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
Eve of Theophany

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.