The different colours are drawn from creation to remind those participating in liturgy of the different blessings of God. A brief summary of their usage, according to the church year, follows;
WHITE - light, innocence, purity, joy, triumph, glory |
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- Season of Christmas
- Season of Easter
- Feasts of the Lord, other than of His passion
- Feasts of Mary, the angels, and saints who were not martyrs
- All Saints (1 November)
- Feasts of the Apostles
- Nuptial Masses
- Masses for the dead (Requiem Masses) when the deceased is a baptized child who died before the age of reason
Note: White is the color of Popes' non-liturgical dress. White can be replaced by Silver. |
RED - the Passion, blood, fire, God's love, martydom |
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- Feasts of the Lord's passion, Blood, and Cross
- Feasts of the martyrs
- Palm Sunday
- Pentecost
Note: Red is the color of Cardinals' non-liturgical dress |
VIOLET - penance, humility, melancholy |
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- Season of Advent
- Season of Septuagesima
- Season of Lent
- Rogation Days
- Ember Days (except for Pentecost Ember Days)
- Vigils except for Ascension and Pentecost
- Good Friday
Note: Violet, literally "amaranth red," is the color of Bishops', Archbishops', and Patriarchs' non-liturgical dress |
GREEN - the Holy Ghost, life eternal, hope |
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- Time After Epiphany
- Time After Pentecost
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BLACK - mourning, sorrow (optional usage)
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- All Souls Day
- Masses for the dead (Requiem Masses), except for baptized children who've died before the age of reason
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ROSE - joy (optional usage)
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- Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent)
- Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent)
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GOLD - joy (optional usage)
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- Gold can replace white, red, or green (but not violet or black)
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If the missal has all the readings for each day of the year, usually the Missal will have five ribbons--yellow or gold, white, black, blue or violet, green and red--though this is not required. The colors correspond to the liturgical colors of the year.
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PDF: Liturgical colours and their meanings