ember days

ember days in the Western Church, traditionally the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the first Sunday in Lent; Whitsunday; Sept. 14 (Exaltation of the Cross); and Dec. 13 (St. Lucy's Day). They were days of fasting to sanctify the season, and the ember Saturdays were considered especially appropriate for ordinations. The ember days are of very ancient and uncertain origin. The dates of their celebration are now determined by national hierarchies rather than by the universal Roman liturgical calendar, and they are frequently called "days of prayer for peace."

Ember Days. Four groups each of three days, namely the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after St Lucy (13 Dec.), the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday, and Holy Cross Day (14 Sept.) respectively, which have been observed as days of fasting and abstinence in the W. Church. In the RC Church they were replaced in 1969 by days of prayer for various needs at times to be determined by regional conferences of bishops. Originally connected with the crops, from at least the 5th cent. the Ember seasons were associated with Ordinations, and the association of Ember Days with prayer for ordination candidates is preserved in modern Anglican liturgies even when the usual time for Ordinations has changed. Thus CW places two groups of Ember Days before the Sundays nearest the feasts of St Peter and St Michael and All Angels.

Ember days (OE, ymbren). Four groups of three days (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday) in the W. church year, fast days ‘around’ or ‘about’ four seasons, Advent (mid-Dec.), Lent (Ash Wednesday), Pentecost, and Holy Cross Day (14 Sept.), kept as days of fasting and abstinence. They are now associated, as days of preparation, with ordination.