An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Holy Days

In a general sense, a holy day is any day set apart for special observance because of its significance for faith. The BCP Calendar of the church year specifically lists as holy days the Feasts of our Lord (such as the Presentation, and the Transfiguration), other major feasts (such as all feasts of Apostles and all feasts of Evangelists), and fasts (such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). In this sense, holy days are distinguished from principal feasts (such as Christmas Day and Easter Day), Sundays, and Days of Optional Observance (such as the Ember Days and the Rogation Days) (BCP, pp. 15-18). The Calendar also lists major holy days at pp. 32-33. The BCP Lectionary provides a proper collect and readings for all holy days. See Calendar of the Church Year, The.

Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.