THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
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 (Jestum corporis Christi) occurred in the diocese of Li6ge from 1246, and was generally adopted in 1264 (see Corpus Christi). Certain festivals of the cross originated in the East, and two of them became current in the West also (see Cross, Exaltation of the; Cross, Invention of the). Among the feasts of Mary, the Annunciation (Mar. 25; see Annunciation, 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 observing an annual commemoration of martyrs on the day of their death, and especially at their tombs (see Anniversarius). This was extended to confessors, virgins, and other saints, until nearly every day in the year had its liturgical commemoration 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-
3. 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 complaints of it. When the Reformation began, its tendency was to sweep away the far greater number of such observances. Luther was at first inclined to think that Sunday alone should be kept; but in 1528 he and Melanchthon recommended the observance of Christmas, New Year's Day (Circumcision of Christ), Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, and allowed, as feasts of the second class, those which had Scriptural warrant. German 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) " redletter" days, with special services, and kept a number of " black-letter " or minor festivals in the calendar, with no provision for their observance. The American Episcopal Church retained the redletter days, and even added to them at the last revision the Transfiguration of Christ (Aug. 6), but omitted the black-letter days from the calendar.* In the Reformed churches as a rule all
* According to the Anglican prayer-books the feasts to be observed throughout the year are as follows. All Sundays; the Circumcision (Jan. 1); the Epiphany (Jan. 6); the Conversion 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 Fast-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 is 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 alteren jiidischen Feste, Berlin, 1835; H. Ewald, De feriarum Hebrcearum origine et ratione, Gottingen, 1841; idem, Alterthiimer, pp. 130 sqq., 151 sqq., 441 sqq., ib. 1866, Eng. transl., pp. 89 sqq., 113 sqq., 334 sqq., Boston, 1876; H. Hupfeld, De primitiva et vera festorum apud Hebrwos ratione, Halle, 1851-65; F. Bachmann, Die Festgesetze des Pentateuchs, Berlin, 1858; J. Wellhausen, Prolegomena, pp. 83-120; A. Edersheim, The Temple: its Ministry and Services, pp. 144-300, London, 1874; B. Stade, Geschichte Israels, i. 498-503, Berlin, 1884; W H. Green, The Hebrew Feasts in their Relation to Recent Critical Hypotheses, New York, 1885 (anticritical); J. T. de Visser, Hebreeuwsche Archaeologie, i. 412 sqq., Utrecht, 1891; J. Robertson, Early Religion of Israel, passim, Edinburgh, 1892; H. Schultz, Old Testament Theology, i. 359-369 et passim, ii. 87-100, London, 1892; Benzinger, Archaologie, pp. 388 sqq. et passim; Nowack, Archaologie, ii. 138- 203; Smith, Prophets, pp. 38, 56, 384; idem, 0TJC, passim; DB, i. 859-863; EB, ii. 1505 sqq., 1509 sqq.; JE, v. 374-378; KL, iv. 1436-47.
II. Bingham, Origines, book XX., cf. XIII. ix. 6-7; J. C. W. Augusti, Handbuch der christlichen Archaologie, i. 457-595, Leipsic, 1836 (especially useful); R. Nelson, Festivals and Fasts of the Church of England, reprinted London, 1810; F. Creuzer, Symbolik und Mythologie der alten Volker, iv. 2, pp. 577-614, Leipsic, 1821 (compares Christian cycle of festivals with pre-Christian celebrations); A. J. Binterim, Denkwurdigkeiten, v. 1, pp. 119 sqq., Mainz, 1829; A. Butler, Movable Feasts, Fasts . 0/ the Catholic Church, Dublin, 1839; J. H. Hobart, Festivals and Feasts, London, 1887; H. Grotefend, Zeitrechnung des deutschen Miltelalters und der Neuzeil, Hanyear 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); M. Peter the Apostle (June 29); St. James the Apostle (July 25); the Transfiguration (Aug. 6; in the American Episcopal Church only); St. Bartholomew the Apostle (Aug. 241; .-t. Matthew the Apostle (Sept. 21); 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. , St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30); St. Thomas the Apostle (Dec. 21); the Nativity (Dec. 25); St. Stephen the J ar tyr (Dec. 26); St. John the Evangelist (Dec. 27); the Holy innocents (Dec. 28); Monday and Tuesday in Easter-wees, Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-week.