Feasts and festivals
Four ranks, and one rule that decides what happens when two things land on the same day.
The ranks
| Rank | What it does |
|---|---|
| Principal Feasts | The greatest days of the year. They displace whatever else falls on the day, and are kept even when they land on a Sunday |
| Principal Holy Days | Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Equal in standing to Principal Feasts, but penitential rather than festal |
| Festivals | Kept with proper readings and collect. On a Sunday they normally give way to the Sunday, except in Ordinary Time where a parish may keep them |
| Lesser Festivals | Optional. Kept locally where the parish has reason — a patronal dedication, a local saint |
| Commemorations | A mention in the prayers. No proper readings |
The nine Principal Feasts
- Christmas Day, 25 December
- The Epiphany, 6 January
- The Presentation of Christ in the Temple — Candlemas, 2 February
- The Annunciation, 25 March
- Easter Day
- Ascension Day
- The Day of Pentecost
- Trinity Sunday
- All Saints’ Day, 1 November
Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday sit alongside these as Principal Holy Days — the same standing, a very different character.
When two things collide
This is the part that produces the questions. The general principle is that the higher rank wins, with some practical adjustments:
- A Principal Feast on a Sunday is kept, and displaces the Sunday. All Saints’ Day falling on a Sunday is the case most parishes meet.
- A Festival on a Sunday normally gives way to the Sunday — but in Ordinary Time a parish may keep the Festival instead, and many do for a patronal festival.
- Nothing displaces the Sundays of Advent, Lent or Easter. A Festival landing in those seasons is transferred, usually to the next free day.
- The Annunciation is the awkward one: fixed to 25 March, it frequently falls in Holy Week or Eastertide and is then transferred, sometimes to well after Easter.
Why this matters for the booklet
Because the readings change. A parish that looks up “the Sunday” when a Principal Feast has displaced it will print the wrong lectionary citations — and the wrong colour, since a feast is usually white or gold against the season’s green. All Saints’ and the Epiphany falling on Sundays are where this bites most often.
Questions
What are the Principal Feasts in the Church of England?
Christmas Day, the Epiphany, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas), the Annunciation, Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and All Saints' Day. Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are Principal Holy Days of equal standing.
What happens when a Festival falls on a Sunday?
It normally gives way to the Sunday. In Ordinary Time a parish may keep the Festival instead. Nothing displaces the Sundays of Advent, Lent or Easter — a Festival falling there is transferred.
Does a Principal Feast displace a Sunday?
Yes. A Principal Feast is kept even when it falls on a Sunday, and its readings and liturgical colour replace the Sunday's.