Festival Services
The Christian tradition allows for many personal events to be celebrated within
services including
baptism,
confirmation,
weddings and
funerals.
There are also some other special services held throughout the year
to commemorate events and to celebrate aspects of life. We welcome the
opportunities given to us in sharing the joy of such occasions.
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Candlemass
Traditionally we celebrate Candlemass (or Candlemas) forty days after Christmas (February 2nd). This is when
Mary would have presented herself and Jesus at the temple. A woman was supposed to bring a year-old lamb and a
pigeon or dove for the priest at the end of her purification. It is probable that Joseph and Mary were not
particularly wealthy since Mary offered a pair of doves.
During this service candles are often lit to remember the purification of the Virgin Mary, although this
tradition may be based on an older celebration based on the fact that this date is half-way through winter.
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Ash Wednesday - The Imposition of the Ashes
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, and is so named after the practice of imposing ashes, a ritual where ashes are used to mark
penitence of sinners,
around the middle of Lent.
At St Mary's, Mothering Sunday is a celebration of family life; the children come forward and collect flowers to take
home after communion has completed.
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Lady Day
Lady Day is the Christian festival marking the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th. This is when
the archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a child. This date is nine months before the
Winter Solstice and Christmas.
Until 1752, Lady Day was also New Year's Day, using the Julian Calendar. Years A.D. were reckoned
from the moment of Incarnation, considered as the conception, rather than the birth of Jesus. The UK
tax system still
retains this as the start of the year, April 6th, although with slight modification for days lost when
the calendar changed over.
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Palm Sunday
This Sunday starts off Holy Week. Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. He was received triumphantly by
crowds who waved palms and covered the road with their cloaks, shouting praises. For Christians now this is a bittersweet
festival, celebration being tinged by the knowledge of the events that follow. Crosses made from palm leaf remind us of the
palm leaves waved by the people when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and also of the cross on which he died.
The practice of distributing palms was started by the Roman Emperors. Where palm trees are unavailable, branches of
willow, yew, or spruce trees are sometimes used. Wikipedia is a starting point for more information.
Our Palm Sunday worship is usually a joint service with the United Reformed Church
here in Thatcham. The service begins at either the URC or St. Mary's on alternating years. We then process along Church Lane
to the other building with our palm crosses after the Gospel reading.
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Good Friday
Good Friday marks the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ.
Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. Each bun
has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion.
There are several Good Friday services at St Mary's. We often have an open air service in Thatcham Broadway, immediately
followed by a Lent Lunch in the Meeting Room. There will then be a solemn, peaceful service in the afternoon. The Eucharist
is suspended from Good Friday until Easter Sunday, so the elements used at this communion would have been consecrated the
day before (on Maundy Thursday). In the evening, the choir lead a service of hymn and prayer.
For details of service times please check our events calendar page.
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Easter Day
The name "Easter" is supposedly derived from the name "Estre", a pagan goddess of Spring and fertility. For Christians,
it is one of the principle festivals of the year. We celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead to eternal life. This
event marked the beginning of the Christian Church. Easter is coincident with the Jewish Passover, since Jesus returned to
Jerusalem for the Passover, his entry into the city being commemorated on Palm Sunday.
Our Easter Service at St Mary's is a Festival Communion Service, with full choir. The church is filled with flowers for
the first time after Lent, and we start our service with the lighting of the Easter Candle to the accompaniment of
joyous cheering. The childrens' groups take part in an Easter egg hunt during the service, after they have completed their
usual teaching.
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Ascension
This festival marks Jesus being received into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, traditionally
40 days after the resurrection.
We celebrate this on the Thursday in the sixth week following Easter Sunday. There is an early morning service at
St Mary's, followed by a breakfast.
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Pentecost
The name comes from fiftieth day. Pentecost Sunday takes place 50 days after Easter, so the date changes
with Easter. Red is the colour of Pentecost, representing the tongues of fire that energised the meeting in
the upper room that is often regarded as the start of the Christian Church. In Old Testament times, there was
a festival on this date (50 days following Passover) to celebrate the first produce of the year, The Feast of
Weeks or Shavuot. In Jewish tradition, Shavuot has now come to commemorate the anniversary of the giving of the Ten
Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. There is some similarity between Moses contact
with God as he received the commandments, and the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.
On Pentecost Sunday Christians celebrate God sending the Holy Spirit. There is much joy in the knowledge that
the Holy Spirit is at work. The Holy Spirit gives us hope and renewal of our purpose. The Old Testament Lectionary
reading for Pentecost Sunday is Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones coming to life, foretelling how God
energises us and gives us gifts.
St Mary's joins with the other churches in Thatcham to celebrate Pentecost at a combined service arranged by
Churches Together in Thatcham. Details appear in our
events diary around the time of the event.
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The First Sunday in October is our Harvest Festival Service. We give thanks for the all fruits of the earth -
not just those we have tended and grown, but also for things like electricity, paper and toys. For our Harvest
Collection we collected items for Feed the Children.
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This is a hugely popular service held during Advent to remind us of the Light of Christ. At this service Christingle oranges are
distributed, and lit. The Christingle orange represents the world, the red ribbon around it is the blood
of Christ, the fruits symbolise God's creation and the candle represents Jesus, the Light of the World.
At St Mary's this service is used to support the work of
The Children's Society,
for whom it is about shining light into the darkness of thousands of children's lives, in particular those
children who have run away or who have been thrown out of their home.
Please check the calender for the date.
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Held each year, we welcome those who wish to remember a departed loved one. Please check our
calender for the date.
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Animal Service
Service of Thanksgiving where pets and other animals are welcome to come and be blessed.
Please check our
calender for the date.
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