Vocabulary: Feast Days

This is a list of names of various dates used by scribes in German documents. Historically, both Protestant and Catholic records sometimes recorded dates using feast day nomenclature. After the 19th century, you will generally only find them used by Catholic scribes, if at all. Given here are common feast days in both their German and Latin variants, with an English translation and when that day would occur.

These feast days correspond to both moveable and fixed dates. The moveable dates may be found with an Easter day calendar or historical calendar to determine the actual Gregorian date. Additionally, not all dates in researched documents will use the Gregorian calendar; it may also be necessary to use a Julian to Gregorian date converter (generally if you are working with Protestant records from before 1752). For more information on the transition from Julian to Gregorian calendars please reference the Wikipedia page of adoption dates of the Gregorian calendar by country.

Date	German	Latin	English	Examples
1 January	Beschneidung Christi	Circumcisio Christi	Circumcision of our Lord
6 January	Epiphanie/ Erscheinung or Dreikönigsfest/ Dreikönigstag/ Helilige Drei Könige/ Heiligedreikönigstag	Epiphaniae	Epiphany or Three Kings day
9th Sunday before Easter	Siebzigster Tag vor Ostern	Septuagesima	Septuagesima
8th Sunday before Easter	Sechzigster Tag vor Ostern	Sexagesima	Sexagesima
7th Sunday before Easter	Fünfzigster Tag vor Ostern	Quinquasgesima	Quinquasgesima
25 January	Pauli Bekehrung	Conversio	Conversion of St. Paul
2 February	Darstellung des Herrn	Praesentatio Domini Nostrum	Presentation of our Lord
24 February	Matthäus	Sancti Matthiae	St. Matthew
46 days before Easter	Aschermitwoch	Dies Cinerum	Ash Wednesday
40 days before Easter	Fastenzeit	Quadragesima	Lent
6 weeks before Easter	1. Sonntag der Fastenzeit	I Bordarum, Invocavit, In Capite Jejunii	To call out; 1st Sunday in Lent
5 weeks before Easter	2. Sonntag der Fastenzeit	II Reminiscere	To Remember; 2nd Sunday in Lent
4 weeks before Easter	3. Sonntag der Fastenzeit	III Oculi	The Eyes; 3rd Sunday in Lent
3 weeks before Easter	4. Sonntag der Fastenzeit	IV Laetare	To Rejoice; 4th Sunday in Lent
2 weeks before Easter	Passionsonntag	Judica	Passion Sunday; 5th Sunday in Lent
1 week before Easter	Palmsonntag	Palmarum	Palm Sunday; 6th Sunday in Lent
the Week leading up to Easter	Karwoche	Sanctum Sabbati	Holy Week
Thursday before Easter	Gründonnerstag	Jovis Sanctae, Cenae, Domini	Maundy Thursday
Friday before Easter	Karfreitag	Veneris Sanctae, Passionis, Domini	Good Friday
Saturday before Easter	Samstag	Sabbati Sanctae, Vigiliae, Paschali	Easter Eve
Easter Sunday	Ostern	Paschae	Easter Sunday
Easter (as a season)	Osternzeit	Paschae	Easter time
1 week after Easter	So wie Neugeborene	I Quasimodogeniti	Rebirth 2nd Sunday of Easter
2 weeks after Easter	Barmherzig	II Misericordias Domini	Mercy 3rd Sunday of Easter
3 weeks after Easter	Jubeln	III Jubilate	Rejoice 4th Sunday of Easter
4 weeks after Easter	Singen	IV Cantate	Sing 5th Sunday of Easter
5 weeks after Easter	Juncanditachs	V Rogate­/Vocem Juncunditatis	I will call 6th Sunday of Easter
6 weeks after Easter	Erhöre	VI Exaudi	Hear me 7th Sunday of Easter
25 March	Verkündigung Maria	Annuntiatio	Annunciation
40 days after Easter	Himmelfahrt Christi	Ascensionis	Ascension Thursday
25 April	Markus	Marcus	Saint Mark
1 May	Philippus und Jacobus	Sanctorum Jacobi et Philippi Apostolorum	St. Philip and St. James
50 days after Easter	Pfingsten	penthecostes	Pentecost, Whit Sunday
8 weeks after Easter	Dreieinigkeitsfest	Trinitatis	Trinity 8th Sunday of Easter
24 June	Johannes der Täufer	Nativitatis Beati Johannis Baptistae	John the Baptist
29 June	Petrus und Paulus	Sanctorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum	St. Peter and St. Paul
2 July	Heimsuchung Mariä	Visitationis Beatissimae Mariae Virginis	Visitation of Mary
25 July	Jakobus der Ältere	Sancti Jacobi Apostoli	St. James the Elder
6 August	Umgestaltung, Verklärung	transfiguratio	Transfiguration
15 August	Himmelfahrt Maria	Assumptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis	Assumption of Mary
24 August	Bartholomäus	Sancti Bartholomaei Apostoli	St. Bartholomew
21 September	Matthäus	Sancti Matthaei Apostoli, Evangelistae	St. Matthew
29 September	Michael	Sancti Michaelis Archangeli	St. Michael and All Angels
18 October	Lucas	Sancti Lucae Evangelistae	St. Luke
28 October	Simeon und Judas	Sanctorum Simonis et Judae Apostolorum	St. Simeon and St. Jude
31 October	Reformations-Fest		Reformation day
1 November	Allerseelen, Allerheiligen	Omnium Sanctorum	All Saints Day
30 November	Andreas	Sancti Andreae	St. Andrew
4 Sundays before Christmas	1. Advent Sonntag oder Adventssonntag	Ad te levavi	1st Advent Sunday
3 Sundays before Christmas	2. Advent Sonntag	Populus Sion	2nd Advent Sunday
2 Sundays before Christmas	3. Advent Sonntag	Gaudete	3rd Advent Sunday
1 Sunday before Christmas	4. Advent Sonntag	Rorate	4th Advent Sunday
21 December	Thomas	Sancti Thomae Apostoli	St. Thomas
25 December	Weihnachts	Nativitatis Domini	Christmas
26 December	Stephanus	Sancti Stephani	St. Stephen
27 December	Johannes	Sancti Johannis	St. John
28 December	Unschuldige Kindlein	Innocentium Festum	Holy Innocents