Red Letter Days
listed by name
The mediaeval year was full of saints and other religious festivals. Those listed below are only a sample, dates given should not be taken as definitive.
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Adate dorominum - 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Adrian of Canterbury - 9 Jan
Advent Sunday - St Andrew's day (30 Nov) or the Sunday nearest to it
Agatha - 5 Feb
Agnes - 21 Jan
Aidan of Lindisfarne - 31 Aug
Alban - 17 Jun (also 22 Jun)
Albert/Ethelbert - 20 May
Aldhelm of Sherborne - 25 May
Alfred - 26 Oct
All Fools Day - 1 Apr
All Hallows - 1 Nov
All Saints Day - 1 Nov
All Souls Day - 2 Nov
Alphege - 19 Apr
Ambrose - 4 Apr
Ambrose - 7 Dec
Anastasius - 27 Apr
Andrew - 30 Nov
Anne - 26 Jul
Annunciation of V Mary - 25 Mar
Anskar of Sweden - 3 Feb
Anslem - 21 Apr
Anthony of Padua - 13 Jun
Anthony the Great of Egypt - 17 Jan
Apollinaris - 23 Jul
Ascension Day - the fortieth day of Easter, the Thursday 39 days after Easter.
Ascension Sunday - Sunday after Ascension Day.
Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent, 46 days before Easter.
Aspiciens a longe - 1st Sunday in Advent
Assumption of V Mary - 15 Aug
Athanasius - 2 May
Audoenus/Ouen - 24/25 Aug
Audrey/Ethelreda -
Augustine of Canterbury - 26 May
Augustine of Hippo - 28 Aug
Australia Day - 26 Jan
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Barnabas the Apostle - 11 Jun
Bartholomew - 24 Aug
Basil - 14 Jun
Bede, Venerable - 27 May
Beheading of John Baptist - 29 Aug
Beltane - 1st May, May Day (Gaelic),
Benedict - 21 Mar
Benedict, translation of - 11 Jul
Bernard of Clairvaux - 20 Aug
Birinus - 3 Dec
Blase - Blasius - 3 Feb
Boniface - 5 Jun
Botolph - 17 Jun
Brice - Britius - 13 Nov
Bride - Bridget - 1 Feb
Burns'' night - 25 Jan
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Calends, Cal. - the kalends or first day of the month in the Roman calendar.
Calisto - Ceelict - Calixtus - 14 Oct
Candlemas - 2nd February, a Scottish quarter day, Purification of V Mary, candles were blessed on this day.
Candlemas - 2 Feb
Canite tuba - 4th Sunday in Advent
Cantate domino - 4th Sunday after Easter
Care, Carle Carling Sunday - Passion Sunday, the fifth Sunday in Lent.
Carne vale - period before lent
Cathedra Petri - 22 Feb
Catherine of Alexandria - 25 Nov (more common)
Catherine of Sienna - 30 Apr
Cecilia - 22 Nov
Cedde/Chad - 2 Mar
Cena domini - Maundy Thursday
Chad/Cedde - 2 Mar
Chare Thursday - The Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday, Sheer Thursday.
Childermas - 28 Dec
Christmas Day - 25th December, English quarter day
Christmas Day - 25 Dec
Christopher - 25 Jul
Clausum Pasche - 1st Sunday after Easter
Close of Easter - Sunday after Easter, Low Sunday
Circumcision - 1 Jan
Clara - 12 Aug
Clement - 23 Nov
Clement - 4 Dec
Collop Monday - day before Shrove Tuesday. Collop is Middle English for a slice of meat - this day was the last opportunity to eat meat before Easter.
Columba of Iona - 9 Jun
Conception of John Baptist - 24 Sep
Conception of V Mary - 8 Dec
Conversion of Paul - 25 Jan
Cornelius & Cyprian - 14 Sep
Corpus Christi - Thursday after octave of Pentecost (ie 11 days after Pentecost)
Cosmas and Damian - 27 Sep
Crispin and Crispinian - 25 Oct
Cross, Holy - exaltation of - 14 Sep
Cross, Holy - invention of - 4 May
Crouchmas - 14 Sep
Cuthbert - 20 Mar
Cuthbert, translation of - 4 Sep
Cyprian - 13 Sep
Cyprian - 26 Sep
Cyprian & Justina - 26 Sep
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Daemon mutus - 3rd Sunday in Lent
Da pacem - 18th Sunday after octave of Pentecost
David of Menevia - 1 Mar
Decade - a period of ten years, also the tenth day after a Christian festival (or the period between these two days), counting the festival day as the first. Thus: the Decade of 1st November, All Saints' Day, is 10th November
Decollation of John Baptist - Beheading of John Baptist
Denys - 9 Oct
Dionysius - Denis
Distaff Day - 7th January, Rock Day
Distaff Day - 7 Jan
Dominic - 4 Aug
Dorothea - 6 Feb
Dunstan - 19 May
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Eadburga of Winchester - 15 Jun
Easter Day - falls on the Sunday first after the paschal full moon. The paschal full moon is the full moon which falls on or first after 21st March - the vernal equinox. see separate section
Editha - 16 Sep
Edmund, archbishop - 16 Nov
Edmund, archbishop trans - 9 June
Edmund the King - 20 Nov
Edward, King of W Saxons - 18 Mar
Edward, King of W Saxons, translation - 18 Feb
Edward the Confessor - 5 Jan
Edward the Confessor, translation - 13 Oct
Egg Saturday - Saturday before Ash Wednesday
Egidius/Giles of Provence - 1 Sep
English Quarter Day - 25 Mar
English Quarter Day - 24 Jun
English Quarter Day - 29 Sep
English Quarter Day - 25 Dec
Enurchus/Evurcius/Evurtius - 7 Sep
Epiphany - Jour des Roys - 6 Jan
Epiphany - 6th January
Equinox - see Glossary
Erkenwald, B of London - 14 Nov
Ethelbert king - 20 May
Ethelred - 4 May
Ethelreda/Audrey - 17 Oct
Ethelreda/Audrey - 23 Jun
Euphemia - 16 Sep
Eustachius - 2 Nov
Eve, Even - the day before, especially before a festival
Evurtius/Evutius/Enurchus - 7 Sep
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - 14 Sep
Expectation week - the week between Ascension and Whitsuntide
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Fabian, Fabian & Sebastian - 20 Jan
Faith - 6 Oct
Felicitas - 23 Nov
Francis of Assisi, Tranciscus - 4 Oct
Gang days - Rogation days - the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between Rogation Sunday and Ascension Day. When the boundaries of a parish were reinforced in peoples minds by going (= ganging) around the parish boundary - called beating the bounds.
Geminianus & Lucianus - 16 Sep
George - 23 Apr
Giles/Egidius of Provence - 1 Sep
Gregory - 12 Mar
Grimbold - 8 Jul
Gule of August - 1 Aug
Guthlac - 11 Apr
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Hallowmas - 1 Nov
Helena - 18 Aug
Hierome/Hieronymus/Jerome - 30 Sep
Hilary, B of Poitiers - 13 Jan
Hilda - 17 Nov
Hock Tuesday - The second Tuesday after Easter. Until the sixteenth century women seized men of the village,releasing them after payment of small ransom.
Hogmanay - 31 Dec
Hogmanay - 31st December
Holy Cross Day - 14 Sep
Holy Innocents Day - 28 Dec
Holy Rood Day - 14 Sep
Holy Thursday - Maundy Thursday, (occasionally) Ascension Day
Hubert - 3 Nov
Hugh of Lincoln - 17 Nov
Hypolitas - 13 Aug
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Ides, idus - in the Roman calendar: 15th March, May, July, October. The 13th day of other months.
Ignatius - 17 Oct
Ignatius - 17 Dec
Innocents (Holy) Day - 28 Dec
Invention of the Cross - 3 May
Irenaeus of Lyons - 28 Jun
James the Great - 25 Jul
Jerome/Hierome/Hieronymus - 30 Sep
John the Baptist, nativity - 24 Jun
John the Baptist, beheading - 29 Aug
John Crysostom - 27 Jan
John Evangelist, ante Portam Lat. - 6 May
John of Beverley - 7 May
John the Evangelist - 27 Dec
Joseph - 19 Mar
Jour des Roys - 6th January, Epiphany or Day of Kings
Jubilate Sunday - 3rd Sunday after Easter
Judoc - 13 Dec
Justina & Cyprian - 26 Sep
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Kalends, kal - the Calends - in the Roman calendar: 1st day of each month
Kenelm - 17 Jul
Lady Day - 25 March (English quarter day)
Lambert - 17 Sep
Lammas Day - 1st August (Scottish quarter day)
Laudus - 21 Sep
Laurence - 10 Aug
Leap Day - 29th February
Leo the Great - 11 Apr
Leonard - 6 Nov
Low Sunday - Sunday after Easter
Lucian - 8 Jan
Lucianus & Geminianus - 16 Sep
Lucy - 13 Dec
Luke - 18 Oct
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Machutus - 15 Nov
Magnus - 19 Aug
Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday (fat Tuesday)
Margaret - 20 Jul
Margaret of Scotland - 16 Nov
Margaret queen of Scotland - 8 Jul
Mark, Evangelist - 25 Apr
Martha - 27 Jul
Martin of Tours - 11 Nov
Martin translation of - 4 Jul
Martinmas - 11 Nov (Scottish quarter day)
Mary Virgin, Annunciation - 25 Mar
Mary Virgin, Assumption - 15 Aug
Mary Virgin, Conception - 8 Dec
Mary Virgin, Nativity - 8 Sep
Mary Virgin, Purification - 2 Feb
Mary Virgin, Visitation - 2 Jul
Mary Magdalen - 22 Jul
Matthew - 21 Sep
Matthias - 24 Feb, 25 Feb in leap years
Maundy Thursday - Thursday before Easter Day
Maurice - 22 Sep
May Day - 1 May
Meliorus - 1 Oct
Michael & All Angels - 29 Sep
Michael in Monte tumba - 16 Oct
Michaelmas - 29 Sep
Michaelmas Day - 29th September, English quarter day
Mid-Lent Sunday - 4th Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday
Midsummer Day - 24th June, English quarter day. Approximates to the summer solstice which is on or around 21st June
Midsummer Day - 24 Jun
Mildred - 13 Jul
Misericordia domini - 2nd Sunday after Easter
Monica - 4 May
Morrow - the day after
Mumping day - St Thomas's Day, 21 Dec - when the poor went begging for Christmas fare, in Lincolnshire - Boxing day
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Name of Jesus - 7 Aug
Nativity of John the Baptist - 24 Jun
Nativity of V Mary - 8 Sep
Nicholas - 6 Dec
Nicomede - 1 Jun
Ninian - 16 Sep
Nones - in the Roman calendar: 7th March, May, July and October. The 5th day of the other months.
Oak Apple Day - 29th May, Charles II birthday
Octave - the eighth day after a Christian festival (or the period between these two days), counting the festival day as the first. Thus: the Octave of 1st November, All Saints' Day, is 8th November.
O Sapientia - 16 Dec
Osmund - 4 Dec
Oswald bishop - 28 Feb
Oswald king - 5 Aug
Ouen/Audoenus - 24/25 Aug
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
p. - Proximo (cf Inst, Ult)
Palm Sunday - Sunday before Easter
Pancake Day - Shrove Tuesday
Pancras - 12 May
Pasch - Easter
Paskes - Easter
Passion Sunday - 5th Sunday in Lent
Passover - 14th Nissan (Jewish) and days following
Patrick - 17 Mar
Patriots' Day - 19th April (US)
Paul conversion of - 25 Jan
Pentecost - the seventh Sunday after Easter, Whitsunday
Perpetua - 7 Mar
Pesach - 14th Nissan (Jewish) and days following
Peter - 29 Jun
Peter & Paul - 29 Jun
Peter ad Vincula - 1 Aug
Philip & James the Less, Apostles - 1 May
Plough Monday - 1st Monday after 12th Day
Polycarp/us - 26 Jan
Primrose Day - 19th April
Prisca - 18 Jan
Priscus - 1 Sep
Proximo, prox - a date in the following month
Purification of V Mary - 2 Feb
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Quadragesima Sunday - first Sunday in Lent
Quarter Days - the four days regarded as starting a new quarter year, rents often fell due
Quarter Days, English - Lady Day (25 March), Midsummer Day (24 June), Michaelmas Day (29 September), Christmas Day (25 December)
Quarter Days, English Old Style - Lady Day (6 April), Old Midsummer (6 July), Old Michaelmas (11 October), Old Christmas Day (6 January)
Quarter Days, Scottish - Candlemas (2 February), Whitsun (15 May), Lammas (1 August), Martinmas (11 November)
Quinquagesima Sunday - Sunday before Ash Wednesday
Quintin - 31 Oct
Quinzaine - 15 days after (cf Octave)
Remigius - 1 Oct
Richard of Chichester - 3 Apr
Richard of Chichester translation - 15 Jul
Rock Day - 7 Jan
Rock Day - 7th January, Distaff Day
Rogation days - The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between Rogation Sunday and Ascension Day. When the boundaries of a parish were reinforced in peoples minds by going around the parish boundary - called beating the bounds.Also known as Gang Days.
Rogation Sunday - Sunday before Ascension Day
Royal Oak Day - 29 May
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Saints, Martyrs & Doctors of CoE - 8 Nov
Scholastica - 10 Feb
Scottish Quarter Day - 2 Feb
Scottish Quarter Day - 1 Aug
Scottish Quarter Day - 11 Nov
Scottish Quarter Day ''Whitsun'' - 15 May
Septuagesima - 3rd Sunday before Lent
Sexagesima - 2nd Sunday before Lent
Sheer Thursday, Shere Thursday - The Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday, Chare Thursday.
Silvester - 31 Dec
Simeon - 18 Feb
Simon & Jude - 28 Oct
Soulemas - 2 Nov
Stephen - 26 Dec
Stephen invention of - 3 Aug
Swithin/Swithun - 2 Jul
Swithin/Swithun translation of - "St Swithin's Day" - 15 Jul
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Theodore of Tarsus - 19 Sep
Thomas apostle - 21 Dec
Thomas apostle translation of - 3 Jul
Thomas Becket of Canterbury - 29 Dec
Timotheus & Symphorianus - 22 Aug
Translation of Cuthbert - 4 Sep
Translation of Edward the Confessor - 13 Oct
Translation of Francis - 25 May
Translation of Martin - 4 Jul
Translation Thomas apostle - 3 Jul
Translation Thomas Becket of Canterbury - 7 Jul
Transfiguration - 6 Aug
Translation of K Edward - 20 Jun
Twelfth Day - 6th January, twelfth day after Christmas
Twelfth Night - night of 5th January, the eve of Twelfth Day
u, ult, ulto, ultimo - date in previous month, on last day of that month (cf Inst and Prox)
Urban - 25 May
Uttaves - Octave
A B C D E FG H IJ KL M NO P QR S TU VW X Y Z Date order
Valentine - 14 Feb
Venerable Bede - 27 May
Vigil, Veille - the day before
Vigil - 23 Jun
Vigil - 31 Oct
Vigil - 29 Nov
Vigil - 24 Dec
Vincent - 22 Jan
Visitation of V Mary - 2 Jul
Walpurgis night - 30 Apr
White Sunday - Whitsunday
Whit Monday - a old bank holiday in the UK, the Monday following Whitsunday, now replaced by the late spring bank holiday
Whit Sunday - the seventh Sunday after Easter, Pentecost, White Sunday
Whitsuntide - the week following Whitsunday
Whitsun (Scotland) - Scottish quarter day on 15th May
Wilfrid - 12 Oct
Wulfstan - 19 Jan
