Christianity - Festivals & Pilgrimage (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Festivals in Christianity are an important time to remember religious events and to come together for a public act of worship

There are several Christian festivals that provide time for Christians to reflect and celebrate their faith

The two most commonly celebrated festivals are Christmas and Easter

Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, advent means ‘coming’ or ‘drawing near’

• Christians use this period to prepare themselves for Christmas, the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Jesus

• In many churches and chapels one candle is lit on each of the four Sundays during Advent

Christmas, which means ‘Christ’s Mass’ is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and is celebrated on December 25th

• Lots of Catholics, Orthodox and Anglican churches have a Midnight Mass to welcome Christmas Day

• Most Christians go to church on Christmas morning to celebrate

• Church services will include prayers, a sermon and the singing of Christmas Carols

• Some churches may re-create the Nativity scene to commemorate the occasion

• Many churches hold services in the days after Christmas until Epiphany (6th of January)

• Christmas commemorates the Incarnation of Jesus or the belief that God became human in Jesus

The Easter festival lasts over 40 days. Starting with Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and then onto Ash Wednesday the start of Lent

• Lent is the period before Easter when Christians remember their sins

• This is called penitence.

• It used to be a time of fasting but today people often give up something they enjoy

• Lent commemorates the 40 days and nights that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness

• On Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) ash is put on the forehead of believers to show they are sorry for their sins

Easter helps Christians to remember the sacrifice of Jesus through His crucifixion and resurrection

Easter reminds Christians that God loves them so much he was willing to suffer and die on the cross. This gives them hope of eternal life and salvation

The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian faith. For most Chrsitians Easter is the most important festival

The period around Easter is called Holy Week. During this week, Christians remember the events from the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem to the day of his resurrection

Pilgrimage is a journey by a believer to a holy site for religious reasons

Pilgrimage in itself is an act of worship and devotion

In Christianity it is not compulsory however; they are special places for Christians and help build individuals spirituality

There are many reasons why somewhere is identified as significant within Christianity

• Some Christians might visit Jerusalem because there are places which relate to the life and death of Jesus

• Roman Catholics might visit Rome because it is where the Pope (the head of the Catholic Church) lives

There are many reasons why a pilgrimage might be important for Christians

• The Bible tells the story of Jesus and his parents making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Christians may want to follow in their footsteps

• Some Christians believe that some pilgrimage sites will help them to heal (physically or spiritually)

• The reason may be to ask God for forgiveness

• It could be to deepen their faith or concentrate more on their religion

• Christians may also want to strengthen the community of Christians by meeting others with the same beliefs

• Some Christians (Catholics) make pilgrimage to shrines where they believe Mary has appeared. For example, Lourdes

• Other Christians (Protestants) may visit places where they can find peace to be able to study the bible and pray. For example, Iona

• Some Christians believe that pilgrimage is unnecessary. They believe that the internal spiritual journey is more important than any external visit to a holy place

Lourdes is an example of a pilgrimage that Roman Catholics go to seek healing

• Lourdes is a town in southwestern France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains

• Catholics believe that at Lourdes in 1850 ta 14 year old girl called Bernadette Soubirous had 18 visions of the Virgin Mary

• A Bishop carried out an enquiry into the reliability of her claims and found the number of people healed from the water and her explanations of the visions meant it must be true

• A spring of water appeared and miraculous healings are said to have taken place.

• About 2 million people each year visit Lourdes and many of them are sick or disabled

• Even though only a small number are thought to have been physically healed, most return from their visit to Lourdes with a deep sense of God’s love and peace

• Not all Catholics go to Lourdes to experience healing or miraculous cures. Others go to:

  • Be cleansed from sin

  • Bathe in the water to symbolise baptism

  • Some go to pray at a holy site

  • Feel the religious atmosphere

  • Praise God

  • Have a vision or religious experience

Iona is a tiny island off the southwest coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides

• In 563 AD Columba arrived in Iona with 12 followers, built his first Celtic church and established a monastic community

• Iona has since become a place of pilgrimage and retreat for many Christians of numerous denominations

• Iona is a symbol of Christian unity. It shows that different Christian groups can live, work and worship together

• The community must follow the ‘rules’ of the community wherever they are which include, taking part in regular acts of worship, sharing what they have with others, meeting with other members of the community, helping out by doing chores and preparing meals

• There is a time for silence, for reflection or meditation, for reading the Bible or holy books, and for enjoying the areas natural beauty

• Christians who visit Iona hope to grow spiritually and strengthen their faith