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The Five Main Vestment Colors – What They Mean and When They are Worn

Vestments colors for different services and different times of the year have been in practice since 1198, when Pope Innocent III was elevated to the papacy. 

During the celebration of mass, a priest will wear both a chasuble and a stole.  The chasuble is a robe that resembles a cloak, while the stole is a rectangular piece of material that is often embroidered and has tassels.

Pope Innocent III formulated the rules for the colors of these vestments, specifying what the colors should be and when these different colors could be worn.  Here are the colors, their meanings and the times when they are used:

White

White is used to signify purity, innocence or glory.  Naturally, this color is used at Christmas and Easter.  It is also used for the Feast of Our Lord and can be used for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is also used to celebrate the festivals of the Holy Angels and the Saints who are not martyrs.

Red

Red represents both fire and blood.  It is for Feasts of those Saints who were martyred and also to celebrate Pentecost.

Green

Green is used for days that are not festivals.  It is the most commonly used of all the colors.

Purple or Violet

This is worn from the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas (when white is used instead) and then from Septuagesima to Easter (when the priest will again don white).  It can also be worn on some fast days. 

Black

Black represents the afflicted and the departed.  In the past, it was required for funerals.  But for the since the early 1970's, white is now also allowed for funerals.  Black is also to be worn on All Souls' Day and the Good Friday Liturgy, but not at the Communion service.

Two Additional Colors

Rose colored vestments are allowed on the third Sunday of Advent and also on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Also, priests will occasionally wear vestments of gold silk to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas), the Feast of the Resurrection and Corpus Christi.

 

About the Author

Sue Merriam is co-author of Everything Vestment, a website devoted to showing how to make vestments, vestment history and other facts about these beautiful liturgical garments. Visit her site at http://www.everything-vestment.com

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