pre-Lent
Sign in to saveAlso known as pre-Lenten period, Gesimatide, pre-Lenten season, Septuagesima—Sexagesima—Quinquagesima, Sundays of Septuagesima, Sundays before Lent, weeks before Lent, time of Septuagesima
Pre-Lent begins the Christian time of preparation for Easter, in the three weeks before Lent. This period launches a campaign of catechesis, reflected in the liturgical readings. Its best-known feature is its concluding three-day festival, Carnival or Shrovetide.
Key facts
- Holiday.holiday_name
- Pre-Lent
- Holiday.type
- christianity
- Holiday.image
- Print, book-illustration (BM 1927,0210.8).jpg
- Holiday.caption
- The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard: print for Septuagesima
- Holiday.date
- Variable (follows the paschal computus)
- Holiday.duration
- 2.5 weeks
- Holiday.frequency
- Annual (lunar calendar)
- Holiday.observances
- Catechesis
- Holiday.relatedto
- Lent, Great Lent, Holy Week, Easter
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Print, book-illustration (BM 1927,0210.8).jpg
via Wikidata · CC0
~5 min read
Article
3 sectionsContents
- Western Churches
- Eastern Churches
- References
Pre-Lent begins the Christian time of preparation for Easter, in the three weeks before Lent. This period launches a campaign of catechesis, reflected in the liturgical readings. Its best-known feature is its concluding three-day festival, Carnival or Shrovetide.
==Western Churches== The pre-Lenten period begins with Septuagesima, first documented in Gregory the Great. It traditionally opens a period of religious instruction leading to the reception of catechumens at Easter, supported by events such as mystery plays. The traditional lectionary for the canonical hours summarizes salvation history between Septuagesima and Easter, beginning with a reading of the Book of Genesis. The last three days of pre-Lent are known as Carnival, Shrovetide, or Fastelavn, a festival ending with Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.