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'A '''solemnity''' is the highest ranking [[feast day]] in the [[liturgical calendar]] of the [[Latin Church]], commemorating an event in the life of [[Jesus]], his mother [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Mary]], or another important [[saint]]. The observance begins with the [[vigil#Eves of religious celebrations|vigil]] on the evening before the actual date of the feast. Unlike feast days of the rank of feast or memorial, solemnities replace the celebration of [[Sunday]]s outside of Advent, Lent and Easter.<ref name=UN59>Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 59</ref> The word comes from [[Latin]] ''sollemnitas'', derived from ''sollus'' (whole) and ''annus'' (year), indicating an annual celebration.<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dsollemnis Lewis and Short, ''sollemnis'']</ref> ==List and dates== The solemnities inscribed in the [[General Roman Calendar]] and which are therefore observed throughout the [[Latin Church]] are indicated in the following list. {| class="wikitable" |- valign=top ! Date ! Solemnity ! Notes about date |- |1 January |[[Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God|Mary, Mother of God]] |Octave of Christmas, Circumcision of the Lord, New Year's Day |- |6 January |[[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany of the Lord]] |If not a [[holy day of obligation]], transferred to the Sunday between 2 January and 8 January inclusive |- |19 March |[[Saint Joseph's Day|Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] |If the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, where observed as a holy day of obligation, coincides with [[Palm Sunday]], it is, by exception to the general rule, anticipated to Saturday 18 March; where not observed as a holy day of obligation, the [[episcopal conference]] may transfer it to a date outside of Lent.<ref>Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 56</ref> |- |25 March |[[Annunciation|Annunciation of the Lord]] |If the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord falls on any day of Holy Week, it is always transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter (30 March to 9 April).<ref name=UN60/> |- |(22 March to 25 April) |[[Easter|Resurrection of the Lord (Easter)]] |Concludes the [[Paschal Triduum]] that commemorates also the last supper, passion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. See [[Computus]] for date computation. Begins [[Octave of Easter]], eight consecutive days celebrated as one continuous solemnity, ending 29 March to 2 May). |- |Thursday after the Sixth Sunday of Easter (40th day of Eastertide - 30 April to 3 June) |[[Ascension of the Lord]] |If not a [[holy day of obligation]], transferred to replace the Seventh Sunday of Easter (3 May to 6 June) |- |50th day of Eastertide (10 May to 13 June) |[[Pentecost]] |(Whitsunday); always on a Sunday |- |Sunday after Pentecost (17 May to 20 June) |[[Trinity Sunday]] | |- |Thursday after Trinity Sunday (21 May to 24 June) |[[Corpus Christi (feast)|Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ]] |"Corpus Christi"; in some dioceses, celebrated on the following Sunday (24 May to 27 June). |- |Friday (8 days after Corpus Christi Thursday, 5 days after Corpus Christi Sunday) (29 May to 2 July) |[[Sacred Heart|Most Sacred Heart of Jesus]] | |- |24 June |[[Nativity of Saint John the Baptist]] | |- |29 June |[[Feast of Saints Peter and Paul|Saints Peter and Paul]] | |- |15 August |[[Assumption of Mary]] | |- |1 November |[[All Saints]] | |- |Last Sunday before Advent (20–26 November) |[[Feast of Christ the King|Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe]] |Replaces 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time |- |8 December |[[Feast of the Immaculate Conception|Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] | |- |25 December |[[Christmas|Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)]] | |} ===Proper solemnities=== There are also solemnities not inscribed in the General Roman Calendar, which are observed in particular places, regions, churches or [[religious institute]]s. The feast of [[Saint Patrick]] on 17 March is a solemnity in Ireland, the feast of [[Saint Josemaría Escrivá]] on 26 June is a solemnity within the prelature of [[Opus Dei]], and the feast of [[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] on 16 July is a solemnity for the [[Carmelites]]. The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar indicates the proper solemnities as follows: :The solemnity of the principal patron of the place, city or state :The solemnity of the dedication and of the anniversary of dedication of one's own church :The solemnity of the title of one's own church :The solemnity either of the title, or of the founder, or of the principal patron of a [[religious institute]]<ref name=UN59/> ==Observance== The [[Nicene Creed|Creed]] is recited at Mass, and there are two [[lection|scriptural readings]], not one, before the [[Gospel (liturgy)|Gospel]]. Some but not all solemnities are also [[holy day of obligation|holy days of obligation]], on which, as on mondays, Catholics are required to attend [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] and to avoid work and business that hinder divine worship or suitable relaxation of mind and body.<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4N.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 1247]</ref> All holy days of obligation have the rank of solemnity at least at local level, though not necessarily holding that rank in the General Roman Calendar. With the exception of the solemnity of the birth of John the Baptist, all the solemnities inscribed in the General Roman Calendar are mentioned as holy days of obligation in [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4N.HTM canon 1246] of the Code of Canon Law, but are not necessarily all observed in a particular country. When a solemnity falls on a Friday, the obligation to [[Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church|abstain]] from meat or some other food as determined by the episcopal conference does not apply.<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 1251]</ref> == See also == * [[Liturgical year]] * [[Holy day of obligation]] * [[Octave (liturgical)]] * [[Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church]] * [[Afterfeast]] == References == <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.universalis.com/-500/calendar.htm#0 Universalis] Liturgical calendar of the [[Roman Rite]] with the texts of the [[Liturgy of the Hours]] and of the readings at Mass. * [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14133a.htm "Solemnity"] article from ''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' (1912) * [http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/2008cal.pdf] Liturgical calendar for the year 2008 in the United States of America [[Category:Catholic holy days]] [[de:Hochfest]] [[es:Solemnidad]] [[fr:Solennité]] [[it:Solennità]] [[la:Sollemnitas]] [[nl:Hoogfeest]] [[pl:Uroczystość liturgiczna]]'