Genealogical Feast Day Calendars

Feast Days

Christian feast days commemorate significant events in Christianity throughout the year. There are two main cycles: one based on Easter and the other on Christmas. Easter, the celebration of Jesus' resurrection, is the movable feast day at the center. The date changes each year but always falls on a Sunday between late March and late April. The other cycle centers on December 25th, Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birth. Many other feasts dot the calendar, honoring saints, apostles, and other figures. Some feasts, like those of Peter and Paul (June 29th) or Mary's Assumption (August 15th), have fixed dates. Others, like Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter) or Palm Sunday (the week before Easter), are tied to Easter's date.

Some documents (especially church records) used for genealogical research may record events using the name of the feast day. Use the following comprehensive charts spanning several centuries to convert dates between feast day names and the corresponding Julian and Gregorian Calendar systems.

Julian Calendar

The Julian calendar, implemented by Julius Caesar in 45 BC, is a solar calendar with 365 days in a regular year and an extra day added every four years (leap year) to account for the fact that a year isn't exactly 365 days long. This system aimed to create a more stable calendar compared to the previous Roman calendar. While it was a significant improvement, the Julian calendar adds a bit too many leap days. This slight inaccuracy caused the calendar to drift out of sync with the seasons over time. Despite this, the Julian calendar (or the Revised Julian Calendar) is still used by some religious groups and even some communities today, though the Gregorian calendar, a more refined version, is the most widely used calendar system in the world.

1426-1535

The Movable Feast Day Tables - Julian Calendar begin with the year 1536. A few records using feast days may be in existence before that year. For the period 1426-1535, use the table of the year listed next to the year desired, as follows:

Example: 1437=1583 (For the feast days in 1437, use the table for 1583).

* Add one day to all feast days in the months of January and February (1448-1508)

1426=1583	1448=1695*	1470=1565	1492=1576	1514=1587
1427=1595	1449=1623	1471=1555	1493=1577	1515=1599
1428=1708	1450=1545	1472=1752	1494=1567	1516=1600
1429=1597	1451=1546	1473=1557	1495=1579	1517=1601
1430=1587	1452=1732	1474=1547	1496=1580	1518=1591
1431=1537	1453=1537	1475=1559	1497=1559	1519=1709
1432=1712	1454=1538	1476=1560	1498=1571	1520=1604
1433=1601	1455=1539	1477=1539	1499=1583	1521=1583
1434=1630	1456=1540	1478=1573	1500=1584	1522=1595
1435=1541	1457=1541	1479=1563	1501=1563	1523=1545
1436=1604	1458=1553	1480=1564	1502=1597	1524=1597
1437=1583	1459=1543	1481=1565	1503=1587	1525=1587
1438=1623	1460=1544	1482=1577	1504=1588	1526=1537
1439=1545	1461=1545	1483=1567	1505=1763	1527=1538
1440=1608	1462=1557	1484=1568	1506=1601	1528=1612
1441=1587	1463=1547	1485=1575	1507=1591	1529=1630
1442=1537	1464=1543	1486=1559	1508=1671*	1530=1541
1443=1538	1465=1555	1487=1571	1509=1599	1531=1615
1444=1612	1466=1539	1488=1572	1510=1583	1532=1616
1445=1630	1467=1551	1489=1579	1511=1595	1533=1623
1446=1541	1468=1552	1490=1563	1512=1596	1534=1545
1447=1615	1469=1537	1491=1575	1513=1597	1535=1630

1536-1837

1536-1543 1544-1551 1552-1559 1560-1567 1568-1575 1576-1583 1584-1591 1592-1599 1600-1607 1608-1615 1616-1623 1624-1631 1632-1639 1640-1647 1648-1655 1656-1663 1664-1671 1672-1679 1680-1687 1688-1695 1696-1703 1704-1711 1712-1719 1720-1727 1728-1735 1736-1743 1744-1751 1752-1759 1760-1767 1768-1775 1776-1783 1784-1791 1792-1799

Gregorian Calendar

The Gregorian calendar, the one we use today, is a refinement of the Julian calendar. Introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, it aimed to fix a slight inaccuracy in the Julian system that caused it to drift out of sync with the seasons over time. The Gregorian calendar, like its predecessor, is a solar calendar with 12 months and a leap year every four years. However, the leap year rules are more precise. Centuries (years ending in 00) are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400. So, for instance, 1600 was a leap year while 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. This adjustment ensures the calendar stays aligned with the solar year, making sure holidays like the spring equinox and the summer solstice land on the correct dates. Due to its accuracy and widespread adoption, the Gregorian calendar is the dominant calendar system across the globe.

1582-1837

1582-1589 1590-1597 1598-1605 1606-1613 1614-1621 1622-1629 1630-1637 1638-1645 1646-1653 1654-1661 1662-1669 1670-1677 1678-1685 1686-1693 1694-1701 1702-1709 1710-1717 1718-1725 1726-1733 1734-1741 1742-1749 1750-1757 1758-1765 1766-1773 1774-1781 1782-1789 1790-1797 1798-1805 1806-1813 1814-1821 1822-1829 1830-1837

1838-1877

The Movable Feast Days Tables - Gregorian Calendar end with the year 1837. A few records using feast days may be in existance after that year. For the period 1838-1877, use the table of the year next to the year desired, as follows:

Example: 1847=1627 (For the feast days in 1847, use the table for 1627)

1838=1618	1846=1626	1854=1634	1862=1642	1870=1650
1839=1619	1847=1627	1855=1635	1863=1643	1871=1651
1840=1620	1848=1628	1856=1636	1864=1644	1872=1652
1841=1621	1849=1635	1857=1637	1865=1645	1873=1653
1842=1622	1850=1630	1858=1638	1866=1648	1874=1654
1843=1623	1851=1631	1859=1639	1867=1647	1875=1655
1844=1624	1852=1632	1860=1640	1868=1648	1876=1656
1845=1763	1853=1633	1861=1641	1869=1655	1877=1657