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Can anyone tell me what colour the altar cloth should be?

12 replies

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 22/04/2014 10:06

I am in charge of the collective worship at my school. Just come back to school and still have the Lent purple cloth on the table. I think that the altar cloth should be green now, while my head teacher says she has checked online and it should be gold. Who is right?

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Purplehulk · 22/04/2014 10:19

White or gold, as we are in Easter season which lasts until Pentecost (then it's red)

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LaBelleDameSansPatience · 22/04/2014 10:51

Oops ... she was right! Thank you ... how long does the Pentecost one stay on? Is it only for Sunday 8 June or does it stay on longer?

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deepinthewoods · 22/04/2014 12:57

Is this a faith school?

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DrankSangriaInThePark · 22/04/2014 13:07

Pentecost is just one day.

Easter as a liturgical period lasts until then. So gold/yellow/beige until the red tablecloth day. Then it goes back, IIRC to "ordinary time" which is green.

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LaBelleDameSansPatience · 22/04/2014 14:04

Yes, it is a CofE school and obviously I should know ...
Thank you, Sangria; won't need to buy a red one then!

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niminypiminy · 22/04/2014 18:18

Sangria is not quite correct. During Easter season the colour is white, definitely not gold or yellow -- this is only for major festivals.

So, if you have an altar set every day, you will need white until Thursday 29 May, which is Ascension Day (though this is in half term this year) when it should be gold/yellow, and white again after that. If you celebrate saint's days (optional), then your optional colour should be red on 28 April (St George), 29 April (St Mark) 1 May (SS Philip and James) 14 May (Matthias). You then continue white until Pentecost (8 June), which is red, and after that you are, as Sangria says, in Ordinary Time, and your cloth should be green.

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DrankSangriaInThePark · 22/04/2014 18:24

Oooh, interesting- our (RC Italy) priest was most definitely in gold on Sunday (dd is altar girl) and cloth was off yellowish. Just googled and the gold/yellow can replace any of the other colours, on the priest's whim. His white frockery must have been at the cleaner's!