--- title: Lutheran Church Calendar description: The Lutheran church calendar is divided into three main parts, Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter and Pentecost, which focus on different parts of Jesus' life. --- # Lutheran Church Year Calendar The church year is divided into three main parts, Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter and Pentecost, which focus on different parts of Jesus' life. Read devotions for important days in the church year below or click on the button to download a free printable calendar. [![Download the calendar](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/1d5a113c-9482-40d3-887f-ee3734b8c69b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/1d5a113c-9482-40d3-887f-ee3734b8c69b) ## Important Days in the Church Year Commemorations, Feasts and Festivals are all slightly different and have a unique place in the liturgical church calendar. We celebrate these days in thanksgiving for the people and events that shaped the early Christian church and the Lutheran church today. ### Commemorations ![feasts-festivals-commemorations-gray](https://communication.cph.org/hs-fs/hubfs/_blogs/today-in-the-church-year/feasts-festivals-commemorations-gray.jpg?width=600&height=338&name=feasts-festivals-commemorations-gray.jpg) Commemorations are days set aside to remember important men and women that have gone before us in faith: saints, martyrs, missionaries and more. We commemorate what they have done to the Glory of God during their life. [![See all Commemorations](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/86f3943e-c11f-4845-831f-ef7a629fd763.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/86f3943e-c11f-4845-831f-ef7a629fd763) ### Feasts & Festivals ![feasts-of-christ-white](https://communication.cph.org/hs-fs/hubfs/_blogs/today-in-the-church-year/feasts-of-christ-white.jpg?width=600&height=338&name=feasts-of-christ-white.jpg) A Feast is often a one-day observance of a historical person or a biblical character, sometimes intertwined with Jesus’ earthly ministry. Festivals are usually multiple days and can honor events, such as Reformation Day, or people. All of these days are moments of devotion and reminders of what God has done for us and given us. [![See all Feasts & Festivals](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/4c5a34ed-a746-494b-bdd7-18bf6bb39a91.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/4c5a34ed-a746-494b-bdd7-18bf6bb39a91)   ### Seasons of the Church Year The Advent and Christmas season is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ, and it is also a time of joy. Lent is a time to meditate on the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost starts the second half of the church year, continuing until Advent. This is a time where we remember the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.  ![Advent and Christmas](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/_blogs/today-in-the-church-year/church-year-advent.jpg) #### Advent and Christmas At the start of the church calendar, we celebrate Advent and Christmas to prepare for Christ’s coming. During this season, we rejoice in our Savior and celebrate His birth in Bethlehem. [![View Advent/Christmas Posts](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/05932a72-789b-4466-9039-88b2b49f2c9c.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/05932a72-789b-4466-9039-88b2b49f2c9c) ![Lent and Easter](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/_blogs/today-in-the-church-year/church-year-lent.jpg) #### Lent and Easter Lent is a time of self-reflection and repentance during the second part of the church calendar. Often, we give up something in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. [![View Lent/Easter Posts](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/db347fa3-ebc6-4383-ae3a-74444acedda2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/db347fa3-ebc6-4383-ae3a-74444acedda2) ![Pentecost ](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/_blogs/today-in-the-church-year/church-year-pentecost.jpg) #### Pentecost Pentecost is the final, non-festival part of the church calendar. We focus on Jesus’ ministry and the Early Church, as described in Acts 2. This is the longest season of the year. [![View Pentecost Posts](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/487463/9c47b8e8-ff51-45c0-a3bb-7a99d32b521e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/487463/9c47b8e8-ff51-45c0-a3bb-7a99d32b521e) ### One-Year and Three-Year Lectionary **One-Year:** This historic lectionary repeats key biblical texts every year, including selections from each of the four Gospels. It is easier for memorization of key Bible verses, as they are repeated annually, but is less widely used in the modern church.  **Three-Year:** This is the most common lectionary, and the one that we follow on this site. Year A focuses on the Gospel of Matthew; Year B reviews the Gospel of Mark and selections from the Gospel of John. Year C focuses on the Gospel of Luke. ### Church Year Products [![124604-devotion](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/_books/2022/congregational-advent-this-is-my-son/124604-devotion.jpg) Advent Series & Devotions ](https://www.cph.org/catalogs/advent-christmas-worship-series) [![Be Gracious to me: Daily Devotions for Lent and Easter](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/124661.jpg) Lent Series & Devotions ](https://www.cph.org/catalogs/lent-easter-worship-series) [![124318](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/124318.jpg) Treasury of Daily Prayer ](https://www.cph.org/treasury-of-daily-prayer-regular-edition) [![celebrating-the-saints-206x300](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/celebrating-the-saints-206x300.jpg) Celebrating the Saints ](https://www.cph.org/celebrating-the-saints) [![Concordia Pulpit Resources](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/Concordia%20Pulpit%20Resources/cpr-cover.jpg) Concordia Pulpit Resources ](https://www.cph.org/concordia-pulpit-resources-subscription) [![990101](https://communication.cph.org/hubfs/_music/2022/990101.jpg) Creative Worship ](https://music.cph.org/creative-worship/digital?hsLang=en) [![Church Year Worship Kit](https://cph.org/images/Product/xxl/444122.jpg) Church Year Worship Kit ](https://www.cph.org/p-28682-church-year-worship-kit.aspx) [![Worship Planning Books 2020](https://cph.org/images/Product/xxl/992314.jpg) Worship Planning Book ](https://www.cph.org/p-33573-worship-planning-book-year-a-2020.aspx) [![A Year in the New Testament. ](https://cph.org/images/Product/xxl/124365.jpg) A Year in the New Testament ](https://www.cph.org/p-18167-a-year-in-the-new-testament-meditations-for-each-day-of-the-church-year.aspx) [![A Year with the Church Fathers](https://cph.org/images/Product/xxl/124366.jpg) A Year with the Church Fathers ](https://www.cph.org/p-18961-a-year-with-the-church-fathers-meditations-for-each-day-of-the-church-year.aspx) Copyright ©2022 Concordia Publishing House. 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