Oct 292008
Days designated for giving special honor to God, to the Saviour, to saints, and to holy things. Some are fixed festivals, each having a certain day of the year assigned to it. Others are movable, occurring earlier or later in different years. Festivals are also divided into
- holy days of obligation – the faithful are required to assist at Mass and abstain from unnecessary servile work
- ordinary festivals – the Church merely observes the feast in her Office and Mass
Festivals are also arranged in three classes, according to their importance
- doubles
- semi-doubles
- simples
Certain days when the Church does not honor any saint are called ferials (feria, a weekday). Some great festivals have octaves, which extend the solemnity of the feast through eight days; and some have vigils, in which the observance of the feast is begun on the preceding day.