Appendix II
Colors of
Liturgical Vestments*
Nativity of
the Theotokos (forefeast until
its apodosis) |
blue |
Exaltation of
the Cross (forefeast until
its apodosis) and other
feasts of the Cross |
wine red or purple |
St John the
Theologian |
red or white |
Protection of
the Theotokos Entry of the
Theotokos (forefeast until
its apodosis) |
blue |
Nativity Fast |
red |
Eve of
Nativity |
red or white |
Nativity of
Christ (until its
apodosis) |
white or gold |
Synaxis of
the Theotokos |
white or blue |
Circumcision
of the Lord Theophany (until its
apodosis) |
white |
Meeting of
the Lord (forefeast until
its apodosis) |
blue or white |
Annunciation (forefeast until its apodosis, but during Holy Week, only on the Feast) |
blue |
Preparatory
Sundays of Lent |
gold or purple |
Weekdays of
Great Lent |
black, dark
purple, or crimson |
Saturdays and
Sundays of Great Lent Polyeleos-rank
feasts on Weekdays of Lent |
purple or dark red |
Sunday of the
Cross |
purple or
wine red |
Saturday of
the Akathist |
blue or purple |
Lazarus
Saturday |
green, gold
or white |
Palm Sunday |
green or white |
Holy Week |
black or dark
purple |
Great
Thursday |
red or purple |
Great
Saturday (at Liturgy
following the reading of the Epistle) |
white |
Pascha (until its
apodosis) |
white or red |
Ascension (until its
apodosis) |
white |
Pentecost (until its
apodosis) |
green |
Monday of the
Holy Spirit |
green or white |
Nativity of
St John the Baptist |
red or white |
Ss. Peter and
Paul Fast |
red |
Ss. Peter and
Paul |
red, gold, or white |
Feast of the Procession of the Cross |
red |
Dormition Fast until the eve of the Transfiguration |
red or blue |
Transfiguration (forefeast until
its apodosis) |
white |
Dormition (forefeast until
its apodosis) The practice
of serving in blue vestments during the entire Dormition Fast (except for
Transfiguration) also exists. |
blue |
Beheading of St John the Baptist |
red or wine
red |
Lower-rank
feasts of the Lord Weekdays and
Sundays outside of Lent |
gold |
Feasts of the
Theotokos |
blue |
Feasts of the
Heavenly Hosts or of Virgins |
white or red |
Feasts of
Prophets |
gold, green, or white |
Feasts of
Apostles |
red, gold, or white |
Feasts of
Hierarchs |
gold |
Feasts of
Martyrs |
red |
Feasts of
Monastics and Fools for Christ |
green |
Feasts of
Right-believing Princes (For princes
who have accepted monastic tonsure, green vestments are used. Red vestments are used for passion-bearers
and princely martyrs) |
gold, green
or red |
Funeral
services (outside of
Great Lent) |
the color of
the season, or white |
Funeral
services (during Great
Lent) |
purple, dark
red, or black** |
Baptism |
White, or the
color of the season |
Matrimony |
White, gold or the color of the season |
*This
Chart was inspired by the one found in the Bogosluzhebniye
Ukazaniya, published by the Moscow Patriarchate, which is in turn in accordance
with Volume 4 of the Clergyman's Handbook,
Moscow, 1983, p. 148 and established practice.
Since this calendar is intended primarily for those in the Russian
Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, we have also consulted sources which reflect
the common practice to be found in ROCOR (St. John (Maximovitch), Archbishop
Averky, and Fr. Valery Lukianov), and so in those instance in which what is
found in the MP Calendar was not confirmed by ROCOR sources, we have put that
in italics. This is not to suggest that
what is in italics is not to be found in some local ROCOR practices, we have
simply wanted to give the reader some idea of what is most common in ROCOR –
but as Bishop Jerome (Shaw) has often put it when it comes to liturgical
practice, “There are seven ways to do everything, and seven ways to do each of
the seven ways,” and so it should be understood that one practice is not
necessarily better than another, they simply reflect different local customs.
The
colors appropriate for a saint are used if a doxology or polyeleos-rank service
to the saint is served. However, in
periods of afterfeasts, the festal colors may be used, for the sake of the more
important feast. If the service of a
saint falls on a Sunday, the usual Sunday gold vestments are used.
**The practice of wearing black vestments for funerals
is one that is a matter of some controversy.
Some sources indicate that black should be worn on weekdays of Lent, but
others say that it should never be worn for a funeral. Clergy would be well advised to consult their
bishop on the matter.