Mormon Holidays

[Razanir]

I’m helping reorganize holiday finals in KDE, a desktop environment for Linux. My self-appointed task is to separate all the religious holidays into their own files.

So Mormonism. Obviously they have some of the same holidays as us, like Christmas and Easter. What about lesser-known Christian holidays? My file for Christians who want more than just Christmas and Easter also contains Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. To our LDS (or former LDS) brethen on these forums: What holidays would you add, and what holidays would you remove? (Things like Pioneer Day, apparently claiming the actual date of Jesus’ birth was April 6th, apparently NOT doing anything for Good Friday)

 

[iepuras]

I’m helping reorganize holiday finals in KDE, a desktop environment for Linux. My self-appointed task is to separate all the religious holidays into their own files.

So Mormonism. Obviously they have some of the same holidays as us, like Christmas and Easter. What about lesser-known Christian holidays? My file for Christians who want more than just Christmas and Easter also contains Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. To our LDS (or former LDS) brethen on these forums: What holidays would you add, and what holidays would you remove? (Things like Pioneer Day, apparently claiming the actual date of Jesus’ birth was April 6th, apparently NOT doing anything for Good Friday)

Mormons do celebrate Easter and Christmas in a minimal fashion. They only attend church on Christmas when it falls on a Sunday. Any real celebration of these holidays is done within families for the most part.

Pioneer Day (July 24) is the only unique Mormon holiday, unless you want to add General Conference to your calendar. Mormons may appreciate that. General Conference is the first weekend in April and October.

Even though Mormons say that Jesus was really born on April 6, they do not formally celebrate it. Don’t worry about including other Christian holidays such as Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, etc. Mormons don’t really celebrate or recognize these traditional Christian holidays.

 

[Razanir]

Mormons do celebrate Easter and Christmas in a minimal fashion. They only attend church on Christmas when it falls on a Sunday. Any real celebration of these holidays is done within families for the most part.

Pioneer Day (July 24) is the only unique Mormon holiday, unless you want to add General Conference to your calendar. Mormons may appreciate that. General Conference is the first weekend in April and October.

Even though Mormons say that Jesus was really born on April 6, they do not formally celebrate it. Don’t worry about including other Christian holidays such as Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, etc. Mormons don’t really celebrate or recognize these traditional Christian holidays.

So Christmas, Easter, Pioneer Day, and the General Conference would be a reasonable selection?

 

[iepuras]

So Christmas, Easter, Pioneer Day, and the General Conference would be a reasonable selection?

Yes, and Mormons would probably love having General Conference on the calendar. While General Conference is not a holiday, per se, it is an important time for Mormons. When I was Mormon, I always forgot about it!

 

[rmcmullan]

I wouldn’t add Pioneer Day 'cause it’s only a holiday in Utah and many Mormon people who are not descendants of the Pioneers are tired of hearing about it.

As for the RC Holidays of Obligation like the Epiphany, LDS do not observe them. If you really wanted to make an LDS calendar, you ought to add the dates of historical events (April 6th, church formed) and perhaps birthdays of prophets or other prominent people.

 

[Razanir]

and perhaps birthdays of prophets or other prominent people.

Such as whom?

 

[iepuras]

Such as whom?

Pioneer Day is celebrated by many Mormons who do not live in Utah, Arizona or Idaho. It is only a state holiday in Utah. LDS church leadership still make a big deal about pioneers even if some Mormons tire of it (I certainly did when I was Mormon).

You could add Joseph Smith’s birthday (December 23). In my last ward before I left Mormonism, they made a huge deal about Smith’s birthday and completely neglected Christmas. That really bothered me.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I’m helping reorganize holiday finals in KDE, a desktop environment for Linux. My self-appointed task is to separate all the religious holidays into their own files.

So Mormonism. Obviously they have some of the same holidays as us, like Christmas and Easter. What about lesser-known Christian holidays? My file for Christians who want more than just Christmas and Easter also contains Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. To our LDS (or former LDS) brethen on these forums: What holidays would you add, and what holidays would you remove? (Things like Pioneer Day, apparently claiming the actual date of Jesus’ birth was April 6th, apparently NOT doing anything for Good Friday)

The death of Joseph Smith is one I’ve seen mentioned more recently, as it is an anniversary type of year. (d. June 27, 1844; 170 years)

Christian holidays, other than Easter and Christmas, are not recognized by LDS, and most don’t know what they are. When I was LDS, I’d see Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, etc. on a calendar and had no clue what they were there for. No Google back then. LOL.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Here’s a LDS answer:

mormonchurch.com/88/what-special-calendar-dates-do-mormons-observe

• regional and national holidays of where they live
• Christmas and Easter
• Pioneer Day on 24 July
• restoration of the Priesthood on 13 May
• the anniversary of the Mormon Church’s founding on 6 April
• the anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s birthday on 23 December
• General conference
• Sundays (Sabbath)

 

[LeavesInTheWind]

Here’s a LDS answer:

mormonchurch.com/88/what-special-calendar-dates-do-mormons-observe

• regional and national holidays of where they live
• Christmas and Easter
• Pioneer Day on 24 July
• restoration of the Priesthood on 13 May
• the anniversary of the Mormon Church’s founding on 6 April
• the anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s birthday on 23 December
• General conference
• Sundays (Sabbath)

Um I’ve only seen Christmas and Easter in the above list celebrated as holidays (+ regional and national). A few outside of Utah may celebrate Pioneer day, but I’ve never seen many celebrate it.

It is a good list of dates that many lds members would appreciate on their calendar though.

 

[Razanir]

It is a good list of dates that many lds members would appreciate on their calendar though.

Yeah, that’s the goal. Like I doubt many Catholics care if they get the feasts of saints or not. But judging by reactions on the CAF, people would certainly appreciate having them.

 

[PattyPryor]

I think this is one of the major reasons I decided I couldn’t be Mormon. They hardly celebrate anything in Church. I guess I always will love all of the Catholic Holidays, especially Lent, Advent and, the beautiful Christmas and Easter season.

 

[PaulDupre1]

I think this is one of the major reasons I decided I couldn’t be Mormon. They hardly celebrate anything in Church. I guess I always will love all of the Catholic Holidays, especially Lent, Advent and, the beautiful Christmas and Easter season.

Me too. The Easter Vigil is something I look forward to all of the liturgical year. I love the readings (as a long-time lector I usually get to read the creation account from Genesis), the music and especially the convert baptisms of those who have graduated from RCIA.

Several years ago, one of those converts was my adult son. I was his sponsor in RCIA. He is still a very active and faithful Catholic.

After being a Mormon and seeing the leftover “sacrament” thrown into the garbage, I really appreciate the great reverence with which the Eucharistic elements are treated during and after the mass. Someone in RCIA once asked “why does the priest spend so much time doing the dishes during mass?”. It was a real pleasure to volunteer an answer to that one!

It is wonderful to be a practicing Catholic.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happy Catholic)

 

[iepuras]

Here’s a LDS answer:

mormonchurch.com/88/what-special-calendar-dates-do-mormons-observe

• regional and national holidays of where they live
• Christmas and Easter
• Pioneer Day on 24 July
• restoration of the Priesthood on 13 May
• the anniversary of the Mormon Church’s founding on 6 April
• the anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s birthday on 23 December
• General conference
• Sundays (Sabbath)

Interesting that they suggest celebrating the restoration of the Priesthood but completely ignore the founding of Relief Society on March 17, which at least until recently, was actually celebrated by the Relief Society. But women are treated with equality in the LDS church…

 

[PattyPryor]

Me too. The Easter Vigil is something I look forward to all of the liturgical year. I love the readings (as a long-time lector I usually get to read the creation account from Genesis), the music and especially the convert baptisms of those who have graduated from RCIA.

Several years ago, one of those converts was my adult son. I was his sponsor in RCIA. He is still a very active and faithful Catholic.

After being a Mormon and seeing the leftover “sacrament” thrown into the garbage, I really appreciate the great reverence with which the Eucharistic elements are treated during and after the mass. Someone in RCIA once asked “why does the priest spend so much time doing the dishes during mass?”. It was a real pleasure to volunteer an answer to that one!

It is wonderful to be a practicing Catholic.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happy Catholic)

So very true Paul. Sadly, even as a Mormon I guess I never knew the wonder bread was thrown out

 

[RebeccaJ]

Interesting that they suggest celebrating the restoration of the Priesthood but completely ignore the founding of Relief Society on March 17, which at least until recently, was actually celebrated by the Relief Society. But women are treated with equality in the LDS church…

Yeah well, the RS wasn’t restored and isn’t a sign of the true church. It isn’t required that it exist.

Mormonism isn’t sentimental about these things.

 

[kimg901]

You could also add a time for the completion of their temple in Rome.

 

[LivingWaters7]

Interestingly, Catholicism’s (as well as Orthodoxy, Anglicans, etc) liturgical calendar harkens to its Jewish roots. In ancient Judaism, Jews would gather at the temple to celebrate various feast days and festivals. Catholics gather at our churches, cathedrals, etc (which are temples in the strict sense of the word) for various feast days and festivals, in continuity with this. Mormons do not go to their temples for such things.

 

[Marie5890]

I’m helping reorganize holiday finals in KDE, a desktop environment for Linux. My self-appointed task is to separate all the religious holidays into their own files.

So Mormonism. Obviously they have some of the same holidays as us, like Christmas and Easter. What about lesser-known Christian holidays? My file for Christians who want more than just Christmas and Easter also contains Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. To our LDS (or former LDS) brethen on these forums: What holidays would you add, and what holidays would you remove? (Things like Pioneer Day, apparently claiming the actual date of Jesus’ birth was April 6th, apparently NOT doing anything for Good Friday)

The truly religious holidays celebrated by Mormons are Christmas and Easter. General Conference isnt seen as a “holiday” but certainly is part of the LDS calendar.

Pioneer Day, a holiday in UT for sure, may be recognized by stakes and wards outside of UT.

Other days that may been brought up as a “memorial” as in “remembering” may be then the “priesthood was restored” April 6th (the LDS founding day") and Dec 23, Smith’s birthday again are not holidays but more of commenorations…

But only Christmas and Easter would fall under religious holidays for Mormons.

 

[Razanir]

The truly religious holidays celebrated by Mormons are Christmas and Easter. General Conference isnt seen as a “holiday” but certainly is part of the LDS calendar.

Pioneer Day, a holiday in UT for sure, may be recognized by stakes and wards outside of UT.

Other days that may been brought up as a “memorial” as in “remembering” may be then the “priesthood was restored” April 6th (the LDS founding day") and Dec 23, Smith’s birthday again are not holidays but more of commenorations…

But only Christmas and Easter would fall under religious holidays for Mormons.

Okay, using “holiday” in the looser secular definition. Point is, I’m wondering what holy days and other annual events should be included.