Descriptions of Christian Holidays and Observances

All Saints' Day (Christian)
November 1 is a day of remembrance for all the saints of the Christian church. It is a time for acknowledging the "saints," who have no day on the official church calendar, and for remembering local congregation members, family members and neighbors who died during the preceding year.

Ascension (Christian)
Forty days after Easter, Ascension observes the ascension into Heaven of the resurrected Jesus. Christian writings record that the resurrected Jesus was seen by many of his followers. On this day, they watched as Jesus was lifted up into the clouds.

Ash Wednesday (Christian)
The season of Lent consists of the 40 days before Easter. It is patterned after the time Jesus spent 40 days in the desert and was tempted by the Devil. This is a season during which Christians reflect on their own temptations and sins. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a day of confession. In ancient Israel, ashes were poured over the head of the faithful as a symbol of contrition. Christian observances of Ash Wednesday often include the imposition of ashes on the forehead of believers.

Epiphany (Christian)
Often referred to as the "Twelfth Day of Christmas," Epiphany is the day on which the church acknowledges the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican Christian)
One of Mexico's most important religious holidays, it commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1531 to a young Indian man named Juan Diego. This occurred on a hilltop near Mexico City called Tepeyac (widely known as Guadalupe). Millions of people annually visit the church now on
this site.