Lutheran Liturgical Calendar
Guide to the Lutheran liturgical calendar used for genealogical research in determining the correct dates for religious events in Denmark, German, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Introduction[edit | edit source]
This is a list of the Sundays in the Lutheran liturgical calendar. Only selected feast and holy days that fall on days other than Sunday are included. The liturgy is divided into several seasons beginning with Advent, and followed by Nativity/Christmas, Epiphany, Pre-Lent (Shrovetide/Fastelaven), Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Ordinary Time (sometimes referred to as Pentecost and Trinty).
Because of variations in the calendar the number of Sundays after Epiphany and Pentecost varies yearly. This also affects the Feast of the Transfiguration which is observed on the last Sunday in Epiphany, except in Finland and Sweden where it is observed on the 7th Sunday after Trinity/8th Sunday after Pentecost. The period between Pentecost and Advent is referred to as "Ordinary Time" as the Sundays are identified by ordinal numbering (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
Please note that how these dates are identified in the church records will vary from parish to parish. For example, Epiphany may also be recorded as "Hellige Tre Konger", "H3Kdag", "Tre Konger", "Rex Trium", or some other form entirely. This is because the recording was left entirely to the priest or his scribe, and they would identify the date in the manner they preferred.
Annual lists of feast days and their corresponding calendar date for each year from 1501 to 1900 can be found on these pages:
- Denmark Feast Day Calendars
- Germany Feast Day Calendars
- Norway Feast Day Calendars
- Sweden Feast Day Calendars (also for Lutheran churches in Finland)
Liturgical Calendar[edit | edit source]
| Season | Latin Feast Day | Fixed Day | Liturgical Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advent | Advent | 1st Sunday in Advent, 4th Sunday before Christmas | |
| 2 Advent | 2nd Sunday in Advent, 3rd Sunday before Christmas | ||
| 3 Advent | 3rd Sunday in Advent, 2nd Sunday before Christmas | ||
| 4 Advent | 4th Sunday in Advent, 1st Sunday before Christmas | ||
| Nativity/Christmas | Nativitas, Natio Christi | 25 December | Christmas |
| Dominica post Nativitas | Sunday after Nativity. Inserted when the calendar has a Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day | ||
| Novi Anni, Circumcision domini | 1 January | New Year's Day, Circumcision of the Lord | |
| 1 post Novi Anni | Sunday after New Year. Inserted when the calendar has a Sunday between New Year's Day and Epiphany | ||
| Epiphany | Epiphania | 6 January | Epiphany, Three Kings Day, Baptism of the Lord, 12th day of Christmas |
| 1 post Epiphania | 1st Sunday after Epiphany | ||
| 2 post Epiphania | 2nd Sunday after Epiphany | ||
| 3 post Epiphania | 3rd Sunday after Epiphany | ||
| 4 post Epiphania | 4th Sunday after Epiphany | ||
| 5 post Epiphania | 5th Sunday after Epiphany | ||
| 6 post Epiphania | 6th Sunday after Epiphany, Feast of the Transfiguration (except in Finland and Sweden) | ||
| Shrovetide, Fastelaven | Septuagesima, Circumdiderunt | 9th Sunday before Easter | |
| Sexagesima, Exsurge | 2nd Sunday before Lent, 8th Sunday before Easter | ||
| Quinquagesima, Esto Mihi | 1st Sunday before Lent, 7th Sunday before Easter, Last Sunday of Shrovetide | ||
| Carnem Levare | Shrove Tuesday | ||
| Lent | Caput Jejuni | Ash Wednesday | |
| Quadragesima, Invocavit | 6th Sunday before Easter, 1st Sunday in Lent | ||
| Reminiscere | 5th Sunday before Easter, 2nd Sunday in Lent | ||
| Oculi | 4th Sunday before Easter, 3rd Sunday in Lent | ||
| Laetare | 3rd Sunday before Easter, 4th Sunday in Lent | ||
| Judica | 2nd Sunday before Easter, 5th Sunday in Lent | ||
| Holy Week | Palmarum | 1st Sunday before Easter, 6th Sunday in Lent, Palm Sunday | |
| Viridium | Maundy Thursday | ||
| Dies Adoratis, Passiones | Good Friday | ||
| Easter | Pascha | Easter | |
| 2 Pascha, Jueundiholm | Easter Monday | ||
| Quasimodogeniti | 1st Sunday after Easter | ||
| Misericordia | 2nd Sunday after Easter | ||
| Jubilate | 3rd Sunday after Easter | ||
| Cantate | 4th Sunday after Easter | ||
| Rogate, Vocem jucunditatis | 5th Sunday after Easter | ||
| Ascensionis Domini | Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (39 days after Easter) | ||
| Exaudi | 6th Sunday after Easter | ||
| Ordinary Time | Pentecoste | Pentecost, 7th Sunday after Easter, Whitsunday | |
| 2 Pentecoste | Whit Monday, Monday after Pentecost | ||
| Trinitatis | Trinity, 1st Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 1 post Trinitatis | 1st Sunday after Trinity, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 2 post Trinitatis | 2nd Sunday after Trinity, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 3 post Trinitatis | 3rd Sunday after Trinity, 4th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 4 post Trinitatis | 4th Sunday after Trinity, 5th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 5 post Trinitatis | 5th Sunday after Trinity, 6th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 6 post Trinitatis | 6th Sunday after Trinity, 7th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 7 post Trinitatis | 7th Sunday after Trinity, 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Feast of the Transfiguration (Finland and Sweden) | ||
| 8 post Trinitatis | 8th Sunday after Trinity, 9th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 9 post Trinitatis | 9th Sunday after Trinity, 10th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 10 post Trinitatis | 10th Sunday after Trinity, 11th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 11 post Trinitatis | 11th Sunday after Trinity, 12th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 12 post Trinitatis | 12th Sunday after Trinity, 13th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 13 post Trinitatis | 13th Sunday after Trinity, 14th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 14 post Trinitatis | 14th Sunday after Trinity, 15th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 15 post Trinitatis | 15th Sunday after Trinity, 16th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 16 post Trinitatis | 16th Sunday after Trinity, 17th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 17 post Trinitatis | 17th Sunday after Trinity, 18th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 18 post Trinitatis | 18th Sunday after Trinity, 19th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 19 post Trinitatis | 19th Sunday after Trinity, 20th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 20 post Trinitatis | 20th Sunday after Trinity, 21st Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 21 post Trinitatis | 21st Sunday after Trinity, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 22 post Trinitatis | 22nd Sunday after Trinity, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 23 post Trinitatis | 23rd Sunday after Trinity, 24th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 24 post Trinitatis | 24th Sunday after Trinity, 25th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 25 post Trinitatis | 25th Sunday after Trinity, 26th Sunday after Pentecost | ||
| 26 post Trinitatis | 26th Sunday after Trinity, 27th Sunday after Pentecost |
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
"Liturgical calendar (Lutheran)", Wikipedia. Accessed 30 November, 2021.
Robert Thomas Hampson, Medii Ævi Kalendarium Or, Dates, Charters, and Customs of the Middle Ages, vol. II. London : Henry Kent Causton, [1841].
Landsarkivet Copenhagen, Kirkeårets dage, fester m.m. (Internet Archive).