The Christmas cycle and Easter cycle are two main cycles that anchor the liturgical year. Within these cycles, there are several liturgical seasons observed:
Christmas Cycle:
- Advent: The season of preparation and anticipation leading up to Christmas, symbolizing the waiting for the birth of Christ.
- Christmas: The season celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Easter Cycle:
- Lent: A 40-day period of preparation for Easter, symbolizing the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. It is a time of fasting, abstinence, prayer, and almsgiving to prepare for Easter.
- Triduum: A three-day period that includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, commemorating the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Easter: The season celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In addition to these seasons, there is also Ordinary Time, which is the period of the liturgical year that does not fall within the Christmas or Easter cycles. It is a time to focus on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Here is a visual representation of the liturgical seasons:
Source: Columban Mission Institute