High Days and Holy days
6th Mothering Sunday
17th St Patrick's Day
20th Holy Week begins
25th Lady Day
1
March is St David's Day, and it's time for the Welsh to
wear daffodils or leeks. Shakespeare called this custom
'an honourable tradition begun upon an honourable
request' - but nobody knows the reason. Why should
anyone have ever 'requested' that the Welsh wear leeks or
daffodils to honour their patron saint? It's a mystery!
We do
know that David - or Dafydd - of Pembrokeshire was a monk
and bishop of the 6th century. In the 12th century
he was made patron of
In
art, St David is usually depicted in Episcopal vestments,
standing on a mound with a dove at his shoulder, in
memory of his share at an important Synod for the
6th
Mothering Sunday
There
is an old Jewish saying:
God could not be everywhere,
and therefore He made mothers.
In
Roman times, great festivals were held every Spring to
honour Cybele, Mother of all the Gods. Other pagan
festivals in honour of Mother Earth were also celebrated.
With the arrival of Christianity, the festival became
honouring
During
the Middle Ages, young people apprenticed to craftsmen or
working as 'live-in' servants were allowed only one
holiday a year on which to visit their families - which
is how 'Mothering Sunday' got its name. This
special day became a day of family rejoicing, and the
Lenten fast was broken. In some places the day was
called Simnel Day, because of the sweet cakes called
simnel cakes traditionally eaten on that day.
17th
St Patrick's Day
Everyone
has heard of St Patrick - the patron saint of
It's
all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th century
humble Christian who became in time both bishop and
apostle of Ireland. Patrick was born the son
of a town councillor in the west of
Desolate
and despairing, Patrick turned to prayer. He found
God was there for him, even in such desperate
circumstances. He spent much time in prayer, and his
faith grew and deepened, in contrast to his earlier
years, when he “knew not the true God”.
Then,
after six gruelling, lonely years he was told in a dream
he would soon go to his own country. He either
escaped or was freed, made his way to a port 200 miles
away and eventually persuaded some sailors to take him
with them away from
After
various adventures in other lands, including near-starvation,
Patrick landed on English soil at last, and returned to
his family. But he was much changed. He had
enjoyed his life of plenty before; now he wanted to
devote the rest of his life to Christ. Patrick received
some form of training for the priesthood, but not the
higher education he really wanted.
But by
435, well educated or not, Patrick was badly needed.
Palladius' mission to the Irish had failed, and so the
Pope sent Patrick back to the land of his slavery. He
set up his see at
Patrick's
writings are the first literature certainly identified
from the
Patrick
remains the most popular of the Irish saints. The
principal cathedral of
20th
Holy Week begins
This
year, Easter Day falls on 27th March. The week
leading up to it, which begins with Palm Sunday on 20th
March, is very special in the church year, and is known
as Holy Week.
Holy
Week begins with Palm Sunday, the day when the Church
remembers the triumphal entry of Jesus into
The
next highlight of Holy Week falls on Maundy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday focuses on one of the final acts
concerning Jesus to be related in John's Gospel –
the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus. The ceremony
of the 'washing of the feet' of members of the
congregation came to be an important part of the liturgy
(regular worship) of the medieval church, symbolising the
humility of the clergy, in obedience to the example of
Christ.
'Maundy'
is an unusual word, and relates to this medieval practice
of foot-washing. In the Middle Ages, church
services were held in Latin. The opening words of a
typical service on this day are based on the words of
Jesus recorded in John 13: 'A new command I give you:
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another.' In Latin, the opening phrase of this
sentence is 'mandatum novum do vobis' The word
'mundy' is thus a corruption of the Latin 'mandatum' (or
command).
In
Good
Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross. It is
the most solemn day in the Christian year, and is widely
marked by the removal of all decorations from churches.
In Lutheran churches, the day was marked by the reading
of the passion narrative in a gospel, a practice which
lies behind the 'passions' composed by Johann Sebastian
Bach (1685 – 1750). Both the St Matthew
Passion and the St John Passion have their origins in
this observance of Good Friday.
The
custom of observing a period of three hours' devotion
from 12
Lent
ends with Holy Saturday. The Eastern Orthodox
churches hold the 'Paschal Vigil' – a late evening
service which leads directly into the following Easter
Day.
25th
Lady Day - the Annunciation of Our Lord to the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
This
story (Luke 1.26-38) takes place in
The
church calendar is never quite as neat as some would like
it. To celebrate the Annunciation on 25 March does
indeed place the conception of Jesus exactly nine months
from his birth on 25 December, but the latter part of
March almost inevitably falls during Lent. But the
birth and death of Jesus are intrinsically linked - he
was born to die, and thus fulfil God's purposes.
The
Annunciation is a significant date in the Christian
calendar - it is one of the most frequent depicted in
Christian art. Gabriel's gracious strength and
Mary's humble dignity have inspired many artists. Certainly
Mary's response to the angel has for centuries been an
example of good faith in practise - humility, enquiry of
God, and trusting acceptance in his will for her life.
