Many churches mark the seasons of the church year by utilizing different colours. While there is some variety from one church to another, the most widely used colours are green, purple, white, red, and black. These colours add beauty to our worship space and highlight the theme of each season. Heres’ a quick guide to the different colours we use and their meaning:
White (or white and gold): Generally used during the seasons of Easter, Christmas, Epiphany/Baptism of Our Lord, Transfiguration Sunday, Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day, and Christ the King Sunday. It represents purity, holiness and heaven. It also calls to mind the swaddling clothes Jesus wore as an infant and the grave clothes he was wrapped in.
Purple: Used during Advent and Lent. Purple symbolizes repentance. It calls to mind the robe that was placed on Christ during his passion. Historically, only the very wealthy could afford purple fabric. Hence, it has associations with royalty, reminding us that Jesus is king.
Red: Used on Pentecost Sunday to call to mind the tongues of fire and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is also used on Palm Sunday/Holy Week and on Reformation Sunday, because red is associated with the blood of the martyrs.
Black: Normally used on Ash Wednesday, it creates a somber mood of repentance. Sometimes it is used on Good Friday, but my own preference is to leave the altar bare on Good Friday, reminding us of how Christ was stripped and crucified.
Green: Green signifies new life and growth. It is used for the Sundays after Epiphany, as well as the Sundays after Pentecost, which means it is the colour in use for most of the year.
Christ Alone Lutheran Brethren Church 