CHRISTMAS SEASON: The Christmas Season begins with the Vigil Mass beginning late in the day on December 24th.  This season recalls the Nativity of Jesus Christ and His manifestation to the peoples of the world.  The Liturgical Color is WHITE.  The Christmas season ends with the feast of the Epiphany.

LENT:  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a 6 week period of penance preceeding Holy Week.  The Liturgical Color is PURPLE except on the 4th Sunday in Lent named Laetare Sunday where the color is ROSE.

THE SACRED PASCHAL TRIDUUM:  the Holiest "Three Days" of the Church year recalls the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.  The Holy Thursday Mass recalls the Last Supper and the Institution of Holy Eucharist.  The Liturgical Color is WHITE.  Good Friday services (there is no Mass) is divided into three parts:  The Liturgy of the Word - reading of the Passion according to St. John, Adoration of the Cross and the distribution of HOLY COMMUNION - The Liturgical Color on Good Friday is RED.  Holy Saturday is the celebration of the Easter Vigil.  This service recalls the long history of the Jewish people and the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise of a Messiah.  The Resurrection of Jesus is celebrated and remembered in this service, the liturgical color is WHITE.

EASTER SEASON:  consists of 50 days of joyful celebration of the Lord's resurrection from the dead and his sending forth from the Holy Spirit.  The season ends with the Pentecost Sunday feast.

ORDINARY TIME:  Named for the ordinal numbers, these Sundays and the weeks that follow are labeled by a number.  This "season" is divided into two sections, the first, between 4 and 8 weeks between the end of the Christmas season and Lent and the second section beginning at Pentecost and ending with the last week of the Church Year in late November or early December.  The Liturgical Color for Ordinary time is GREEN.