1st cent. Reference to Easter by St Paul (1 Cor. v. 7 et seqq.). Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. Itaque epulemur, non in fermento veteri ... sed in azymis sinceritatis et veritatis.
2nd cent. The 6th Jan. observed as Christ’s birthday in Alexandria by a section of the Christians.
3rd cent. The Festivals of Easter and Pentecost mentioned by Tertullian (De Bapt., 19) and Origen (C. Cels., 8, 22).
304. Evidence for the Feast of the Epiphany in Thrace.
320. Discovery of the Holy Cross by St Helena. Excerpta lat. Barbari.
321. Constantine the Great, by the law of 3 July, forbids law courts to sit on Sunday (Cod. Theod., 2, 8 de feriis i.).
325. The Ascension mentioned by Eusebius.
326. Death of St Helena at the age of 80, foundress of the churches at Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives.
335. Consecration of the church built by Constantine in Jerusalem on 14th Sept. It was named Martyrium or Anastasis (Euseb., Vita Constant., 3, 25, and 35). The same day is also the Feast ὑψώσεως τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ.
340. Observance in Egypt of the fast of forty days mentioned by St Athanasius.
337-352. Under Pope Julius I., 25th Dec. kept at Rome as Festival of Christ’s Nativity.
354. In Rome, 22nd Feb. kept as Natale Petri de Cathedra, and 29th June as day of the Apostles’ death.
356. Translation of St Timothy’s relics to Constantinople on 1st July (Fasti Idat., Hieron. Chron.).
357. 3rd March, translation of relics of St Andrew and St Luke to the basilica of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (Fasti Idat., Chron. Pasch. Hieron., catal. 7).
360. The Festival of the Epiphany in Gaul mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus.
379. 25th Dec. celebrated for the first time as Christmas in Constantinople by St Gregory Naz.
380. Evidence for Epiphany in Spain (Syn. Sarag., c. 3). Theodosius the Great publishes a law on 27th March forbidding the sittings of law courts during the forty days of Lent.
385-387 (circ.). The Presentation of Christ in the Temple mentioned by the pilgrim from Gaul in Jerusalem; also the feast of the 14th Sept.
370-380 (circ.). Compilation of an Arian Calendar on Martyrology.
386. The Nativity of Christ celebrated for the first time in Antioch on 25th Dec. By a law of 26th Feb., Theodosius forbids unauthorised translations of the bodies of the saints, the dividing into parts of the remains of the martyrs, and all traffic in relics.
386. By the law of 26th Feb., judges of arbitration were forbidden to exercise their functions on Sunday. 20th May games in the circus and theatrical representations were forbidden.
389. Theodosius I. and Valentinian II. publish a law forbidding the law courts to sit for seven days before and seven days after Easter.
394. The relics of the Apostle St Thomas translated to the great church in Edessa (Socrates, Hist. Eccl., 4, 18; Chron. Edess., ed. Assemani).
395. Christmas definitely established in Constantinople.
398. St John Chrysostom chosen patriarch of Constantinople, 26th Feb.
399. Honorius and Arcadius forbid races on Sunday (Cod. Theod., 2, 8, 23).
400. The same emperors forbid games in the circus on Christmas, Epiphany, and during Eastertide.
402. Discovery of the relics of St Stephen, Gamaliel, and Nicodemus by the priest Lucian of Jerusalem at Caphargamala. Some writers date this 5th Dec. 415.
405. The day of the death of SS. Peter and Paul mentioned as an ecclesiastical festival in Rome by Prudentius (Perist., 12).
425. Theodosius extends prohibition of games to Whit-week.
431. Bishop Paul of Emesa mentions that Christmas had been introduced in Alexandria.
348. The patriarch Proclus has the relics of St John Chrysostom brought to Constantinople on 27th Jan.
439. The Empress Eudocia translates the relics of St Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople and lays them in the basilica of St Lawrence, 21st Sept.
440 (circ.). St Leo refers to the Ember fasts in Rome.
448 (circ.). The Calendar of Bishop Polemius Silvius of Sion for Southern Gaul.
452. Discovery of the head of John the Baptist, and its translation to Constantinople on 24th Feb.
470 (circ.). Rogation procession introduced by Mamertus of Vienne.
491. Perpetuus, Bishop of Tours, orders the Advent fast. The two Festivals of the Nativity and Beheading of the Baptist celebrated in Tours.
492. The Festival of SS. Peter and Paul on 29th June adopted in Constantinople.
492-496. Pope Gelasius appoints the ordination of priests to take place at the Embertides.
500 (circ.). The monks of Palestine keep the annual commemoration of the Holy Mother of God (μνημὴ τῆς θεοτόκου) in their monasteries.
504. The Emperor Anastasius has the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew brought to the city of Daras, on the borders of Mesopotamia, which he had fortified.
506. The Council of Agde (canon 63) includes the Nativity of St John Baptist among the festivals of obligation.
534. Justinian I. renews the prohibition against the sittings of the law courts on 25th Dec. and 6th Jan.
542. Candlemas celebrated for the first time in Constantinople on 2nd Feb., and ordered to be observed throughout the empire by Justinian. The patriarch Menas translates the relics of SS. Andrew, Luke, and Timothy to the recently completed basilica of the Apostles in Constantinople.
Before 565. Justinian I. builds a church of St Anne in the second region of Constantinople.
582-602. The three Festivals of Our Lady’s Nativity, Annunciation, and Purification said to have been introduced by the Emperor Maurice.
Sixth cent. The Sundays in Advent to the number of five appear in the Gelasianum.
592-600. Composition of the so-called Martyrologium Hieronymianum.
Before 604. Pope Gregory the Great increases the solemnity of the Litania Major in Rome.
609 or 610. The Emperor Phocas grants the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV., who adapts it as a church, and dedicates it to our Lady and all the Holy Martyrs, on 13th May. Since then it has been called Maria ad Martyres.
629. King Siroes of Persia restores to the Emperor Heraclius the part of the Holy Cross which had been taken from Jerusalem.
650 (circ.). Evidence for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross for Spain in the Lectionary of Silos.
687-701. Pope Sergius I. orders processions (litaniæ) in Rome on the Feasts of the Annunciatio Domini, Dormitio, and Nativitas B.V.M.
731. The Ven. Bede composes his martyrologium.
747. The Embertides legally established in England.
769. The same in Germany.
781 (circ.). The Octava Domini (1st Jan.) appears as the Festum Circumcisionis in the Calendar of Charlemagne.
Between 784 and 791. Under Adrian I., the Sacramentarium Gregorianum sent to the Frankish Empire, and introduced there.
Between 786 and 797. Paul the deacon compiles a Homilarium at the command of Charlemagne.
787. The second Council of Nicæa re-establishes the worship of images.
800 (circ.). Compilation of the Menologium of Constantinople.
Between 827 and 835. Gregory IV. changes the Feast of All the Martyrs (13th May) into a Feast of All Saints, and places it on the 1st Nov.
835. The Emperor Louis the Pious introduces the Feast of All Saints into the Frankish Empire.
Between 902 and 920. The first Sunday after Pentecost kept as a Festival of the Holy Trinity in Liège by Bishop Stephen.
993. The first papal canonisation—that of St Ulrich by Pope John XV.
998. Abbot Odilo of Cluny introduces the Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum (2nd Nov.) in his Order.
10th cent. The Festum Conceptionis B.V.M (8th Dec.) appears in several calendars (e.g. the Neapolitan).
1000-1025. Composition of the Menologium Basilianum.
1068-1071. Adoption of the Roman rite in Aragon under King Sancho Ramirez.
1078. Adoption of the Roman rite in Castile.
1080 (circ.). Gregory VII. fixes the number of Sundays in Advent at four, and suppresses deviations from the Roman custom of observing Advent.
Between 1093-1109. The Festum Conceptionis B.V.M. introduced into England by St Anselm of Canterbury.
1128-29. The Feast of Our Lady’s Conception introduced into some English monasteries.
1140. The same feast introduced at Lyons.
1166. The Emperor Manuel Comnenus puts out an order concerning festivals.
1198. Innocent III. enjoins the Bishop of Worms to celebrate the Festum Conversionis S. Pauli Ap. in his diocese as it is in Rome (Reg., i. 44). In the statutes of the synod held by Bishop Odo of Paris it is enjoined to say the Ave Maria.
Before 1216. Innocent III. regulates the use of liturgical colours.
1247. Corpus Christi celebrated for the first time in Liège.
1260. The Conversion of St Paul adopted in Cologne by Archbishop Conrad von Hochstaden.
1263. The General Chapter of the Franciscans at Pisa enjoins the Feast of Our Lady’s Conception for the whole Order.
1264. The Feast of Our Lady’s Visitation prescribed for the whole Church by Urban IV.
1298. Boniface VIII. raises all festivals of Apostles to the rank of Festa duplicia.
1311. Clement V. at the Synod of Vienne repeats the injunction to celebrate Corpus Christi throughout the Church.
1316. John XXII. repeats and confirms the bull of Urban IV. with regard to Corpus Christi.
1328. The Synod of London appoints the Conceptio B.V.M. as a holy day of obligation for the province.
1334. The Festum SS. Trinitatis enjoined by John XXII. to be kept throughout the Church.
1354. Innocent VI., at the request of the Emperor Charles IV., appoints the Festum Lanceæ et Clavorum.
1371. Gregory XI. institutes the Festum Præsentationis B.V.M.
1389. Urban VI. makes the Festum Visitationis B.V.M. a universal feast for the whole Church.
1408. Chancellor John Gerson finds fault with the number of festivals.
1416. Publication of the book of Nicholas of Clemangis against the increase of holy days.
1423. The Festum VII. Dolorum B.V.M. adopted in Cologne.
1452. The Feast of the Seven Dolors approved by the provincial Synod of Cologne.
1456. Calixtus III., following the precedent of the Greeks, orders the Feast of Our Lord’s Transfiguration to be celebrated on 6th Aug.
1464. The Festival of Our Lady’s Presentation introduced into the Duchy of Saxony, and, in 1468, into the province of Mainz.
1474. Sixtus IV. gives his approval to the public veneration of St Joseph and St Anne.
1477. Sixtus IV. inserts the Conceptio Immaculatæ Virg. Mariæ into the Roman Breviary.
1523. Publication of Luther’s little work on baptism in German.
1536. Cardinal Quiñones, O.S.F., puts out his edition of the Breviary for the use of the secular clergy. It was approved by Clement VII. and Paul III., and widely used, but withdrawn under Pius V. in 1568.
1536-37. The Devotion of the Forty Hours introduced in Milan.
1563. The Council of Trent in its session (xxv.) of 5th Dec. commits to the Pope the final arrangements concerning the details of the Breviary and Missal.
1568. The revised Roman Breviary published.
1570. The revised Roman Missal published.
1582. Reform of the Calendar by Gregory XIII. takes effect on 15th Oct.
1584. Publication by papal bull of 14th Jan. of the official Martyrologium Romanum prepared by Baronius.
1588. Sixtus V. institutes the Congregatio Rituum by the bull Immensa Æterni.
1596. Publication of the Pontificale Romanum.
1602. Clement VIII. takes steps for a revision of the Roman Breviary, and, in 1604, of the Roman Missal.
1608. Paul V. institutes the Feast of the Guardian Angels.
1614. Paul V. publishes the Ritual prepared by the Cardinal of San Severino.
1621. Gregory XV. appoints the 19th March as a Festival of St Joseph for the universal Church.
1631. Urban VIII. proposes a fresh revision of the Breviary.
1634. Revision of the Roman Missal by Urban VIII.
1642. Urban VIII. reduces the number of festivals (in foro) by the bull Universa per orbem.
1644. The Conceptio B.V.M. made a holy day of obligation for Spain.
1666. Archbishop Harduin of Paris suppresses the festivals of three Apostles and St Michael. These feasts were restored by his successor, de Harlay, in 1673.
1668. Publication of Thiers’ book “De Festorum Dierum Imminutione” at Lyons. Commencement of the public worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
1669. Clement IX. institutes the Congregatio Indulgentiarum et SS. Reliquarum.
1683. Innocent XI., at the request of the Emperor Leopold, establishes the Festival of the Name of Mary in commemoration of the relief of Vienna.
1708. The Conceptio B.V.M. appointed a feast in choro of the universal Church.
1721. Pope Innocent XIII., at the request of the Emperor Charles VI., appoints the Feast of the Name of Jesus to be celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany.
1727. Benedict XIII. proposes a further reduction of feast days for Spain.
1741-1747. Commission in Rome, under the presidency of Cardinal Gonzaga, for the improvement of the Breviary. The legends were severely criticised, and much valuable material was collected for future use.
1747. Muratori speaks in favour of the reduction of feast days in his work “Della Regolata Divozione de’ Cristiani.”
1765. Clement XIII. appoints the Feast of the Sacred Heart. M. Gerbert writes his “De Dierum Festorum Numero Minuendo, Celebratione Amplianda. S. Blasian.” Benedict XIV. discusses the same subject (Diss. de Festorum de Præcepto Imminutione. Cf. De Serv. D. Beatif., 4, 2).
1772. New regulations for feast days in Prussia.
1788. Decrease of Catholic festivals in Prussia by Pius VI. This arrangement forms the basis of that now in use.
1802. Concordat with France, by which the feasts falling on week days were reduced to four.
1828. Convention of Leo XII. with Prussia concerning feast days.
1854. Definition of the Conceptio Immaculata and extension of the feast to the whole Church.