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Royal Blue
Royal Blue is the color of royalty to welcome the
coming of a King. It can also symbolize the night sky
in which the star appeared to announce the birth of Jesus.
While purple has traditionally been the liturgical color for
Advent, Royal Blue is increasingly used for
Advent, especially in
Protestant churches, to distinguish it from
Lent. Some traditions still use
Purple or Blue Violet for Advent |
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Bright Blue
Bright Blue symbolizes the sky or
heaven, where heralds proclaimed Jesus' birth. In Roman
Catholic
tradition, it symbolizes Mary, who is known as "the Queen
of Heaven." It can also symbolize
the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation. It
is increasingly used for
Advent in Protestant churches to distinguish this season from Lent. |
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Blue Violet
Blue Violet is the color of royalty to welcome the
coming of a King. It also evokes pain and suffering.
It is sometimes used as the traditional purple for Advent to
symbolize both the impending birth of Jesus yet also
foreshadowing his death. |
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Pink
Pink symbolizes joy and happiness. In
various churches it is
used for either the Third or Fourth Sunday of
Advent, the Sunday of Joy at the impending birth of
Jesus. |
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Rose
Rose also is used to symbolize joy and
happiness, and is an alternate color for the Third or Fourth Sunday of
Advent. |
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White
White symbolizes purity, holiness, and
virtue, as well as respect and reverence. White is used for
all high Holy Days and festival days of
the Church Year, especially the
seasons of Christmas and
Easter, as well as for
baptism, marriage, dedications, and in some traditions for
the ordination of ministers. In some church traditions it is also
used for funerals as a symbol of the resurrection. |
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Silver
Because of its brightness, metallic silver is
sometimes used as an alternate color for white. |
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Gold
Gold symbolizes what is precious and
valuable, and so symbolizes majesty, joy, and celebration.
Because of its brightness metallic gold also symbolizes the
presence of God. It is most often used with white for
high Holy Days and festival days of
the Church Year, especially the
seasons of Christmas and
Easter. It is also sometimes used as a secondary color for other seasons. |
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Yellow
Yellow symbolizes light which in turn is
a symbol of the presence of God. It is also symbolic of
renewal and hope, especially in the resurrection of Jesus.
It is often used as an alternate color for gold when white
is used as a sanctuary color. It is sometimes used with
white for Easter. |
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Green
Green symbolizes the renewal of
vegetation and generally of living
things and the promise of new life. It is used for the
Season of Epiphany between
the Sunday after Epiphany (January 6) and the beginning of
Lent, and for
Ordinary Time between
Trinity Sunday (first Sunday after
Pentecost) and the
beginning of Advent. |
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Light Green
Light Green is sometimes used as an
alternate color for Green during
Ordinary Time. Some
churches use Light Green before Lent (Season
of Epiphany) and Green after
Pentecost. |
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Purple
Purple can symbolize pain, suffering, and
therefore mourning and penitence. It is the liturgical
color for the Season of Lent. It is also
the color of royalty, so traditionally has also been used
for Advent and is still used
in Catholic churches, although Blue Violet is also used. However, Blue is replacing purple for Advent in many
Protestant churches. |
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Red Violet
Red Violet or Violet is also a symbol for
pain and suffering, and is used as an alternate color for
the Season of Lent. |
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Gray
Gray is the color of ashes, and therefore
a biblical symbol of mourning and repentance. It can be used
on Ash Wednesday, during Lent, or on special days of fasting and prayer. |
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Black
Black represents death
and mourning. It is used only on
Good Friday and
Holy Saturday
before the Easter Vigil, with no other decorations or
colors. Sometimes black is used to cover other sanctuary
symbols or to drape the sanctuary cross and altar on Good Friday. |
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Red
Red is the color of fire and so
symbolizes the presence of God. It is the liturgical color
for Pentecost. It is considered the color of the
Church, since red can also symbolize the blood of martyrs.
It is sometimes used for Maundy Thursday and during
Eastertide. In Roman Catholic tradition it is used for
Palm Sunday in
anticipation of the death of Jesus. In some church traditions it is
used to commemorate special days for martyrs or saints, or
for the ordination of priests/ministers. |
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Olive
Olive is sometimes used as a Church color
during Ordinary Time. |
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Aqua
Aqua is sometimes used as a Church color
during Ordinary Time. |
