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following seasons gradually embraced the whole

year (see CHURCH YEAR), were supplemented, from

time to time, by many minor feasts, many of them

introduced only in particular districts, as appears

from ancient local calendars (see CALENDAR, THE

CHRISTIAN). Only the most important can be

mentioned here. The festival of the Trinity (see

TRINITY, FESTIVAL OF THE) was not appointed for

the Church at large until 1334. The feast of the

Blessed Sacrament (festum corporis Christi) occurred

in the diocese of Lifge from 1246, and was gener

ally adopted in 1264 (see CoRPUs CHRISTI). Cer

tain festivals of the cross originated in the East,

and two of them became current in the West also

(see CROSS, EXALTATION of THE; CROSS, INVEN

TION OF THE). Among the feasts of Mary, the

Annunciation (Mar. 25; see ANNUNcuTioN, FEAST

of THE) is no doubt the earliest. This and the

festival of the Purification (Feb. 2) were sometimes

regarded as feasts of Christ as well; they date from

the fifth century (for the Purification and the many

other feasts of the Virgin, see MARY, THE MOTHER

OF JESUS CHRIST). Apostles, evangelists, and other

New Testament characters all came to have their

days; and by degrees the practise grew up of ob

serving an annual commemoration of martyrs on

the day of their death, and especially at their

tombs (see ANNIVERSARIUB). This was extended

to confessors, virgins, and other saints, until nearly

every day in the year had its liturgical commemora

tion of some saint, event, doctrine, or sacred object.

The large number of " holy days of obligation "

(i.e., in the Roman Catholic system, days which

must be kept by attendance at mass and abstinence

from unnecessary servile work) ob

i. The Prot-served in the countries of Western

estant Europe in the latter part of the Middle

Churches, Ages constituted a real economic

difficulty, and there were many com

plaints of it. When the Reformation began, its

tendency was to sweep away the far greater num

ber of such observances. Luther was at first in

clined to think that Sunday alone should be kept;

but in 1528 he and Melanchthon recommended the

observance of Christmas, New Year's Day (Cir

cumcision of Christ), Epiphany, Easter, Ascension,

and Pentecost, and allowed, as feasts of the second

class, those which had Scriptural warrant. Ger

man custom often postpones the celebration of

secondary feasts to the following Sunday. The

Church of England retained the feasts just named

and certain others commonly called (from the old

rubricated printing of the prayer-book) " red

letter" days, with special services, and kept a num

ber of " black-letter " or minor festivals in the

calendar, with no provision for their observance.

The American Episcopal Church retained the red

letter days, and even added to them at the last

revision the Transfiguration of Christ (Aug. 6),

but omitted !the black-letter days from the calen

dar.* In the Reformed churches as a rule all

of St. Paul (Jan. 25); the Purification of the Blessed Virgin (Feb. 2); St. Matthias the Apostle (Feb. 24; in leap-

festivals except Sunday were abolished. Since the middle of the last century there has been a tendency to appoint new festivals; e.g., the German Reformation festival (end of October or beginning of November) and so called festival of the dead (on the last Sunday of the church year in memory of all who have died in course of the year), harvest festival, children's day, missionary Sunday, and the like.' National memorial days are often celebrated with religious services. The New England fastday (see FART-DAY) and Thanksgiving (q.v.) deserve special mention. The custom of celebrating Easter and Christmas with floral decorations, special music, and Sermons on the events commemorated 's increasing among all non-liturgical churches.

The tendency in the Roman Catholic Church since the Reformation has been constantly to add new saints' days and other feasts to the calendar, with liturgical observance, but on the other hand to diminish the number of holy days of obligation; thus in the United States at the present time there are none (outside of Sundays) but the Feast of the Circumcision (Jan. 1), the Ascension, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Aug. 15), All Saints' Day (Nov. 1), the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), and Christmas.

BIBLIOGRAPHY; I. J. F. L. George. Die d1teren 1t2d'°chen Feats, Berlin, 1835; H. Ewald, De feriar'um liebroarum origins et rations, Gbttangen, 1841; idem, Alterthttmer, pp. 130 eqq: lbl eqq., 441 eqq, ib. 1888, Eng. tranal., pp. 89 eq9·. 113 eqq·. 334 eqq·. Boston, 1878: H. HuP_ feld, De Drimitiroa et sera festorum aPad Hebra°a rations, Halls, 1851-4b: F. Bachmann, Die Feetpceetse den PantateucAa, Berlin, 1868: J. Wellhauaen, Prolegomena. pp. 83-1?0: A. Ederaheim, Th. Temple: its Ministry and ,ger_,,eee, pp. 1q4-300, London. 1874; B. $tade, Geschichte Israela, i. 498-503, Berlin, 1884; W. H. Green, The Hebrew Easels in their Relation to Recant Critical Hypotheses, New York 1885 (antiaritienl); J. T. de Viseer, Hebreeutoaehe Archaeolopie. L 412 eqq., Utrecht, 1891; J. Robertson, Early Religion of Israel, passim, Edinburgh, 1892; H. Schultz, Ofd Testament Theology, i. 359-369 et passim, ii. 87-100, London, 1892; Bensinger, Archdolopia, PP. 388 stq· et passim; Nowack, Arrhaolopie, ii. 138203; Smith, Prophets, pp. 38, 68 384: idem, OTJC, passim; DD, i. 859-883: EB, n. 1505 eqq·. 1509 eqq·: JE, v. 374-378; ICL, iv. 1438-47.

year Feb. 25 in the Roman Catholic Church); the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (Mar. 25); St. Mark the Evangelist (Apr. 25); St. Philip and St. James the Apostles (May 1): the Ascension; St. Barnabas the Apostle (June 11); the Nativity of St. John Baptist (June 24); St. Peter the/Apostle (June 29): St. James the Apostle (July 25); the Transfiguration (Au;. 8: in the American Episcopal Church only); St. Bartholomew the Apostle (Aug. 24); St. Matthew tine Apostle (Sept, 2t); St. Michael and All Angela (Sept. 29); St. Luke the Evangelist (Oct. 18); St. Simon and St. Jude the Apostles (Oct. 28): All Saints (Nov. 1); St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30); St. Thomas the Apostle

nocents (Dec. 28): Monday and Tuesday in Easter-week; Monday and Tuesday in WhiWUn-week.