Holy Days and Holidays

This 2011 calendar lists the dates of the Catholic Holy Days of Obligation in the United States for 2011, as well as the dates of moveable feasts.

The Catholic Church currently has ten Holy Days of Obligation. Find a list of the Catholic Holy Days of Obligation here.

The Catholic Church in the United States currently has six Holy Days of Obligation. Find a list of the Catholic Holy Days of Obligation in the United States here.

Is Annunciation a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Do you and your family celebrate Halloween? Why, or why not? And if you do, how do you celebrate it? Share your stories!

Catholics celebrate the Virgin Mary's birthday as the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When is the Virgin Mary's birthday?

Is Transfiguration a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Is January 1, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the oldest Christian feasts, is best known as the visitation of the Magi or Wise Men.

Is Epiphany a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

The Baptism of the Lord, commemorating Christ's Baptism by St. John the Baptist, celebrates the revelation of the Trinity.

Known popularly as Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His Birth.

Did you know that Groundhog Day has its origins in an ancient Christian feast? Learn the connection between Candlemas and Groundhog Day

The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel's appearance to the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord.

No longer officially marked by the Catholic Church, Quinquagesima Sunday still shows up in some liturgical calendars. What is Quinquagesima Sunday?

No longer officially marked by the Catholic Church, Sexagesima Sunday still shows up in some liturgical calendars. What is Sexagesima Sunday?

No longer officially marked by the Catholic Church, Septuagesima Sunday still shows up in some liturgical calendars. What is Septuagesima Sunday?

For Western Christians, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. For Eastern Rite Catholics, however, Clean Monday is the first day of Great Lent.

The definition of Shrove Tuesday.

Most people know that Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the time of preparation before Easter. But how is it celebrated? And why do Catholics wear ashes on their foreheads on this day? Find out more about Ash Wednesday here.

Is Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Is Holy Thursday a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. No Mass is celebrated on this day; a special liturgy is celebrated instead.

Is Good Friday a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Holy Saturday is the final day of the Triduum, the three days during which Christians commemorate Christ's Passion. When is Holy Saturday?

Easter, the greatest feast day in the Christian calendar, is a moveable feast. When is Easter?

Many people think of Christmas as the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, but from the earliest days of the Church, Easter has been considered the central Christian feast. Learn more about the history and practice of Easter in the Catholic Church.

What does the Catholic Church teach about Easter, the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Learn about the history and significance of Easter, the greatest feast in the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church requires all Catholics to receive Communion at least once per year, during the Easter Season. Find out why, and learn the requirements for fulfilling your Easter duty.

On Easter Sunday, in many Eastern Rite Catholic and Eastern Orthodox parishes, this homily by St. John Chrysostom is read.

The Feast of Divine Mercy, celebrated on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), celebrates the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed by Christ Himself to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively recent but extremely popular devotion which was revealed by Our Lord to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun. While the chaplet is most often recited between Good Friday and Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), it can be prayed at any time of the year. A standard rosary can be used to recite the chaplet.

Is the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

The Ascension of Our Lord occurred on Ascension Thursday, 40 days after Easter Sunday, when the risen Christ ascended bodily into Heaven.

Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. Learn more about this holiday that is often called the "the birthday of the Church."

Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the Easter season and celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Trinity Sunday, also known as Holy Trinity Sunday, is celebrated a week after Pentecost Sunday in honor of the most fundamental of Christian beliefs—belief in the Holy Trinity.

The Feast of Corpus Christi celebrates the mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in reparation for the ingratitude of men for the sacrifice that Christ made for them, is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost Sunday. The feast owes its origins to the apparitions of Christ to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the late 17th century.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrates the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251.

The feast of the Transfiguration of Christ celebrates the revelation of Christ’s divine glory on Mount Tabor in Galilee and provides us with a glimpse of our life in the world to come.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated on August 15, commemorates the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay—a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time.

Is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Did the Blessed Virgin Mary die before she was assumed into Heaven?

Dormition literally means "the falling asleep."

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 8, exactly nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It is the traditional date of the birth of Mary, which paved the way for the birth of Christ.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) celebrates the instrument of our salvation. Learn more about this ancient feast.

Every year, a debate rages among Christians: Is Halloween a satanic holiday or merely a secular one? Should Christian children dress up like ghosts and goblins? Is it good for children to be scared? Lost in the debate is the history of Halloween, which, far from being a pagan religious event, is actually a Christian celebration that's almost...

All Saints Day celebrates all the saints, known and unknown, especially those who suffered martyrdom for Christ.

Is All Saints Day a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

All Souls Day is a solemn feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating all of those who have died and now are in Purgatory.

Advent is a period of preparation before Christmas. Learn more about the season of Advent in the Catholic Church.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is the subject of a lot of misconceptions. Learn more about what the feast really celebrates and about the history of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

Christmas is the feast of the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Learn more about the history of Christmas.

Is Christmas Day a Holy Day of Obligation? Find out here!

This Proclamation of the Birth of Christ comes from the Roman Martyrology. Traditionally, it has been read on Christmas Eve, before the celebration of Midnight Mass. This is a modern translation.

This traditional translation of the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ comes from the Roman Martyrology. For centuries, it was read on Christmas Eve, before the celebration of Midnight Mass.

Every year, I write a Christmas message for the readers of the About.com GuideSite to Catholicism. Here are the Christmas messages from previous years, arranged in reverse chronological order (newest Christmas message at the top).

An ancient practice, Ember Days mark the change of both the liturgical and natural seasons. They are celebrated four times each year, with prayer, fasting, and abstinence from meat.

Rogation Days are days set aside every spring to observe the change in the seasons. Learn more about the Rogation Days.

Epiphany celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child. When is Epiphany?

The Baptism of the Lord commemorates Christ's Baptism by St. John the Baptist. When is the Baptism of the Lord?

The definition of Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church.

Ordinary Time makes up most of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. What does Ordinary Time mean?

Many people think that Ordinary Time is unimportant. Why is Ordinary Time called ordinary?

When is Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church?

Why is there no First Sunday in Ordinary Time?

The date of Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, changes every year. Find the date of Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls on a different date each year. What determines the date of Ash Wednesday?

The first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, falls on a different date each year. How is the date of Ash Wednesday calculated?

The definition of a moveable feast in the Catholic Church.

Mardi Gras is the final day before Lent, the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Find the date of Mardi Gras.

Good Friday, the day on which Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, falls on a different date each year. Find the date of Good Friday.

Saint Patrick's Day commemorates the life of the great apostle of Ireland. Find the date of Saint Patrick's Day.

Palm Sunday, the final Sunday before Easter, falls on a different date each year. Find the date of Palm Sunday for this and future years.

Holy Thursday, the first day of the Triduum, falls on a different date each year. Find the date of Holy Thursday.