Understanding Calendars and Religious Holidays

Key Dates in the Christian Calendar

• Christmas: December 25
• Advent Sundays: November 28, December 5, 12, 19
• Easter: March 28
• 1st Sunday of Lent: March 23
• Lent: February 4 - March 10

The Concept of Calendars

Nature has cycles that follow constant rates according to circumstances such as climate and geography. A calendar is used to tell the time limits set out by the sun or the moon.

• Solar Calendars: These are based on the length of time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun.
• Lunar Calendars: These are based on lunar phases and consist of 12 months of 29 or 30 days, totaling 354 days. Only one calendar is strictly lunar.
• Lunisolar Calendars: In these calendars, the year lasts 365 days, but the months follow the phases of the moon, so each month has a variable number of days.

The Week, Era, and Cycle

A basic element is the week, a seven-day period. It is believed that this is related to the planets known in biblical antiquity, although there are many theories. It is said that God took six days to create the world and rested on the seventh, which is why Sunday is considered a day of rest.

An era is a fixed point from which years are counted.

A cycle is a period after which the years are re-counted.

Divisions of the Day

The division of the day into 24 hours is very old, and many cultures agreed on it. In the West, we believe that the day begins at midnight, like the Egyptians, and that the day has two parts of 12 hours. Jews and Arabs, however, believe the day begins at sundown, when the moon comes out.

Historical Calendars

• Julian Calendar: Our calendar is inspired by the Romans.
• Roman Empire: The Roman Empire established Sunday as a day of rest and set dates for celebrations.

Pope Gregory XIII established that the year has 365 days and 24 hours. For ecclesiastical reckoning, the first day of the week is Sunday.

The Gregorian Calendar and Liturgical Year

The Gregorian calendar marks the most relevant events of Jesus' life on the liturgical calendar, which is used to remember the life of Christ.

The Church observes the four Sundays of Advent. Another custom is to place four candles on an Advent wreath, which are lit as Christmas approaches. Advent is a time of waiting and preparation.

Easter and Lent

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus and does not have a fixed date. It is a major feast for both Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Lent: This is the 46-day period before Easter.

Holy Week: This is the week preceding Easter.

Feasts and Their Elements

A feast can be a family event (e.g., a birth), an economic event (e.g., an agrarian festival), a religious event (e.g., an initiation rite), or a political event (e.g., a war commemoration).

Elements of a Feast: A feast typically includes an event (present or commemorated), a specially convened meeting, and specific actions that are characteristic of the feast.