Lesser Festival (Church of England)

Lesser Festivals are a type of observance in the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Festival, but more significant than a Commemoration. Whereas Principal Feasts must be celebrated, it is not obligatory to observe Lesser Festivals. They are always attached to a calendar date, and are not observed if they fall on a Sunday, in Holy Week, or in Easter Week. In Common Worship each Lesser Festival is provided with a collect and an indication of liturgical colour.
==Lesser Festivals in the Church of England==
===January===
*2 January: Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishops, Teachers of the Faith, 379 and 389
*12 January: Aelred of Hexham, Abbot of Rievaulx, 1167
*13 January: Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, 367
*17 January: Antony of Egypt, Hermit, Abbot, 356
*19 January: Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095
*21 January: Agnes, Child Martyr at Rome, 304
*24 January: Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher of the Faith, 1622
*26 January: Timothy and Titus, Companions of Paul
*28 January: Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Philosopher, Teacher of the Faith, 1274
*30 January: Charles, King and Martyr, 1649
===February===
*3 February: Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary in Denmark and Sweden, 865
*14 February: Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869 and 885
*17 February: Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr, 1977
*23 February: Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c 155
*27 February: George Herbert, Priest, Poet, 1633
===Other examples===
*17 March: Patrick, Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c 460
*10 April: William Law, Priest, Spiritual Writer, 1761
*20 May: Alcuin of York, Deacon, Abbot of Tours, 804
*16 June: Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253
*11 July: Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, Father of Western Monasticism, c 550
*20 August: Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, Teacher of the Faith, 1153
*13 September: John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 407
*25 September: Lancelot Andrewes, overseer of the King James Version of the Bible
*4 October: Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226
*20 November: Edmund, King of the East Angles, Martyr, 870
*13 December: Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304
==Sources==
* Common Worship - Daily Prayer
* Oremus (Let us pray) web site
==See also==
*Calendar of saints (Church of England)
*Principal Feast
*Principal Holy Day
*Festival (Church of England)
*Commemoration (observance)
Category:Christian festivals and holy days
Category:Church of England festivals