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An Ymber Day Tart, cooked by following a medieval English recipe from the book Forme of Cury, a Middle English cook book stored in John Rylands Library. The recipe was originally made for King Richard II.
Liturgical seasons

Ember days (quarter tense in Ireland), also known as Embertide, are quarterly periods of prayer and fasting in the liturgical calendar of Western Christian churches.[1][2] The term is from Old English: ymbren, possibly derived from Latin: quatuor tempora.[3] These fasts traditionally take place on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the weeks following St Lucy's Day (13 December), Quadragesima (the first Sunday in Lent), Pentecost (Whitsun), and Holy Cross Day (14 September), though some areas follow a different pattern. The focus of Ember days is "humility and prayer."[2] Ordination ceremonies are often held on Ember Saturdays or the following Sunday.

In the Catholic Church, the observance of Ember Days ceased with the 1966 reforms. Ember Days are a feature of other Western Christian churches, such as in Evangelical Lutheranism and Anglicanism, where the Book of Common Prayer provides for the Ember days, in practice observed in different ways.[4][5][6] In Evangelical Lutheranism, the Ember Days have been traditionally used for instruction in the catechism, fasting, prayer, and receiving confession and absolution.[2]

Etymology

[edit]

The word ember may originate from the Latin quatuor tempora (lit. 'four times').[7]

There are various views as to etymology. According to John Mason Neale in Essays of Liturgiology (1863), Chapter X:

"The Latin name has remained in modern languages, though the contrary is sometimes affirmed, Quatuor Tempora, the Four Times. In French and Italian the term is the same; in Spanish and Portuguese they are simply Temporas. The German converts them into Quatember, and thence, by the easy corruption of dropping the first syllable, a corruption which also takes place in some other words, we get the English Ember. Thus, there is no occasion to seek after an etymology in embers; or with Nelson, to extravagate still further to the noun ymbren, a recurrence, as if all holy seasons did not equally recur. Ember-week in Wales is Welsh: "Wythnos y cydgorian", meaning "the Week of the Processions". In mediæval Germany they were called Weihfasten, Wiegfastan, Wiegefasten, or the like, on the general principle of their sanctity.... We meet with the term Frohnfasten, frohne being the then word for travail. Why they were named foldfasten it is less easy to say."

Neil and Willoughby in The Tutorial Prayer Book (1913) prefer the view that it derives from the Anglo-Saxon ymbren, a circuit or revolution (from ymb, around, and ryne, a course, running), clearly relating to the annual cycle of the year. The word occurs in such Anglo-Saxon compounds as ymbren-tid ("Embertide"), ymbren-wucan ("Ember weeks"), ymbren-fisstan ("Ember fasts"), ymbren-dagas ("Ember days"). The word imbren occurs in the acts of the "Council of Ænham"[a] (1009): jejunia quatuor tempora quae imbren vocant, "the fasts of the four seasons which are called "imbren'".[8]

Origins

[edit]

The term Ember days refers to three days set apart for fasting, abstinence, and prayer during each of the four seasons of the year.[9] The purpose of their introduction was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.[7]

Possibly originating in the agricultural feasts of ancient Rome, they came to be observed by Christians for the sanctification of the different seasons of the year.[9] James G. Sabak argues that the Embertide vigils were "...not based on imitating agrarian models of pre-Christian Roman practices, but rather on an eschatological rendering of the year punctuated by the solstices and equinoxes, and thus underscores the eschatological significance of all liturgical vigils in the city of Rome."[10]

At first, the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December. The Liber Pontificalis ascribes to Pope Callixtus I (217–222) a law regulating the fast, although Leo the Great (440–461) considers it an Apostolic institution. When the fourth season was added cannot be ascertained, but Pope Gelasius I (492–496) speaks of all four. The earliest mention of four seasonal fasts is known from the writings of Philastrius, bishop of Brescia (died ca 387) (De haeres. 119). He also connects them with the great Christian festivals.

As the Ember Days came to be associated with great feast days, they later lost their connection to agriculture and came to be regarded solely as days of penitence and prayer.[11] It is only the Michaelmas Embertide, which falls around the autumn harvest, that retains any connection to the original purpose.

The Christian observance of the seasonal Ember days had its origin as an ecclesiastical ordinance in Rome and spread from there to the rest of the Western Church. They were known as the jejunium vernum, aestivum, autumnale and hiernale, so that to quote Pope Leo's words (A.D. 440–461) the law of abstinence might apply to every season of the year. In Leo's time, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were already days of special observance. In order to tie them to the fasts preparatory to the three great festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, a fourth needed to be added "for the sake of symmetry" as the Encyclopædia Britannica 1911 has it.

From Rome the Ember days gradually spread unevenly through the whole of Western Christendom. In Gaul they do not seem to have been generally recognized much before the 8th century.

Their observance in Britain, however, was embraced earlier than in Gaul or Spain, and Christian sources connect the Ember Days observance with Augustine of Canterbury, AD. 597, said to be acting under the direct authority of Pope Gregory the Great. The precise dates appears to have varied considerably however, and in some cases, quite significantly, the Ember Weeks lost their connection with the Christian festivals altogether. Spain adopted them with the Roman rite in the eleventh century. Charles Borromeo introduced them into Milan in the sixteenth century.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, ember days have never been observed.[7]

Ember Weeks

[edit]

The Ember Weeks, the weeks in which the Ember Days occur, are these weeks:

  • December:
    • between the third and fourth Sundays of Advent (usually W51)
    • the Common Worship lectionary of the Church of England places them in the week following the second Sunday in Advent (W50)
    • because the calendar reform in the 1970s includes specific "Late Advent" propers for Dec 17 onward, when Divine Worship: The Missal was issued with a particular calendar for the Personal Ordinariates, the Vatican assigned the Ember Days to the first week of Advent (W49).
  • March: between the first and second Sundays in Lent (W07–W11)
  • June: between Pentecost and Trinity Sunday (W20–W24)
  • September: the liturgical Third Week of September.
    • According to an old way of counting, the first Sunday of a month (a datum important to determine the appropriate Matins readings) was considered the Sunday proximate to, rather than on or after the first of the month, so this yielded as Ember Week precisely the week containing the Wednesday after Holy Cross Day (September 14), and as Ember Days said Wednesday and the following Friday and Saturday (W38). It has been preserved in that order by Western Rite Orthodoxy,[12] the Catholic Personal Ordinariates, and Anglicans.[13]
    • For Roman Catholics, a 20th-century reform of the Breviary shifted the First Sunday in September to what the name literally implies, and by implication, Ember Week to the Week beginning with the Sunday after Holy Cross day. Therefore, in a year that September 14 falls on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, the Ember Days for Western Rite Orthodox, Evangelical Lutherans and Anglicans are a week sooner than for those of most modern-day Catholics. When the Vatican issued the calendar specific to the Personal Ordinariates in Divine Worship: The Missal, it assigned the Ember Days to the traditional, earlier dates.

Timing

[edit]

The Ordo Romanus fixed the spring fast in the first week of March (then the first month), thus loosely associated with the first Sunday in Lent; the summer fast in the second week of June, after Whitsunday; the autumnal fast in the third week of September following the Exaltation of the Cross, September 14; and the winter fast in the complete week next before Christmas Eve, following St. Lucy's Day (Dec. 13).

These dates are given in the following Latin mnemonic:

Dat crux Lucia cineres charismata dia
quod sit in angaria quarta sequens feria.[14]

Or in an old English rhyme:

Fasting days and Emberings be
Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, and Lucie.[15]

"Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy" is a shorter mnemonic for when they fall.[16]

The ember days began on the Wednesday immediately following those days. This meant, for instance, that if September 14 were a Tuesday, the ember days would occur on September 15, 17, and 18. As a result, the ember days in September could fall after either the second or third Sunday in September. This was always the liturgical Third Week of September, since the First Sunday of September was the Sunday closest to September 1 (August 29 to September 4).

As a simplification of the liturgical calendar, Pope John XXIII modified this so that the Third Sunday was the third Sunday actually within the calendar month. Thus if September 14 were a Sunday, September 24, 26 and 27 would be ember days, the latest dates possible. With September 14 as a Saturday, the ember days would occur on September 18, 20 and 21, the earliest possible dates.

Other regulations prevailed in different countries, until the inconveniences arising from the want of uniformity led to the rule now observed being laid down under Pope Urban II as the law of the church, at the Council of Piacenza and the Council of Clermont, 1095.

Prior to the reforms instituted after the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church mandated fasting and abstinence on all Ember Days,[17] and the faithful were encouraged (though not required) to receive the sacrament of penance whenever possible. On February 17, 1966, Pope Paul VI's decree Paenitemini excluded the Ember Days as days of fast and abstinence for Roman Catholics.[18]

The revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969 laid down the following rules for Ember Days and Rogation days:

"In order that the Rogation Days and Ember Days may be adapted to the different regions and different needs of the faithful, the Conferences of Bishops should arrange the time and manner in which they are held. Consequently, concerning their duration, whether they are to last one or more days, or be repeated in the course of the year, norms are to be established by the competent authority, taking into consideration local needs. The Mass for each day of these celebrations should be chosen from among the Masses for Various Needs, and should be one which is more particularly appropriate to the purpose of the supplications."[19]

They may appear in some calendars as "days of prayer for peace".[20]

The Evangelical Lutheran church calendars continue the observation of Ember and Rogation days. The Ember Days are observed through "fasting, prayer, and almsgiving".[2] The Ember Days are used by Evangelical Lutheran priests to instruct the faithful in the catechisms.[2] The Litany is prayed during the Ember Days, and the sacrament of confession and absolution is offered during the Ember Days.[2]

They were made optional by churches of the Anglican Communion in 1976. In the Episcopal Church, the September Ember Days are still (optionally) observed on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Holy Cross Day,[21] so that if September 14 is a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, the Ember Days fall on the following Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (in the second week of September) whereas they fall a week later (in the third week of September) for the Roman Catholic Church (except in the Ordinariates for former Anglicans, which also follow the traditional dating for Ember Days).

Ireland

[edit]

Quarter tense is normally determined by national Roman Catholic hierarchies and not by the universal calendar of the church. The Saturdays of Quarter Tense were considered especially appropriate for priestly ordination. The days of Quarter Tense were, until the Second Vatican Council, times of obligatory fasting and abstinence. However, in Ireland, the obligation of abstinence (the complete avoidance of meat) on the Saturdays of Quarter Tense outside Lent was removed by the Vatican in 1912.

  • The term "quarter tense" is derived from the official Latin name; quattuor tempora ('the four times').
  • In the Irish language, Quarter Tense may be called:
    • Cátaoir
    • Cátaoir na timpire
    • Aimsir Chátaoireach
    • Laethanta na gCeithre Thráth (lit. 'the days of the four times').

The old dates in the Irish calendar for the observation of Quarter Tense were:

  • The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following Ash Wednesday, (liturgical colour - Purple).
  • The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost Sunday, (liturgical colour - Red).
  • The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after September 14- the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, (liturgical colour - Purple).
  • The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following December 13- Feast of Saint Lucy, (liturgical colour - Purple).

Ordination of clergy

[edit]
Main article: Ordination

The rule that ordination of clergy should take place in the Ember weeks was set in documents traditionally associated with Pope Gelasius I (492–496), the pontificate of Archbishop Ecgbert of York, A.D. 732–766, and referred to as a canonical rule in a capitulary of Charlemagne. It was finally established as a law of the church in the pontificate of Pope Gregory VII, ca 1085.

However, why Ember Saturdays are traditionally associated with ordinations (other than episcopal ones) is unclear. By the time of at the penultimate Code of Canon Law (1917), major orders could also be conferred on the Saturday preceding Passion Sunday, and on the Easter Vigil; for grave reasons, on Sundays and holy days of obligation; and, for minor orders, even without grave reason, on all Sundays and double feasts, which included most saints' feasts and thus the great majority of the calendar.[22]

Present Roman Catholic canon law (1983) prefers them to be conferred on Sundays and holy days of obligation, but allows them for pastoral reason on any day.[23] In practice the use of Saturdays, though not necessarily Ember Saturdays, still prevails. Subsequently, Pentecost Vigil and the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (and Saturdays around it) have come much in use as ordination days.

Weather prediction

[edit]

According to folklore, the weather conditions of each of the three days of an Embertide foretell the weather conditions for the following three months.[24]

In the folk meteorology of the North of Spain, the weather of the ember days (témporas) is considered to predict the weather of the rest of the year.[citation needed] The prediction methods differ in the regions. Two frequent ones are:

  • Wind-based: The season after the ember days will have as a prevailing wind the prevailing one during the ember days (some just consider the wind at midnight). That wind usually has an associated weather. Hence, if the southern wind brings dry air and clear skies, a southern wind during the winter embers forecasts a dry winter.
  • Considering each day separately: The Wednesday weather predicts the weather for the first month; the Friday weather for the second month and the Saturday weather for the third month.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ember days

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Ember Days are sets of three days—traditionally , , and —designated in the Western Christian liturgical for , , and almsgiving, occurring four times annually to align with the seasonal cycles of spring, , , and . These observances, derived from the Latin quatuor tempora ("four times" or "four seasons"), originated in the early Church as penitential periods tied to agricultural rhythms in , where they served as times to give thanks for the earth's bounty, implore God's blessings on crops and labors, and pray for the and vocations to . The specific timing of each Embertide follows key feasts: the , , and after the Feast of (December 13) for winter; after for spring; after for summer; and after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) for autumn. Historically, Ember Days were universally mandated in the until the reforms following the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, after which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) declared in 1966 that they no longer imposed obligatory fasting or abstinence, shifting their emphasis to voluntary days of prayer and penance while retaining their place in the liturgical calendar for national observances. In the Anglican tradition, including the , they continue as occasions for communal prayer focused on the ministry, with specific collects and readings provided in the to prepare candidates for and intercede for church leaders. Traditionally, observance involved a partial fast (one full meal and two smaller ones, with no eating between meals), abstinence from meat, and acts of charity, often culminating in the reception of the sacraments like and ; today, many faithful in both Catholic and Anglican communities revive these practices privately or in parishes to foster spiritual discipline and gratitude for creation.

Historical Background

Etymology

The term "Ember days" originates from the Latin phrase quatuor tempora, meaning "four times" or "four seasons," which denoted the quarterly observances aligned with the natural agricultural cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. This Latin expression emphasized the periodic nature of these fasting periods in the early Christian liturgical calendar. In Old English, the term evolved into ymbrendæg or ymbren dæg, literally "circuit days" or "recurrent days," derived from ymbryne, a compound of ymb ("around" or "circuit") and ryne ("running" or "course"), reflecting the cyclical, revolving character of the seasonal observances. This Anglo-Saxon formulation, influenced by Germanic linguistic patterns that connected recurring events to notions of rotation and seasonal turning points, transitioned into Middle English as "ember days," where the prefix "ember-" retained connotations of periodicity without direct reference to fire or ashes. Medieval Latin texts further varied the , referring to these fasts as jejunia quatuor temporum ("fasts of the four times"), underscoring their role as structured periods of occurring four times annually. These linguistic adaptations across Romance and highlight the integration of Roman terminology with local vernaculars, preserving the emphasis on temporal recurrence tied to the .

Origins

The origins of Ember days trace back to ancient Roman agricultural festivals, including the feriae sementivae (sowing holidays) dedicated to Ceres and Tellus in , as well as (feriae messis) and vintage (feriae vindemiales) rites in and September, which involved prayers and sacrifices for bountiful yields. The early Christian Church in adapted these pagan seasonal observances in the third and fourth centuries, transforming them into quarterly periods of fasting, prayer, and thanksgiving to align with and supplant pre-Christian rituals. This adaptation likely drew from a synthesis of Roman agrarian traditions and possible Jewish influences, such as the seasonal fasts prophesied in Zechariah 8:19 or thanksgiving practices, though direct evidence remains inconclusive. By the fifth century, the practice had gained ecclesiastical recognition in Rome, with (440–461) attributing the Ember fasts to in his sermons, marking them as integral to early Christian liturgical life. The Council of Nicaea in 325 indirectly supported such quarterly fasting rhythms through its canons on Lenten observance and ecclesiastical discipline, which emphasized seasonal penitence across the Church. (492–496) further endorsed the Ember days by confirming all four seasonal sets—beyond the original three—and permitting clerical ordinations on the Ember Saturdays, a reform that previously limited such rites to and helped institutionalize the practice. The Ember days evolved from localized Roman customs into a broader Western Christian observance during the , spreading unevenly through missionary efforts and synodal decrees. Introduced to by St. in the late sixth century, to and via the Carolingian reforms in the eighth and ninth centuries, and to alongside the adoption of the Roman liturgy in the eleventh century, the practice achieved uniformity under Pope Gregory VII's around 1078, which fixed the timing after key feasts like , , , and December 13. By the , Ember days were firmly established across Western Christendom as quarterly occasions for communal prayer, , and ordinations, reflecting the Church's integration of seasonal piety.

Liturgical Framework

Ember Weeks

Ember weeks, also known as Embertides, represent the broader liturgical periods in the Western Christian tradition that frame the three specific Ember days, typically falling on the , , and within each week. These weeks serve as extended seasons of spiritual preparation and reflection, inviting the faithful to contemplate the rhythms of creation and the church's role in sanctifying time. While the Ember days themselves concentrate on fasting and abstinence as penitential practices, the Ember weeks encompass a wider thematic structure, emphasizing gratitude for seasonal bounties and renewal in faith. This distinction underscores how the weeks establish a holistic seasonal context, drawing communities into a collective rhythm of that extends beyond isolated acts of devotion. Historically, Ember weeks fulfilled a vital role in delineating transitions between the natural seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—rooted in ancient Roman agrarian customs adapted by the early church to align with . Liturgical observances during these weeks often employed violet vestments to evoke and , paired with scriptural readings that highlight themes of , fruits, and spiritual renewal, such as passages from Joel and Leviticus evoking thanksgiving for the earth's produce. In medieval calendars, Ember weeks were marked by comprehensive observances that spanned the full period, including Saturday vigils featuring up to twelve scriptural lessons and extended communal prayers for the church's mission and the gifts of . These practices, widespread in regions like and by the eighth century, fostered a sense of shared reflection, with communities gathering for litanies and processions that reinforced the weeks' preparatory character. They occur quarterly to correspond with the four seasons.

Timing

Ember days are observed quarterly in the traditional Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, marking the beginning of each season with a focus on , , and . The four sets occur after specific anchor points: the summer Embers follow Sunday; the autumn Embers follow the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on ; the winter Embers follow the feast of St. Lucy on ; and the spring Embers, which are variable, follow . The Ember days are the , , and immediately following each feast, selected as the first such weekdays after the anchor (coinciding with the anchor if it falls on , , or ; shifting the to the following week if the anchor is on , , or ). For the fixed anchors of September 14 and December 13, this results in predictable dates, though adjustments occur based on the weekday of the anchor. The spring and summer sets are movable because and are determined by the , which depends on the . These movable dates incorporate adjustments for the Julian and Gregorian calendars, ensuring alignment with seasonal cycles. Historically, the timing of Ember days saw variations before their . In the early Church, particularly in , the days were not fixed and were announced by priests, with influences from agricultural festivals leading to quarterly observance by the fifth century under . formalized the structure in the , establishing the four seasonal sets across the universal Church. The 1582 Gregorian calendar reform, introduced by , significantly impacted the movable Embers by refining Easter's calculation to correct the Julian calendar's drift of about 10 days by then; this shifted spring and summer dates forward in subsequent years, while fixed autumn and winter Embers remained largely unchanged except for minor leap-year discrepancies. Pre-Gregorian observance in the caused gradual seasonal misalignment over centuries, prompting the reform to restore liturgical harmony with astronomical reality. These days form part of the broader Ember weeks, which encompass the full week around the fasting trio. To illustrate the variability, particularly for movable sets, the traditional Ember days in 2025 are as follows:
SeasonAnchor EventWednesdayFridaySaturday
SpringAfter (March 5)March 12March 14March 15
SummerAfter (June 8)June 11June 13June 14
AutumnAfter September 14September 17September 19September 20
WinterAfter December 13December 17December 19December 20

Religious Practices

Fasting and Prayer

Ember days traditionally involve and partial as core practices of and . Prior to the reforms of 1966, the Roman Catholic Church prescribed a fast on these days consisting of one full and two smaller meatless meals that together did not equal another full meal, with from observed throughout. These rules were binding for all Catholics aged 21 to 59, though exemptions applied to the young, elderly, ill, and those engaged in strenuous labor, reflecting the Church's pastoral consideration for physical capacity. By the medieval period, these practices were under papal regulation. Following Vatican II, these fasting obligations were abrogated, rendering observance voluntary while encouraging spiritual discipline. Prayer on Ember days centers on intercession, gratitude, and seasonal themes, often through special liturgical rites. The pre-Vatican II Roman Missal provided dedicated Masses for each Ember day, featuring collects that petition for abundant vocations to the priesthood and religious life, blessings on the harvest, and thanksgiving for creation's cycles. Ember Saturday, as a principal vigil, included an extended liturgy with multiple Scripture readings or "prophecies"—up to seven in some traditions—drawn from the Old Testament, such as passages from Daniel emphasizing praise amid trial, followed by litanies and Psalms focused on humility and divine providence. The Liturgy of the Hours incorporated specific antiphons and psalms highlighting stewardship of the earth and communal repentance. In the post-Vatican II Roman Missal, while no obligatory texts remain, bishops' conferences may adapt votive Masses for these intentions, preserving the emphasis on prayer for the Church's ministers and the world's needs. Theologically, Ember days underscore for the and the Church's mission, linking human labor with across natural seasons. These observances invite reflection on before , petitioning for holy ordinations and the sanctification of societal roles, while expressing for agricultural bounty as a for spiritual fruitfulness. By aligning with the rhythm of creation, they foster a holistic renewal, reminding the faithful of their dependence on providence for both earthly and eternal sustenance.

Ordination of Clergy

The tradition of conducting ordinations of clergy on Ember Saturdays dates back to the late fifth century, when Pope Gelasius I (r. 492–496) established these days as designated times for the conferral of major orders, aligning the rite with the Church's seasonal observances to symbolize spiritual growth throughout the year. This practice emphasized the Church's mission extending across all four seasons, fostering a sense of universal vocation and communal prayer for new ministers during periods of penitential preparation. Under the , ordinations to major orders—such as priesthood and diaconate—were required to occur exclusively on Ember Saturdays, , or the Saturday before , with Ember weeks serving as times for candidates' discernment and the of hands. These Ember Saturdays featured dedicated liturgical rites within the Ember Masses, including specific prayers invoking divine grace for the ordinands and highlighting the between ministry and the natural cycles of creation. Following the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI's liturgical reforms permitted bishops to perform ordinations at any suitable time when pastoral needs dictated, thereby ending the mandatory tie to Ember days while preserving their role as occasions for prayerful support of vocations. Although no longer obligatory in the , the custom persists in certain traditionalist communities and Anglican traditions for its symbolic continuity, underscoring the enduring link between seasonal liturgy and clerical formation.

Cultural and Regional Aspects

Weather Prediction

In medieval and early modern European agrarian societies, Ember days were associated with folk beliefs that the prevailing weather on these occasions could forecast conditions for the ensuing season or quarter-year, aiding farmers in planning agricultural activities. Particularly, the weather observed on Ember Wednesday was thought to predict that of the first month following the Embertide, Friday for the second month, and Saturday for the third, reflecting a practical adaptation of the church's quarterly fasts to seasonal cycles. This tradition appears in prognostication texts from Anglo-Saxon England, where manuscripts include entries titled "The four ember days" detailing weather omens tied to these periods, likely compiled in monastic scriptoria for both scholarly and communal use. These beliefs originated in syncretic Christian-pagan perspectives, wherein the Ember days—established by the to supplant pre-Christian and seasonal festivals—were imbued with older notions linking sacred timings to natural rhythms. English and German almanacs from the perpetuated such lore, drawing from continental European customs brought by immigrants; for instance, Pennsylvania German communities, rooted in 18th-century German migrations, recorded variants in local sayings that echoed medieval European practices. Specific proverbs illustrate this tradition, such as "Rain on an Emberday is followed by of rain," observed across rural German-influenced regions and attributed to broader . Another common saying, "Ember 's weather for three months," emphasized the predictive power of the Wednesday conditions, while autumn Ember days were sometimes connected to "St. Martin's summer," a mild interlude around believed to herald the quarter's outlook. In the North of , similar customs held that Ember weather (known as témporas) portended the year's remaining patterns, underscoring the widespread utility in Mediterranean agrarian life. This weather lore persisted in rural European folklore well into the modern era, valued for its pragmatic guidance in farming communities despite lacking any formal theological endorsement from the church, which focused Ember days on and rather than divination. Such traditions highlight how Ember observances blended spiritual discipline with everyday survival strategies in pre-industrial societies.

Observance in Ireland

Ember days, known in Ireland as "quarter tense" (ceathrú aimsir), were observed as periods of penitential and , aligning with the agricultural rhythms of rural life. These quarterly observances emphasized ascetic practices, reflecting the rigorous traditions of the Irish Church, such as abstinence from meat. By the , Ember days were promoted within the emerging diocesan structure as times for collective supplication amid Ireland's . Into the 19th and 20th centuries, Ember days persisted in rural Irish Catholic life, marked by on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in each season. These observances, detailed in diocesan calendars, included special Masses for harvest preservation and peace. Following the Second Vatican Council, mandatory on Ember days declined in Ireland as liturgical reforms shifted emphasis to flexible observances. Bishops' conferences now adapt these periods for Masses addressing human needs, particularly agricultural labors, allowing local communities to reclaim them for thanksgiving and petition.

Modern Observance

In the , the 1969 revision of the liturgical calendar following the Second Vatican Council rendered the observance of Ember days optional, removing the previous obligations for and while encouraging their use for and to sanctify the seasons and seek God's blessings on creation and human endeavors. These days are now indicated in national calendars at the discretion of episcopal conferences, often as "Days of Prayer" for various needs, including the fruits of the earth. In some dioceses, Ember days retain a specific role in praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, with collects and intercessions focused on those preparing for . Anglican traditions continue to recognize Ember days as specified in the 1662 , which designates them for , , and almsgiving, particularly in preparation for ordinations. Modern Anglican lectionaries, such as those in the and the , maintain Ember days as occasions for special intercession, with collects for the ministry, the choice of fit persons for , and the of all Christians. In the , they occur four times annually and include assigned readings and prayers to support candidates in retreats and community discernment. Lutheran traditions, while historically observing Ember days as part of Western liturgical practice, see their modern observance as diminishing, with some congregations in bodies like the retaining them informally for prayer and reflection on seasonal themes. These days emphasize thanksgiving for creation's bounty alongside penitence, though they are not universally mandated in contemporary Lutheran calendars. Among ecumenical and broader Protestant communities, Ember days are rarely observed, having largely faded after the Reformation, but they experience occasional revival within liturgical renewal movements that seek to recover ancient practices of seasonal prayer and fasting. There is no direct equivalent in Eastern Orthodox tradition, though parallels exist in rogation-like processions and seasonal fasts that petition for agricultural blessings and ecclesiastical needs. In the , some Christian communities have adapted Ember days to incorporate environmental themes, linking their focus on creation's gifts to Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', which calls for integral ecology and amid challenges. These observances now serve as opportunities for intercession on , , and global ecological crises, with groups emphasizing and for the planet's health. Specific participation statistics remain limited, though anecdotal reports suggest growing interest in eco-focused liturgical revivals among Catholic and Anglican parishes.

References

  1. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/what-are-ember-days
  2. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/ember-days/
  3. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence
  4. https://www.etymonline.com/word/ember-days
  5. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ember-day
  6. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A28464.0001.001/1:7.9?rgn=div2&view=fulltext
  7. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05399b.htm
  8. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=obsculta
  9. https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/12/quatuor-tempora-advent-embertide-this.html
  10. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol7/iss1/13
  11. https://www.liturgicalartsjournal.com/2021/09/quatuor-tempora-notes-on-origin-and.html
  12. https://angeluspress.org/blogs/blog/history-of-the-ember-days
  13. http://www.liturgies.net/Ember/emberarticle.htm
  14. https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/09/ember-days-explanation-and-two.html
  15. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1317
  16. https://fatima.org/news-views/pasting-part-7-fasting-in-the-1900s-pre-vatican-ii/
  17. https://championshrine.org/ember-days/
  18. https://saintaloysiuschurch.org/news/holding-fast-to-the-ember-days
  19. https://catholiceducation.org/en/culture/remember-the-ember-days-part-i.html
  20. https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/contemporary-observation-ember-days/
  21. https://catholicherald.org/columns/ember-days-why-they-are-all-about-hope/
  22. https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2023/03/the-ember-saturday-of-lent-at-sarum-and.html
  23. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-9
  24. https://catholicgentleman.com/2022/12/ember-days-101/
  25. https://www.mysticaltheologyofthemass.com/post/the-ember-days-of-the-octave-of-pentecost-tradition-theology-and-sanctification
  26. https://ordinariate.net/ember-days
  27. https://onepeterfive.com/forgotten-customs-ember-days/
  28. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1165
  29. https://sfarch.org/let-us-fast-on-ember-days-for-priestly-vocations/
  30. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0013838X.2012.668309
  31. https://mhep.org/ember-day-lore/
  32. https://www.almanac.com/ember-days
  33. https://www.catholicbishops.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Celebrating-the-Mass-throughout-the-year-web.pdf
  34. https://www.usccb.org/committees/divine-worship/special-observances
  35. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html
  36. https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons-3
  37. http://www.logoslutheran.org/fr-braden-taking-pains
  38. https://stagnesparish.org.au/our-faith/2021/03/10/ember-days-what-are-they-how-are-they-connected-to-sustainability/
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