Ember Days: What is this Catholic Tradition and Why is it Important?
The Church, in her wisdom, offers you set days throughout the year to join with your brothers and sisters in prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving called Ember Days
Prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving–these three pillars of the spiritual life are often emphasized in Advent and Lent, but their place in the Christian life extends into the liturgical year; incorporating them regularly into your life will bear fruit in your soul all year long.
The Church, in her wisdom, offers you set days throughout the year to join with your brothers and sisters in prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving called Ember Days.
Ember Days are a traditional observance in the Catholic Church that occur four times a year—roughly at the start of each season. They are three days set aside for prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving, and they serve as an opportunity for spiritual renewal and preparation.
While these days are no longer obligatorily observed, they are highly encouraged, as prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving assist in the growing of the habit of virtue.
The Ember tides always take place on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following a specific feast. Wednesday and Saturday are days of fasting and partial abstinence (meat permitted at one meal) while Friday is a day of fasting and full abstinence.
- Winter or Advent Ember Days take place after the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13th). On these days, give thanks for the olives that make holy oils for the Anointing of the Sick.
- Spring or Lenten Ember Days take place after Ash Wednesday (moveable, February 4th-March 10th). On these days, give thanks for the flowers and bees that make the blessed candles used for Baptisms and upon the altar.
- Summer or Whit Ember Days fall after the Solemnity of Pentecost (fifty days after Easter). On these days, give thanks for the wheat used to make the hosts.
- Autumn or Michaelmas Ember Days are after the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). On these days, give thanks for the grapes that make wine that will become the Precious Blood of Christ.
You can remember these feast days with the mnemonic: “Lenti + Penti + Cruci + Luci.”
Ember Days provide us with an opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew our spiritual lives in preparation for the changing seasons. By embracing the traditions of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving associated with Ember Days, we can draw closer to God and experience His grace and blessings in our lives.
As you observe Ember Days, may you be filled with a deep sense of gratitude for God's providence, and may His grace sustain you as you journey through the seasons of life.
