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Christianity has evolved since the time Jesus of Nazareth blessed the earth with His birth. The story dates back a long time, but the effect is still felt. Even now the children of God never fail to celebrate the birth of Jesus or even the Mardi Grass. Joy and feast is in the core of Christianity. The very faith of all Christians are dipped in those qualities. It is not abnormal that a true Christian never fails to celebrate the special days in a special way. The Christian calendar reveals that there are as many as sixteen rituals which the Christian populace follows.
The Christian year begins with the Advent. It is basically an indicator of the initiation of the church year. The Advent enfolds four Sundays, that starts from November 30th till the end of the eve of Christmas. Though there may be some variations in some other part of the world. The festival has historical significance. It is believed that an occasion of fasting has been first begun by the Bishop of Tours; and the council of tours named the period of fast as the Advent season. According to Christian beliefs, it is a very holy occasion and many an important tasks that are performed at this period is said to have yielded great results. In the recent age, Advent has become an occasion of mirth as it brings in the anticipation of the Christmas.
Christmas is the most important occasion in the Christian calendar. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christianity. 25th December is a time of mirth and gals and the Christians leave no space for any kind of sadness at this occasion. Cakes and ales flow while the Christmas tree stands high with beautiful decorations. There remains expectancy for Father Christmas, Santa Claus and St. Nick. Boxing Day follows immediately after Christmas. Twelfth night is a day of feast celebrated on the last day of Christmas, on 5th January. January 6th marks the feast of epiphany. Though there is a controversy regarding the date of this feast but this little Christmas, as the Irishmen calls it, is celebrated after Christmas.
Mardi grass is the celebrated before the initiation of Lent. It is day of great celebrations and feasting. T is basically the Carnival period, before mourning. It is also a time of confession of all sins. Lent or the Lenten season begins immediately after Mardi Grass. It is a period of penance and fast, that prepares us for Easter celebration. It extends for 40 days. Lent begins with the Ash Wednesday. It involved the sprinkling of ash and staying in isolation until Maundy Thursday. The smearing of ash symbolizes mourning. Nowadays more or less no Christians follow strict rules of fasting. Palm Sunday is followed at the need of lent. It basically celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of the holy week of Easter. Easter is one of the most important occasions for all the Christians; it celebrates the resurrection of Christ. It also marks the spring festival. Besides other minor occasions like St. Patrick’s Day and St Andrews day, there is Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day that is universally celebrated by all followers of Christianity.