Cultural aspects in Christian and Islamic religions - unesdoc - Unesco

26
Months of the
Churches Calendar
in General
There are twelve months in the Christian calendar:
January, 31 days; February 28 days and 29 in leap
years; March, 31 days; April, 30 days; May, 31
days; June, 30 days; July 31 days; August, 31 days;
September 30 days; October 31 days; November
30 days; and December 31 days.
The Latin Church bases its liturgy on the different
months, some of which are consecrated to specific
remembrances. To cite only a few as examples: the
month of March is consecrated to Saint Joseph;
the month of May to Virgin Mary; the month of
June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the month
of November to the faithful departed.
Eastern Churches, on the other hand, base their
liturgy – namely Syriac liturgy – on liturgical
periods: Christmas time; Epiphany, Aldenh time 1
time of fasting; Passion Week; Resurrection;
Pentecost 2 ; the time of the Cross.
As for the Byzantine traditional liturgical year, it
is based on three Seasons: Advent, Easter Season,
and Kingdom Tide [Al-Ta’lih].
Moreover, Eastern Catholic Churches introduced
to their liturgy some Latin practices, namely the
month of May consecrated to honor Virgin Mary.
1 See page 43.
2 See page 62.
Sanctuary of our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
The Month of May:
Honoring Virgin Mary
The whole month of May (in the Catholic Church)
is consecrated to reviving the practices of honoring
Virgin Mary, which is a tradition that dates back
to the end of the Eighteenth Century. The link
between the month of May and honoring Virgin
Mary appeared in religious literature as early as
the Thirteenth Century when poets celebrated
the Beauty of the Virgin and compared this beauty
to that of flowers in the month of May. Beautiful
flower crowns were placed on the Statue of the
Virgin, in churches as well as in homes. These
popular practices went on until the year 1784 when
the month of May took on its actual celebration
aspect. It gradually spread from Rome to the rest
of Italy then to all the Catholics around the world.
In Lebanon, the celebration of Mary in this month
started in the year 1850. During this month, people
contemplate the life of Virgin Mary and make – as
much possible – visits, both individually and in
groups, to some sites built in her memory, especially
Sayyidat Lubnan (Our Lady of Lebanon) in Harissa,
where Masses are held and prayers are said all day.