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Liturgical colours

A brief guide to liturgical colours in the Scottish Episcopal Church

The church has defined a set of colours to be used within the context of Christian liturgy. They have been chosen to offer a symbolism appropriate to a season of the church year or to indicate a special occasion.

These colours may be used for vestments (tunicle, dalmatic and chasuble, copes, stoles, maniples and mitres), altar frontals, hangings, altar sets (burse, veil and pall), lectern bookmarks, socks and hair colour, etc.

The liturgical colours used within the Scottish Episcopal Church are white or gold, red, green, violet, Lenten array, rose and black; there is also a direction for no liturgical colour (hangings removed) during the final days of Holy Week.

Calendar 2022–2023

Download and print this handy liturgical colours calendar PDF for 2022-2023.

Download PDF calendar 2022–2023

White or gold

Symbolism: celebration, exuberance, glory, innocence, joy, light, purity, resurrection, victory

White contains all the colours of the rainbow and is worn on major festivals. Vestments may be white, ivory, cream or silver, gold or yellow.

As a colour for funerals, particularly of children and clergy, white points to the hope of Easter.

When to use:

• Christmas (25 December to 5 January)
• Feasts of the Lord
  • The Naming of Jesus (1 January)
  • The Epiphany (6 January)
  • The Baptism of the Lord (First Sunday after Epiphany)
  • The Presentation of the Lord (2 February)
  • The Annunciation of the Lord (25 March)
  • Ascension Day (Thursday after the Sixth Sunday of Easter)
  • The Transfiguration of the Lord (6 August)
  • The Feast of Christ the King (The Last Sunday after Pentecost, that is the Sunday before Advent)
• Maundy Thursday (Eucharist of the Lord's Supper)
• Easter (from Easter Vigil to the Saturday after the Seventh Sunday of Easter)
• Trinity Sunday (Trinity Sunday to the Saturday after Trinity Sunday)
• Corpus Christi (Thanksgiving for Holy Communion, Thursday after Trinity Sunday)
• Holy Cross Day (14 September)
• Feasts of St Mary the Virgin
  • The Visit of St Mary to St Elizabeth (31 May)
  • St Mary the Virgin (15 August)
  • The Birth of St Mary (8 September)
  • The Conception of St Mary (8 December)
• Commemoration of saints (those who were not martyred, including St John the Evangelist)
• All Saints' Day (1 November)
• All Souls' Day (2 November, if Black or Violet are not used)
• Thanksgiving for Harvest
• Dedication Festival
• Baptisms
• Nuptial (wedding) mass
• Funerals and requiem mass (if violet or black are not used)

Red

Symbolism: suffering of the Lord, Holy Spirit, commemoration of the apostles and martyrs

Red is the colour of fire and blood. Fire symbolises the Holy Spirit which came as tongues of fire at Pentecost (Acts 2). Representing blood, red symbolises Jesus's suffering during Holy Week, as well as the martyrs of the church.

When to use:

• Holy Week (if violet is not used)
  • Palm Sunday (the Sunday of the Passion, the beginning of Holy Week)
  • Monday of Holy Week
  • Tuesday of Holy Week
  • Wednesday of Holy Week
  • Maundy Thursday (except at the Eucharist of the Last Supper)
  • Good Friday (Holy Communion from the sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday, otherwise hangings removed)
• Pentecost Sunday (Sunday after the Seventh Sunday of Easter)
• Commemoration of apostles and evangelists (except St John)
• Commemoration of martyrs

Green

Symbolism: everlasting life, fidelity, hope, nature, neutrality

Green is worn during what many parts of the Church refers to as 'ordinary time'. The colour of nature, green symbolises life and growth through each new day.

When to use:

• Epiphany season (from the Monday after the First Sunday after Epiphany to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
• Pentecost season (called Trinity in the Scottish Prayer Book, from the Monday after Trinity Sunday to the eve of the First Sunday of Advent)

Violet

Symbolism: mourning, penance, preparation, repentance, sacrifice, sorrow

In the Scottish Episcopal Church a distinction is made between violet (liturgical colour) and purple (worn by bishops).

Violet is a penetential colour that represents the eschatological expectation of Advent as well as the preparation for the paschal mystery during Lent.

As a colour for funerals, violet references the hope of both Advent and Lent.

While blue is not specified in the Scottish Episcopal Church calendar, some churches may follow the Sarum rite which substitutes blue for violet during Advent.

When to use:

• Advent (from the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve, if blue is not used)
• Lent (from Ash Wednesday to the Eve of Palm Sunday, if Lenten array is not used)
• Holy Week (if red is not used)
  • Palm Sunday (the Sunday of the Passion, the beginning of Holy Week)
  • Monday of Holy Week
  • Tuesday of Holy Week
  • Wednesday of Holy Week
  • Maundy Thursday (except at the Eucharist of the Last Supper)
  • Good Friday (Holy Communion from the sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday)
• All Souls' Day (2 November, if black or white are not used)
• Penetential occasions
• Funerals and requiem mass (if black or white are not used)

Lenten array

Symbolism: mourning, penance, repentance, and sorrow.

During Lent, an alternative to violet is Lenten array from the English Sarum rite.

The Sarum rite was developed at Salisbury Cathedral (Old Sarum) and used from the late 11th to the mid-16th century. Violet cloth would have been expensive to dye. So, the Sarum tradition used unbleached linen with crimson orphreys (ornamental stripes). This was sometimes referred to as 'Lenten white' or ash.

Symbolically, unbleached linen offers an absence of colour during Lent. Lenten Array also includes the veiling of the altar and reredos, statues, icons and crosses.

When to use:

• Lent (from Ash Wednesday to the eve of Palm Sunday)

Rose

Symbolism: anticipation, subdued joy

Throughout both Advent and Lent, all Sundays are festivals. Both seasons include one Sunday where the solemnity of the penetential season is lightened to one of subdued joy. This may be represented symbolically by replacing the liturgical colour of violet with rose (not pink).

During Advent, if an Advent wreath and candles are used, the third candle may be rose.

When to use:

• Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent)
• Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent)

Hangings removed

Symbolism: absence, mourning, penance, repentance and sorrow.

There is no liturgical colour suggested for Good Friday (except red at holy communion) and Holy Saturday (the day between Good Friday and Easter Day). Instead, the direction 'hangings removed' is given in the lectionary and calendar.

Following the Eucharist of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the altar is stripped and all decorations are removed from the sanctuary, nave and any side chapel (apart from the altar of repose). The church building remains bare until the Easter Vigil, symbolising the stripping of Jesus before his crucifixion, death and lying in the tomb.

When to use:

• Triduum (from after the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday, through Good Friday to Holy Saturday)

Black

Symbolism: death, grief, mourning

Black has traditionally been the colour of mourning and grief.

When to use:

• All Souls’ Day (2 November, if violet or white are not used)
• Funerals and requiem mass (if violet or white are not used)