Each year during the first full week of Lent, Catholics for centuries have observed the Ember Days. There are four sets of these days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) of fasting and abstinence from flesh, corresponding roughly to the changes of seasons. They fall after the First Sunday of Lent, after Pentecost, near the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), and after the Third Sunday of Advent (near St Lucy’s Day, December 13). “Ember” probably derives from Anglo-Saxon ymbren, (from ymb, “around”, and rennen, “to run”), the annual circuit of the sun. In Latin, the Ember Days are the Quatuor Tempora, or “four times” of the year.
12:00 PM
Omnium Gatherum
each year during the first full week of lent, catholics for centuries have observed the ember days. there are four sets of these days (wedne...
Fr John Zuhlsdorf
2 min read
Already a subscriber? Sign in
5freearticles every month
Continue reading with a free account. No card needed.
- Five free articles every thirty days, on any device you sign in on
- The Catholic Herald newsletter, every morning
- Subscribe whenever you like for everything: every article and the magazine
subscribe to the catholic herald today
Our best content is exclusively available to our subscribers. Subscribe today and gain instant access to expert analysis, in-depth articles, and thought-provoking insights—anytime, anywhere. Don’t miss out on the conversations that matter most.
Subscribe
