Reflected Faith Series: The Meaning of Colours – part 1 In March, April and May this year the coloured frontal of the altar will have been changed many times – as will the colour of the priest’s vestments. Each colour – and there can be as many as six in a church’s store – has a different meaning. They reflect the significance of that day or the season. In March purple was used as a symbol of penitence, as we were in Lent and trying to prepare ourselves for Christ’s final act of love for each of us. Holy Week – the time of Christ’s final journey – was denoted by the colour red. Red, the colour of blood, is used for feasts of martyrs as well as those for the Holy Spirit – when it more likely represents his flames of ‘fire’ which rested on those in the Upper Room. Maundy Thursday, we switched to white for any Communion service, as this celebrates the remembrance of the first Communion with His apostles which He commanded us to continue. Good Friday, and we were back to red. Then on Easter Sunday, the day of the greatest Christian Celebration, we entered to an altar bedecked in gold or the ‘whitest’ with the most elaborate decoration the church possesses. ‘Plain’ White will be used for the Easter Season signifying purity and Christ’s triumph over death until Ascension Day on 26th May. This, being a special and more significant day in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, goes to gold again: then immediately back to white for the next ten days. On the day of Pentecost itself, Whit Sunday, 5th June, the colour will be? Yes, you got it, red for flames of fire. 9
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