Free Printable Liturgical Year Colors and Seasons Chart

About these liturgical year handouts

The Church year is a second calendar that runs beside the civil one. It begins with Advent, moves through Christmas, a first stretch of Ordinary Time, Lent, the Easter Triduum, the Easter season, and then a long second stretch of Ordinary Time that ends the year. Each season has a color that appears on the priest's vestments and the church hangings, so students can often tell the season by looking at the altar.

This chart shows the seasons as a ring and as a table. The ring is not to scale, because the length of each season changes from year to year with the date of Easter. The table gives the color, the start point and the length or end point of each season, and notes that rose may replace violet on two Sundays. It follows the Roman Catholic calendar; other churches that keep the Church year vary in details.

The chart works best as a wall reference in a religion classroom, next to the class calendar. Ask students to find the current season, name its color, and say what the church looks like. Pair it with an Advent or Lenten activity so that the colors connect to what the class is doing. The chart does not list feast days or holy days of obligation, which vary by country and diocese.

How to use them

1. Hang the chart where students can see it during religion class.
2. Find the current season on the ring and read its color from the table.
3. Visit your church or look at a photo of the altar and compare the color.
4. Have students color a copy of the ring in the correct colors.
5. Update a class calendar each time the season changes.

Classroom tips

• Take students into the church at the start of each season to see what changed since the last visit.
• Use colored paper chains or classroom decorations in the season's color as a reminder.
• Ask students to predict the next season and color before you turn the page on the calendar.
• Mark the date of Easter on the class calendar early, since it sets the dates of Lent and Pentecost.

Notes on this page

• This chart follows the Roman Catholic calendar. The ring is not to scale: season lengths change each year.
• This chart has not been independently checked against a primary source. It is provided for informational purposes only. Please do your own research to verify it.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Handout Hero designs are original and made for this site. They are general reference material; check your own school, district or tradition where it matters.