinary Time and the days of the liturgical year, which falls on no saint celebration.
• Pink is the lightening of the color purple. It can be worn only on Sundays Gaudete (3rd Sunday of Advent ) and Laetare Sunday ( 4th Sunday of Lent ) to highlight the joyous character of the Mid-Lent days to half of penance.
• Black is the color of mourning and is worn Souls' Day and at funerals, but can be replaced by purple. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite black vestments are worn like before the liturgical reform also on Good Friday.
• Blue, the color of purity was considered earlier for Mary and locally even for confessors festivals ( professors are witnesses who were not martyrs, such as St. Martin), it was replaced by white. Nevertheless, blue vestments for Marian feasts are used even today in some areas, in Spanish dioceses they are even required. Blue was also known in the English Rite of Sarum (Salisbury ), replacing there the Advent violet. Blue can also stand for the water, which in turn symbolizes the Holy Spirit.

In addition to the official colors and a local color canon can be worn according to the culture and traditions of a country. Pink, black and blue are rarely worn. Therefore, many communities have no liturgical vestments in the corresponding colors.

Evangelical churches

The Lutheran churches, mostly the Uniate tradition, know liturgical colors. According to them, the frontals ( pulpit, altar and Lesepultbehänge ), stoles, chasubles and possibly the collar of the Cross Bearers gowns judge. Churches and communities Reformed tradition have no liturgical colors.

• Violet for the preparation time on high Christ festivals ( penitential seasons: Advent before Christmas, Lent before Easter and the Day of Atonement ).
• White for the high Christ parties and their feasts: Christmas and Sunday after the Christmas festival, Epiphany and last Sunday after Epiphany; Easter and the Easter season, including Trinity (without Pentecost); also smaller festivals such as the pointing to Christ: Marie Day, locust on 24 June and Michaelis on 29 September and the last Sunday of the liturgical year, when it is committed as a memorial of them that slept. Similarly, white launched in burials. The priest may wear a white stole.
• Red for Pentecost and for special celebrations that have to do with the work of the Holy Spirit or the Church itself; also for anniversaries of martyrs, exemplary Christians ( saints) and Doctors of the Church and other observances ( Augsburg Confession June 25, Reformation Day October 31), but also for confirmations, church consecration, ordinations and Synodaltagungen, observances of the evangelists and apostles, the Holy Day of Remembrance on November 1.
• Green for embossed times: Time after Epiphany (except on the last Sunday after Epiphany ) and the pre-Lenten before Ash Wednesday; also for the Trinity season on Sundays after Trinity (color of the rising seed ); Also last Sunday, when it is committed as ever Sunday.

In addition to the four main colors, there are also some liturgical addition to colors:

• Black as a color of mourning at funerals or as an additional option for the Good Friday.
• Pink few Lutheran congregations pink will be launched at a special Sunday Gaudete and Laetare. The Lutheran Brotherhood Michael recommends pink as the color of Advent high, ie in the period from the 17th to the 24th.
• Blue In the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, the second largest Lutheran church in the United States, blue is the alternative liturgical color for Advent. In the Swedish church, the tradition has been preserved to use blue for Marian feasts. Moreover, it is the color of the pre-Lenten.