Ember Days in ‘08
One question I receive throughout the year involves Ember Days . We usually list them all on our calendar pages. But, for whatever reason we only listed them half of them this year. So, what is an Ember Day and who really cares?
Among some Christians, it is the custom to observe these clusters of three days roughly at the beginning of the four seasons. They fall on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following:
* The First Sunday in Lent
* Pentecost Sunday
* September 14th
* December 13th (or, Third Sunday of Advent)
The history of these days is somewhat suspect. Their name is apparently derived from Latin Quatuor Temporum, meaning “Four Times” or “Four Seasons”. There is a connection between Ember Days and ordination into the Priesthood. Others use these dates to prepare for the seasons (making note of weather) and for others, it is “days of prayer for peace”.
Whatever you might use Ember Days for, please note how they fall during 2008:
February 13, 15, 16
May 14, 16, 17
September 17, 19, 20
December 17, 19, 20
The dates for the September Ember Days according to current usage of the Roman Catholic Church, where they are still observed, are the 24th, 26th, and 27th of September. They way they are determined was modified in 1962 by Pope John XXIII.