Holiday, Celebration Days, Observances, and Saint’s Days Resources

With Pentecost Sunday now past, the church enters into Ordinary Time. There are still feasts and holidays and Saint’s Days and celebrations of other special people, but it is no longer the long church season that spans Advent through Pentecost. You can find resources about Ordinary Days and select church holidays on our Pentecost & Ordinary Time Resource Page. If you are curious what the difference is, you can find information and resources on the Liturgical Calendar in this post. Whether we are in Ordinary Time or not, however, did you know that there are many fun celebrations, many Saint’s Days, and many holidays throughout the year that Godspace has resources for? As we ground ourselves and our spirituality in the rhythm of life and seasons around us, it can be helpful to observe even ‘secular’ days as sacred. Perhaps to engage in the awe and wonder of fun or perhaps to practice a whole-hearted ethical spirituality, there are many reasons you may wish to observe various days. Here is a round-up of some of our posts on special days, month by month! Note that this is by no means complete; if you click on the holiday it will take you to the tag. Not all relevant posts are tagged, and not all holidays have been cataloged. But this list will give you a good place to start for any celebrations or observances! For Celtic Saints, be sure to check out our Celtic Spirituality Resource Page as well. Happy Observing!

January

• You can find resources for New Years & Epiphany Season on our Advent, Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany Page
• St Kentigern’s Day is January 13th. Diane Woodrow offers a reflection about him here.
• St Ita’s Day is January 15th. Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren reflects on her here.
• St Fursey’s Day is January 16th. Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren writes about him here.
• Martin Luther King Jr Day is observed on the 3rd Monday of January. Here is a classic prayer from Christine Sine. This post about decolonization was published on that day. Christine Sine encourages us to never be afraid of what is right in this reflection on him. Denise Moore discusses Civil Rights and what difference we can make following her participation in a march for MLK. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.
• Chinese New Year is held on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, between January 21st and February 20th. Alex Tang offers his reflection here, and Lynne Baab offers hers here.

February

• Black History Month: Diane Woodrow writes about Black History Month in this post here. You can find resources for racial reconciliation here, and posts about the Black Lives Matter movement here. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.
• Lent: You can find resources for Lent on our Lent & Easter Resource page
• Imbolc is February 1st – Kate Kennington Steer shares Wisdom of the Gut – Imbolc
• St Brigid’s day is tied intimately to Imbolc, and is also on February 1st. We have many resources including this prayer and poem by Paul Neely, this hospitality litany by Christine Sine, and these posts by Elaine Breckenridge, Kate Kennington Steer, Christine Valters Paintner, and Rev Brenda Griffin Warren – among many others!
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Birthday is celebrated on February 4th. Here is a popular prayer we have shared, and a reflection on his birthday by Michael Moore.
• World Cancer Day is a global awareness day on February 4th. June Friesen offers this reflection.
• Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday is celebrated the day before Lent. Barbie Perks offers this reflection, and for more information on special days of the week before and beginning Lent, Christine Sine breaks it down in this post – or you can check out our Lent resource page.
• Valentine’s Day is February 14th. Christine Sine encourages us to find ways to ethically celebrate and also spread God’s love in this post. Check out other reflections on Valentine’s Day here!
• World Social Justice Day is February 20th. Emily Huff offers a reflection here, and Kathie Hempel offers one here. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.

March

• Lent and Easter: You can find resources for Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, etc on our Lent & Easter Resource page.
• March heralds Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring/Autumn resources can be found on our Seasons and Blessings Resource Page. You can also find gardening and creation care resources on our Creation Spirituality Resource Page.
• St David’s Day is celebrated March 1st. Carol Dixon offers a reflection here.
• UK World Book Day is held on the first Thursday in March. Diane Woodrow recalls her experiences here.
• World Day of Prayer is held on the first Friday in March. Kathie Hempel has several prayers and reflections for this day, including this one. You may also find resources for prayer on our Prayers, Practices, & Directions Resource Page
• International Women’s Day is celebrated March 8th. Christine Sine highlights this Franciscan prayer in its honor. You can find more resources here.
• St Gertrude of Nivelle’s Day is celebrated March 17th. You can read about the patron saint of cats (and other wonderful things about Gertrude of Nivelle) here, including this reflection from Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren.
• St Patrick’s Day is March 17th. You can read more about St Patrick here, including this reflection by Elaine Breckenridge and this reflection by Tom Sine. Christine Sine offers resources for St Patrick’s Day here.
• St Cuthbert’s Day is March 20th. Carol Dixon shares music and resources here.
• Equinox – Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere – is generally celebrated March 20th. Kate Kennington Steer has a reflection for both, whether Spring or Autumn. More found here.
• World Water Day is on March 22nd. Christine Sine offers a prayer here, and Lisa DeRosa offers a reflection here.
• Cesar Chavez Day is March 31st. Catherine Lawton offers remembrance and reflection here, and Christine Sine highlights this Lenten prayer.

April

• Lent and Easter: You can find resources for Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, etc on our Lent & Easter Resource page.
• April Fool’s Day is April 1st. You might be surprised to find resources on this, but it is a surprisingly fruitful topic! Rowan Wyatt offers this reflection on the day proper. On a year that April Fool’s Day and Easter coincided, Godspace held a Lenten theme on Foolish Love. It was called For the Love of the World, God Did Foolish Things. Talitha Fraser offers this reflection on being a holy fool, and Br. Terrance Declan offers this reflection on foolish sacrifice.
• Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. Andy Wade offers resources here; Christine Sine offers resources here. Reflections are offered by Tom Sine here, and by Ellen Haroutunian here. You may also find resources on our Creation Spirituality Resource Page.
• World Malaria Day is observed on April 25th. Keren Dibbens-Wyatt offers a reflection here, and Andrew Jones offers a personal reflection here.
• Arbor Day is celebrated April 29th. Laurie Klein offers a reflection here.

May

• Lent/Easter Resources can be found on our resource page. Pentecost/Trinity Sunday/Ordinary Time resources can be found on the Pentecost and Ordinary Time Resource Page
• Beltane/May Day is celebrated May 1st. Kate Kennington Steer offers this reflection on Beltaine. Catherine Lawton offers this poem for May Day.
• US National Day of Prayer is held the first Thursday in May. Faith Cho offers this reflection. You may also find resources for prayer on our Prayers, Practices, & Directions Resource Page
• Mother’s Day is held at different times in the year globally, but for nearly 100 countries including the US, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. We have many resources for Mother’s Day – for example Melissa Taft gathered many of our resources in this post, Emma Morgan offers this liturgy for Mother’s Day, Kara Root offers this poem, and Shiao Chong offers this glimpse into Biblical Maternal Images of God. We also have many resources under Mother’s Day on our Seasons and Blessings Resource Page.
• St Brendan’s feast day is May 16th. Rebecca Baxter offers this reflection, Derek Olsen reflects on pilgrimage and Brendan, and Rev Brenda Griffin Warren offers this feast day reflection.
• World Bee Day is celebrated May 20th. Emily Huff highlights a liturgy for World Bee Day, Lisa DeRosa offers activities and reflections here, Laurie Klein offers a reflection and practical creation care here, and June Friesen offers this reflection and poem here.
• National Endangered Species Day is May 20th. Diane Woodrow offers this reflection here.
• World Day for Cultural Diversity is celebrated May 21st. Mark Pierson offers this reflection. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.
• International Tea Day is observed May 21st. You can find reflections on tea here, including this reflection by Andy Wade.
• St Bede the Venerable’s Day is celebrated May 25th. Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren offers this history of Venerable Bede, and Carol Dixon offers this reflection.
• St Joan of Arc‘s Day is celebrated May 30th. Rowan Wyatt offers this history, and Diane Woodrow offers this reflection.
• Memorial Day in the US is celebrated on the last Monday of May. Christine Sine offers this prayer.

June

• Pentecost/Trinity Sunday/Ordinary Time resources can be found on the Pentecost and Ordinary Time Resource Page
• June is Pride Month, a month for awareness and celebration of LGBTQIA+. Talitha Fraser reminds us that All We Need Is Love, and Jamie Arpin-Ricci offers this Lenten reflection on tragedy and bravery in the face of hate.
• June heralds Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter in the Southern Hemisphere; Summer/Winter resources are found on our Seasons and Blessings Page.
• World Environment Day is celebrated June 5th. Lynne Baab offers a reflection here.
• World Oceans Day is celebrated June 8th. Dr Robert Sluka offers a reflection here.
• St Columba’s Day is June 9th. Greg Valerio has several reflections on St Columba,  as does Carol Dixon (such as this one.) Brenda Griffin Warren also offers this reflection, Michael Moore this reflection, and Christine Sine offers this prayer from St Columba.
• International Yarn Bombing Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in June. Artist Naomi Lawrence offers this reflection.
• Father’s Day is celebrated the third Sunday in June. Keren Dibbens-Wyatt offers this reflection, and Christine Sine offers this Litany and Prayer. There are also resources for Father’s Day on our Seasons and Blessings Resource Page.
• Juneteenth is celebrated June 19th. Lisa DeRosa offers this reflection.
• World Refugee Day is honored June 20th. June Friesen offers a reflection here, and Ellen Haroutunian offers a reflection here.
• The Solstice is generally celebrated June 21st; summer in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Jan Blencowe offers this reflection on the June Solstice here, and Kate Kennington Steer offers this reflection.
• Make Music Day is celebrated June 21st. Paul Neely offers this reflection.
• Feasts of St Peter and St Paul is celebrated June 29th. Lisa DeRosa offers this reflection with music by Sheila Hamil.

July

• Canada Day is celebrated July 1st. Lilly Lewin offers this perspective on praying for our countries.
• American Independence Day is July 4th. Christine Sine offers this prayer, and Lilly Lewin offers this reflection.
• Global Forgiveness Day is held July 7th (also called World Forgiveness Day). Emily Huff shares this reflection. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.
• Nelson Mandela Day is held on his birthday, July 18th. Jenneth Graser offers this poem, and Ellen Haroutunian offers this reflection.
• International Day of Friendship is celebrated July 30th. Christine Sine offers this meditation on friendship, and Rodney Newman offers this reflection on soul friends. Friendship is celebrated in several countries at various times in the year. You can find lots of resources to celebrate friendship tangibly on our Hospitality Page.

August

• Back to School resources can be found on our Seasons & Blessings Page under the Autumn (Northern Hemisphere) column, and particularly this post of resources.
• International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is honored August 9th. Rachel Taber- Hamilton offers this reflection, and Ana Lisa de Jong offers these poems.
• St Ninian of Whithorn is sometimes celebrated August 26th, or more commonly September 16th. The Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren offers this history and reflection, and Rowan Wyatt offers this reflection.
• St Fiacre’s feast day is celebrated either August 30th or September 1st. Alicia Dykstra offers this prayer, and Barry Jung offers this reflection on the patron saint of gardeners.
• St Aidan‘s feast day is celebrated August 31st. Carol Dixon offers this FREE resource on celebrating St Aidan’s Day. Michael Moore offers this reflection.

September

• Back to School resources can be found on our Seasons & Blessings Page under the Autumn (Northern Hemisphere) column, and particularly this post of resources. Labor Day resources can also be found under Seasons & Blessings.
• September heralds the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. You can find seasonal resources on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page. You can also find gardening and creation care resources on our Creation Spirituality Resource Page.
• World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is September 1st. Laurie Klein offers a reflection here. You may also find resources on our Creation Spirituality Resource Page.
• Labor Day is celebrated the First Monday of September. Lynne Baab offers these ways to pray for your work, and Jan Blencowe offers this reflection.
• Memorial for September 11th posts include this resource list by Lisa DeRosa and these prayers by Christine Sine. You may also find resources on our Justice, Suffering, & Wholeness Resource Page.
• September Equinox occurs between September 22-24 generally. It is the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Kate Kennington Steer offers this autumnal reflection, and Laurie Klein offers one here.
• St Michael‘s Day is celebrated September 29th and is also known as Michaelmas. It is sometimes celebrated in traditions as the first Sunday in October or on November 9th in Eastern traditions. Diane Woodrow offers this reflection.

October

• You can find resources for All Saint’s Day, Gratitude, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and harvest on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page
• World Vegetarian Day is October 1st. Lisa DeRosa offers this reflection.
• World Communion Sunday is observed on the first Sunday in October. June Friesen offers this reflection.
• St Francis of Assisi Day is October 4th. Elaine Breckenridge offers this reflection, and Keren Dibbens-Wyatt offers this reflection.
• World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th. Kathie Hempel offers this reflection, and Alex Tang offers this reflection.
• Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October. You can find many resources for Thanksgiving on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page. You can find recipes under our Hospitality resource page. You can also find many posts on celebrating gratitude or harvest on the Seasons & Blessings Resource Page.
• US Indigenous People’s Day is observed on the 2nd Monday in October. Rachel K. Taber-Hamilton offers this reflection, and June Friesen offers this reflection.
• World Food Day is October 16th. Christine Sine has put together this list of resources.
• Halloween is observed October 31st. Lilly Lewin shows us how to pray with our candy, and Christine Sine offers eco-friendly Halloween resources. Mary Harwell Sayler offers this poem, Diane Woodrow offers this reflection, and Jan Blencowe offers this reflection.

November

• You can find resources for All Saint’s Day, Gratitude, Thanksgiving, and harvest on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page
• You can find Advent resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page. You can also find Celtic Advent resources on our Celtic Spirituality Resource Page
• All Saint’s Day is held on November 1st. Check out Christine Sine’s resources here. Kathie Hempel offers a reflection here.
• Looking for Circles Day is November 2nd. Laurie Klein offers a reflection here, and Christine Sine offers one here.
• World Freedom Day is observed November 9th. Kathie Hempel offers a reflection here.
• Veteran’s Day is observed November 11th. Christine Sine offers a reflection and prayer here.
• World Kindness Day is on November 13th. Emily Huff offers this reflection, and Ana Lisa De Jong offers this poem.
• Celtic Advent begins November 15th. You can find Celtic Advent resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page. You can also find Celtic Advent resources on our Celtic Spirituality Resource Page. For example, Elaine Breckenridge offers this reflection, and Christine Sine welcomes you to Celtic Advent.
• St Hilda’s Day is celebrated November 17th. Laurie Klein offers this reflection, and Rev. Brenda Griffin Warren offers this reflection.
• World Toilet Day is November 19th. Diane Woodrow offers several reflections including this one.
• Universal Children’s Day (also called World Children’s Day) is observed November 20th. June Friesen offers this reflection.
• Christ the King Sunday is celebrated the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, completing the liturgical year in Sundays. Christine Sine offers this prayer, and Kate Kennington Steer offers this reflection.
• Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. You can find many resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page. Ordinary Time ends.
• American Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November. You can find many resources for Thanksgiving on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page. You can find recipes under our Hospitality resource page. You can also find many posts on celebrating gratitude or harvest on the Seasons & Blessings Resource Page.

December

• You can find Advent, Christmas, and New Year‘s resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page.
• World Aids Day is observed December 1st. June Friesen offers a reflection here.
• World Soil Day is observed December 5th. Lisa DeRosa offers a reflection including a poem by Catherine Lawton in this post, and June Friesen offers a reflection here.
• St Nicholas’ Day is celebrated December 6th. Christine Sine offers history with celebration suggestions.
• St Lucia’s Day is observed December 13th. Lynne Baab offers this reflection, and Carol Dixon offers this reflection.
• The December Solstice typically falls on December 21st. In the Northern Hemisphere it is the shortest day of the year and begins Winter, and in the Southern Hemisphere it begins Summer. You can find summer and winter resources on our Seasons & Blessings Resource Page. Diane Woodrow offers this December solstice reflection, and Carol Dixon offers this one.
• Blue Christmas is generally observed on the solstice. You can find more resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page. Barbie Perks offers this reflection, and Michael Moore offers this reflection.
• Christmas Eve is December 24th. Jeannie Kendall offers a reflection here, and Lucinda Smith offers one here. You can find more resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page.
• Christmas is December 25th. Christine Sine offers these Christmas Prayers, and Sue Duby offers this reflection. You can find more resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page.
• The Twelve Days of Christmas is the Christmas Season, lasting from Christmas through Epiphany in the new year. Christine Sine offers this reflection, and Lilly Lewin offers a reflection here. You can find more resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page.
• New Year’s Eve is observed December 31st. Elaine Breckenridge offers a reflection here, and Michael Moore offers one here. You can find more resources on our Advent, Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Resource Page.

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