Christian Holidays

There are many Christian celebrations that occur on an annual basis, some of which have come to play a prominent role in Western cultures. Some of the most influential Christian holidays (and the ones most widely celebrated by all sects of the faith) are Christmas and Easter. St. Patrick's Day and St. Valentine's Day are also popular and widely recognized, albeit on a more commercial rather than religious basis. Christian celebrations come in the form of commemorative holidays, feast, and fasts. There are many of these days each year but not all are routinely celebrated by the various denominations of Christianity that fall under Catholicism, Protestantism, Messianic Judaism, Restorationism, and Nontrinitarian. For example, Catholics and Orthodox Christians observe more of these days than Protestants, in particular those pertaining to Saints and the Virgin Mary.

Countries where Christianity is the dominant religion typically use a Gregorian calendar to determine the exact date of a holiday, however, the Christian church follows a liturgical calendar with seven seasons of worship each year that dictate the cycle of holidays. These seasons revolve around the life and events of Jesus Christ (a.k.a. Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth), the main figure in Christianity. The Christian liturgical calendar, also called the church year, determines the season and associated holidays; the Gregorian calendar dictates the actual date these celebrations occur on. Following the church year (which is meant to be more than just a series of commemorations and holidays) provides a spiritual experience on a daily basis.  It is meant to bring a person in to harmony with Christianity as they move through the cycle of the life and ministry of Jesus. The liturgical year tends to play a larger role in Catholicism than in other denominations. The seven seasons of the liturgical calendar are Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time (between Christmas and Lent), Lent, Paschal Triduum, Easter, and Ordinary Time (between Easter and Advent).