Liturgical colours

The symbolism of violet, blue, white, green, red, gold, black, rose, and other colours may serve to underline moods appropriate to a season of the liturgical year or may highlight a special occasion.

There is a distinction between the colour of the vestments worn by the clergy and their choir dress, which with a few exceptions does not change with the seasons of the liturgical year.

Moreover, the Conference of Bishops may determine and propose to the Apostolic See adaptations suited to the needs and culture of peoples.

Masses for Various Needs, on the other hand, are celebrated in the colour proper to the day or the season or in violet if they bear a penitential character.

[5] Some particular variations: The rules on liturgical colours in the 1960 Code of Rubrics, whose observance is still permitted in the circumstances indicated in the 2007 document Summorum Pontificum on use of the 1962 Roman Missal, which incorporates them,[11] differ from the current rubrics in the following respects: Pope Pius X raised the rank of the Sundays after Epiphany and Pentecost, so that on those that fell within common octaves, green was used instead of the colour of the octave, as had previously been the rule;[12] on Sundays after Pentecost that fell within privileged octaves (i.e., the octaves of Corpus Christi and of the Sacred Heart), the liturgical color of the feast was retained.

One can presume that this is similar to the colour scheme historically used in the Protestant Church in Germany due to the heavy German influence in the ULCA.

[17] Both the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) use a similar system, but with purple being the primary colour for both Advent and Lent (with blue being the alternate colour for Advent only), and the use of gold in place of white for both Christmas and Easter (in similar practice to the Catholic Church).

Most Anglican churches use the colours appointed in the Lutheran Churches and those of the Roman Rite, usually in its post-1969 form, with the exception of Sarum Blue replacing violet for Advent, but some use the earlier form, with, for instance, black in place of red on Good Friday.

For historical reasons much of the worldwide Anglican Communion takes a noticeable lead from the practice of the Church of England.

The use of rose-pink vestments, as in the Roman Rite table above, was mentioned as an option in early editions of Common Worship,[19] and is a listed option in the annual published lectionary; however, later Common Worship publications have begun to refer to this practice as "traditional" reflecting its resurgence.

Red is for Pentecost Sunday, but may also be used for ordinations, church anniversaries, and memorial services for ordained clergy.

Similarly, the United Church of Christ includes indications of which liturgical colour to use for each Sunday in its annual calendar.