Different colored vestments for different times of the year

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My husband and I were talking about the colors of vestments used during the different times of the year. We figured white on Easter and Christmas must be for purity. Purple for penence during Lent and Advent. What about the other colors? Does anyone know what they all stand for and the history behind it? When did the Church start using different colors?
 
I believe the white at Easter and Christmas is to express joy as well as purity (washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, etc.).

The red during Holy Week is a symbol of the Passion of Christ.

I’ve read somewhere that the green used during ordinary time is because green is a color associated with life and growing things.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the Liturgical color calendar:
catholic.org/clife/lcolors.php
 
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SeekerJen:
I believe the white at Easter and Christmas is to express joy as well as purity (washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, etc.).

The red during Holy Week is a symbol of the Passion of Christ.

I’ve read somewhere that the green used during ordinary time is because green is a color associated with life and growing things.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the Liturgical color calendar:
catholic.org/clife/lcolors.php
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Great break down… I was going to say that rose is for joy too… and, I saw that in the break down. I love all the detials of the church.
 
The breakdown of liturgical colors is correct, but omits changes made since Vatican II. Blak is almost never worn anymore. Funeral vestments are white, violet or black. In Spain there is a special permission for priests to wear blue on feasts of Our Lady. Note, also, that this idea of “liturgical colors” is applicable only to the Latin Church. The Eastern Catholic Churches do not follow this tradition. In the Byzantine Rite we have “light colors” (blue, white, gold) and “dark colors” (purple and red). There is also a green which is worn for Pentecost.

Deacon Ed
 
White (gold) - celebration, festive feasts, purity, e.g Christmas and Easter, feasts of Christ

Red - the blood of martyrs, feasts of the Holy Spirit, occasions of the Holy Spirit (confirmation, ordinations, etc)

Violet - penitential seasons or days e.g. Lent, Advent - may be ameliorated or lessened in nature by old rose (aberrantly referred to as pink ;-)) on 3rd Sunday in Advent, 4th Sunday in Lent [sometimes referred to as Rose Sundays as often used to be the days on which the Pope created new cardinals] - often ameliorated in penitential nature during Advent by a blue (often called Sarum Blue) for days of Our Lady, seasons of Our Lady, etc. (in Lady Chapels often the sanctuary lamp will blue rather than red)

Green - seasons of new and/or renewing life - season of Pentecost or “Common Time”

Black - rarely used any more, thank God! - funerals or Good Friday - now most of Christendom rightly recognizes funerals as celebrations of resurrection and therefore Paschal in nature rather than somber, mournful occasions - and uses white or gold festive colors and vestments for funerals, etc.
 
Extremely high quality gold or silver vestments can be worn at any Mass where added solemnity is desired.

I recall a young priest from a few years ago. He was given a gorgeous gold chausable (sp) that he wore at every Sunday Mass because he did not like the new-agey chasuables hanging in the sacristy.

While he may have been bending the spirit of the rule, he did get around wearing odd looking vestments without buying an entire new set.
 
When I was an Accolyte we wore Black vestments and a white surplice with Colored trim.
 
Thank you everyone. I think that about covers it. Merry Christmas to all!
 
Deacon Ed:
The breakdown of liturgical colors is correct, but omits changes made since Vatican II. Blak is almost never worn anymore. Funeral vestments are white, violet or black.
Click to expand...
Some folks mentioned **violet ** being a penitential color, but I was taught it was also a color of waiting, which is why it is appropriate to Advent, Lent and Funeral liturgies (because the deceased is awaiting the resurrection). It’s not as common as white, I think, but I have known priests to be vested in violet for their own funerals and internment)

tee
 
I believe light blue is still used by indult only for the feast of a virgin. Atleast during the TLM. I could be wrong. There was a dicussion about vestaments on another e-mail list about a month ago and I don’t have the e-mail with me.
 
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Bill_A:
When I was an Accolyte we wore Black vestments and a white surplice with Colored trim.
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When you were an altar server you wore a black cassock which is not a liturgical vestment…

The “colored trim” should have been a huge no-no unless you were a seminarian, monsignor or bishop at the time.
 
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Franciscum:
When you were an altar server you wore a black cassock which is not a liturgical vestment…

The “colored trim” should have been a huge no-no unless you were a seminarian, monsignor or bishop at the time.
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Actually the cassock is a liturgical vestment. So is the surplice.
 
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katolik:
Actually the cassock is a liturgical vestment.
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Are you sure about that? I thought the cassock was merely clerical attire. There was a time in this country (I think) when the cassock was the daily dress of clerics, inside the liturgy and outside of it. Are clerics in Rome still bound to wear the cassock?

The pastor of my youth wore a cassock …um… habitually. My parochial vicar seems to return to this practice (of course, he is one of those clerics who studied in Rome).

tee
 
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katolik:
Actually the cassock is a liturgical vestment. So is the surplice.
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You are wrong (just as you were about sanctuary lamps on another thread.)

Cassocks are not liturgical vestments, although they certainly can be worn under litugical vestments during the Mass.

Surplices are indeed liturgical vestments on the other hand.
 
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Franciscum:
You are wrong (just as you were about sanctuary lamps on another thread.)

Cassocks are not liturgical vestments, although they certainly can be worn under litugical vestments during the Mass.

Surplices are indeed liturgical vestments on the other hand.
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So, okay a cassock isn’t a liturgical vestment. I made a mistake. sorry for the disinformation
 
I would think a Cassok with a roman Collar would be clerrical atire. The Local Parish the quior started wearing Cassocks with Surpilces for everyone. It looks nice and traditional.
 
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Bill_A:
I would think a Cassok with a roman Collar would be clerrical atire. The Local Parish the quior started wearing Cassocks with Surpilces for everyone. It looks nice and traditional.
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While the Church does not expressly prohibit it, it would be extremely questionable for a typical choir to wear the cassock/surplice combination. That’s because the cassock/surplice is clerical garb (read “male only”) that has been “on-loan” to altar boys for a very long time.

Note that when female altar servers became allowed, albs also became acceptable vestments for servers – so they wouldn’t have to wear the cassock/surplice.

Watch a top-notch televised Mass from just about any venue such as the National Basilica, and male altar servers will wear the cassock/surplice, while female altar servers (when they have them) will wear albs. Their cantors and choir members wear choral robes.

The “tradition” of females wearing the cassock/albe is extremely Protestant in origin – particularly amongst the Anglicans and Lutherans. Sadly, this seems to be another Protestant tradition that leaks into the Catholic Church, right along with hand-holding during the Lord’s Prayer. Helen Reddy would be proud.
 
Yeah I kind of figured that out on my own. I dont know what gets into people at My Local Parish. I need to get the heck away from them for a while.
 
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