The Calendar

The Calendar from the Book of Common Prayer contains a number of so-called "fixed feast days".

The Holy Days, the so-called "Red Letter Days" printed in bold. The other days, the so-called "Black Letter Days" are Minor Feasts. The 1962 Book of Common Prayer added many of these Minor Feasts to the Calendar. Some of these feasts were considered "obsure" in their origins, and were printed in square brackets. 

January

1   The Octave Day of Christmas
and Circumcision of our Lord, being New Year’s Day.
6   The Epiphany of our Lord
with commemoration of his Baptism in the Octave.
10   William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr 1645.
12   Benedict Biscop, Abbot and Scholar, 689.
John Horden, Missionary, first Bishop of Moosonee, 1893.
13   The Octave Day of the Epiphany.
Hilary, Doctor, Bishop of Poitiers, France, 368.
19   Henry, Missionary, Bishop in Finland, 1150.
21   [Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, Rome, c. 304.]
22   Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Spain, c. 304.
24   St Timothy and St Titus, Apostolic men.
25   The Conversion of St Paul.
26   Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Apostolic man, Martyr 155 or 156.
27   John Chrysostom, Doctor, Bishop of Constantinople, 407.
30   Charles Stuart, King, beheaded 1649.

February

2   The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
3   Anskar, Missionary, first Bishop in Sweden, 864.
11   Caedmon, first recorded Christian Poet in England, c. 680.
14   [Valentine, Bishop and Martyr.]
23   Lindel Tsen, Bishop in China, consecrated 1929; and
Paul Sasaki, Bishop in Japan, consecrated 1935.
24   St Matthias the Apostle.
27   George Herbert, Pastor and Poet, 1633.

March

1   St David of Wales, Archbishop of Menevia, c. 544.
2   Chad, Missionary and first Bishop of Lichfield, 672.
John Wesley, Preacher, 1791; Charles Wesley, Poet, 1788.
6   Perpetua and her companions, Martyrs, Africa, 203.
7   Thomas Aquinas, Doctor and Poet, 1274.
12   Gregory the Great, Doctor, Bishop of Rome, 604.
17   St Patrick of Ireland, Missionary and Bishop, 461.
19   St Joseph of Nazareth, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Poet, 1711.
20   Cuthbert, Missionary, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 687.
21   Benedict, Abbot of Monte Cassino, Italy, c. 540.
Thomas Cranmer, Translator and Reviser of the Liturgy, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr 1556.
25   The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
29   John Keble of Oxford, Scholar and Poet, 1866.

April

2   Henry Budd, first North American Indian to be ordained to the ministry, 1850.
3   Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253.
Reginald Heber, Bishop in India, Poet, 1826.
4   Ambrose, Doctor and Poet, Bishop of Milan, 397.
11   Leo the Great, Doctor, Bishop of Rome, 461.
19   Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr 1012.
21   Anselm, Doctor, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1109.
23   St George of England, Martyr c. 304.
25   St Mark the Evangelist.

May

1   St Philip and St James the Apostles.
St James the Brother of the Lord, Martyr 62.
2   Athanasius, Doctor, Bishop of Alexandria, 373.
4   Monnica, the mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387.
9   Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor, Bishop of Constantinople, 389.
11   Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs, 885.
12   Florence Nightingale, Nurse, 1910.
19   Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988.
20   The Council of Nicaea, 325.
25   Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne, Scholar and Poet, 709.
26   Augustine, Missionary, first Archbishop of Canterbury 597-605.
27   Bede, Presbyter, Doctor and Historian, 735.
30   Joan of Arc. 1431.

June

1   Justin Martyr, Doctor, c. 165.
5   Boniface, Missionary, Bishop of Mainz, Germany, Martyr 754.
9   Columba, Abbot of Iona: Ireland and Scotland, 597.
11   St Barnabas the Apostle.
14   Basil the Great, Doctor, Bishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia, 379.
22   Alban, first recorded Martyr in Britain, c. 304.
24   The Nativity of St John the Baptist.
28   Irenaeus, Doctor, Bishop of Lyons, France, c. 200.
29   St Peter and St Paul the Apostles, Martyrs c. 64.

July

1   The Octave Day of St John the Baptist
Confederation of Canada
2   The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth.
6   The Octave Day of St Peter and St Paul
Thomas More, Chancellor of England, Martyr 1535.
9   Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1228.
15   Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, c. 862.
20   [Margaret, Virgin and Martyr, Antioch of Pisidia.]
22   St Mary Magdalene.
25   St James the Apostle, Martyr 44.
26   [St Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.]
29   Olaf, King of Norway, Martyr 1030.
William Wilberforce, Emancipator of the Slaves, 1833.

August

1   Lammas Day.
The Maccabean Martyrs.
5   Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr 641.
6   The Transfiguration of our Lord.
7   The Name of Jesus.
10   Laurence, Archdeacon of Rome, Martyr 258.
12   Charles Inglis, first Anglican Bishop in Canada, consecrated 1787.
13   Hippolytus, Doctor, Bishop in Rome, Martyr 235.
Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, Ireland, 1667.
15   The Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
20   Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, France, Doctor and Poet, 1153.
24   St Bartholomew the Apostle.
28   Augustine, Doctor, Bishop of Hippo, Africa, 430.
Robert McDonald, Missionary in the Western Arctic, 1913.
29   The Beheading of St John the Baptist.
31   Aidan, Missionary, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 651.

September

1   Giles, Abbot, southern France, c. 720.
3   Robert Wolfall, Presbyter.
First recorded Anglican Communion Service in Canada, Frobisher Bay, 1578.
8   The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
10   Edmund James Peck, Missionary to the Eskimo, 1924.
13   Cyprian, Doctor, Bishop of Carthage, Martyr 258.
First General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1893.
14   Holy Cross Day.
16   Ninian, Missionary, first Bishop in Galloway, Scotland, c. 430.
19   Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690.
20   John Coleridge Patteson, Missionary, first Bishop of Melanesia, Martyr 1871.
21   St Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist.
25   Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, Translator of the Scriptures, 1626.
29   St Michael and All Angels.
30   Jerome, Doctor, Presbyter in Rome and Bethlehem, Translator of the Scriptures, 420.

October

1   Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, France, c. 530.
4   Francis of Assisi, 1226.
6   William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures into English, Martyr 1536.
9   St Denys of France, first Bishop of Paris, Martyr 272.
Robert Grosseteste, Scholar, Bishop of Lincoln, 1253.
10   Paulinus, Missionary, Archbishop of York, 644.
11   St Philip of Caesarea, Apostolic man.
13   Edward the Confessor, King, Westminster, 1066.
16   Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, Bishops, Martyrs 1555.
17   Etheldreda, or Audrey, Queen, Abbess of Ely, 679.
18   St Luke the Evangelist.
25   [Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs 285.]
26   Cedd, Missionary, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664.
Alfred, King of the West Saxons, 899.
28   St Simon the Zealot and St Jude, the Apostles.
St Jude the Brother of the Lord.
29   James Hannington, Missionary and Bishop, Martyr 1885.

November

1   All Saints.
2   All Souls: Commemoration of the Faithful Departed.
Richard Hooker, Doctor of the Church of England, 1600.
7   Willibrord, Missionary, Bishop of Utrecht, Holland, 739.
8   The Octave Day of All Saints: The Founders, Benefactors, and Missionaries of the Church in Canada.
11   Martin, Bishop of Tours, France, c. 397.
13   Charles Simeon of Cambridge, Pastor, 1836.
16   Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200.
Margaret, Queen of Scotland, 1093.
17   Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680.
20   Edmund, King of East Anglia, Martyr 870.
22   [Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, Rome.]
23   Clement, Apostolic man, Bishop of Rome, c. 100.
25   [Catherine, Virgin and Martyr, Alexandria.]
30   St Andrew the Apostle.

December

4   Clement of Alexandria, Doctor, c. 210.
6   [Nicolas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342.]
8   The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
16   O Sapientia: an ancient Advent anthem.
17   Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr in Rome c. 115.
21   St Thomas the Apostle.
25   The Nativity of our Lord: Christmas Day.
26   St Stephen the Martyr.
27   St John the Apostle and Evangelist.
28   The Innocents.
29   Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1170.
30   John Wycliffe of Oxford, Scholar, Translator of the Scriptures into English, 1384.
31   John West, Missionary, Red River, Canada, 1845.