| Sexagesima | |
|---|---|
_(BM_1940%2c0617.16).jpg) Illustration of theParable of the Sower for Sexagesima | |
| Liturgical color | Violet |
| Significance | Preparation forLent |
| Date | Second Sunday beforeAsh Wednesday (56 calendar days before Easter Sunday) |
| 2024 date | February 4 |
| 2025 date | February 23 |
| 2026 date | February 8 |
| 2027 date | January 31 |
| Related to | Pre-Lent |
| Liturgical seasons |
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Sexagesima/sɛksəˈdʒɛsɪmə/, or, in full,Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday beforeAsh Wednesday in the pre-1970Roman Riteliturgical calendar of theCatholic Church, and also in that of someProtestant denominations, particularly those withLutheran andAnglican origins. Sexagesima falls withinpre-Lent.
At Sexagesima, individuals are encouraged to evaluate their current spiritual state and prepare themselves to enter the season ofLent. Such preparations can include confession and such reflections as would be profitable and in keeping with the themes ofSeptuagesima.[1]
The name "Sexagesima" is derived from theLatinsexagesimus, meaning "sixtieth", and appears to be a back-formation ofQuinquagesima, the term formerly used to denote the last Sunday before Lent. The latter name alluding to the fact that there are fifty days between that Sunday and Easter, if one counts both days themselves in the total as was the usual custom of the Roman Empire.
Through the same process, the Sunday before Sexagesima Sunday was formerly known asSeptuagesima Sunday, and marked the start of thePre-Lenten Season which eventually became the time forcarnival celebrations throughoutEurope. This custom was later exported to places settled or colonized by Europeans.
WhileQuinquagesima (50th day) is mathematically correct, allowing for the inclusive counting, Sexagesima andSeptuagesima are only approximations. The exact number of days are 57 and 64 respectively. The earliest Sexagesima can occur is January 25 and the latest is February 28, or February 29 in aleap year.
The1662Book of Common Prayer, used in some Anglican provinces, retains Sexagesima Sunday (along withSeptuagesima andQuinquagesima),[2] as do the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer[3] and the 1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer.[4]
 | This sectionis missing information about original and current traditionalist observations. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(February 2021) |
Following theSecond Vatican Council, Sexagesima and the other pre-Lent Sundays were eliminated in the newRoman Catholic liturgical calendar. These reforms went into effect in 1970. Most provinces of theAnglican Communion later followed in abolishing Sexagesima and the other pre-Lent Sundays, though they are retained wherever thePrayer Book Calendar is followed. The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its references to Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima, continues to be observed in some communities.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| Sundays of theEaster cycle | ||
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| Preceded by | Sexagesima February 23, 2025 | Succeeded by |
