Catholic Winter Ember Days
SHOW NOTES
As we journey through Advent preparing our hearts for Christmas, there’s an ancient Catholic practice that most of us have never heard of—yet it’s been part of our tradition since the earliest centuries of the Church. These are the Winter Ember Days, and this year they fall on December 18, 20, and 21—this Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
If you’re serious about forming yourself as an intentional Catholic who pursues holiness through piety and asceticism, the Ember Days offer a powerful opportunity for spiritual transformation right here in the midst of Advent.
Welcome to another episode of Catholic Piety on Purpose
I am your host, Rich Van Koughnett and this is the show that is in the business of forming intentional Catholics who pursue holiness through piety, asceticism, & virtuous habits to transform our spiritual lives, work, & leadership.
SECTION 1: WHAT ARE EMBER DAYS?
The term “Ember Days” comes from the Latin quatuor tempora, meaning “four seasons.” These are twelve days spread throughout the year—three days at the beginning of each season—specifically the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following four feast days.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, these days were instituted to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach us to use them in moderation, and to assist those in need. They’re essentially “mini-Lents” that sanctify the entire liturgical year, not just the springtime season of preparation.
The four sets of Ember Days are easy to remember with this rhyme: “Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy”—that’s:
Spring: After Ash Wednesday (Lent)
Summer: After Pentecost Sunday
Fall: After the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14)
Winter: After the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13)
For 2025, that means the Winter Ember Days are December 17, 19, and 20.
SECTION 2: THE ANCIENT ORIGINS
The roots of Ember Days stretch back to both Jewish and pagan traditions that the early Church wisely sanctified and transformed. The Book of Zechariah describes the Jewish practice of fasting four times a year. Meanwhile, ancient Romans held religious ceremonies at the beginning of seeding and harvesting times—in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for seeding.
The Church, in her wisdom, took these natural human impulses to mark the seasons and give thanks for creation, and redirected them toward the one true God.
By the third century, the Church in Rome had established fasts in June, September, and December. Pope Callistus in the early third century formalized these practices, though as St. Leo the Great noted in the fifth century, Ember Day fasts stem from Old Testament and Apostolic tradition.
Pope Gelasius I in the late fifth century was pivotal in the development of Ember Days. He spoke of all four seasonal observances and permitted the conferring of priesthood and deaconship on Ember Saturdays, which were formerly given only at Easter. This connection between Ember Days and Holy Orders would become one of their defining characteristics.
Pope Gregory VII in the eleventh century definitively arranged and prescribed Ember Days for the entire Church, making them a cornerstone of Catholic piety for nearly a millennium.
From Rome, the practice spread throughout Christendom. St. Augustine brought it to England. The Carolingian rulers carried it to Gaul and Germany. Spain adopted it with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh century. St. Charles Borromeo introduced it to Milan. The practice became universal in the Western Church—though interestingly, the Eastern Churches never adopted it.
SECTION 3: WHY WINTER EMBER DAYS ARE SPECIAL
Each season’s Ember Days has a particular agricultural focus connected to the sacramental life of the Church. The Winter Ember Days, falling in Advent just before Christmas, focus on olives and olive oil.
Why olives? Because olive oil is used in the various anointings for the Sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, and Anointing of the Sick. As we prepare for the birth of Christ at Christmas, we give thanks for the oils that will anoint new Christians throughout the coming year.
This isn’t merely symbolic. The winter harvest of olives in Mediterranean climates provided the oil that would literally be blessed by bishops and used by priests in administering the sacraments. Our spiritual lives depend on these material gifts from God’s creation, rightly ordered and consecrated.
The Winter Ember Days also fall within Advent, making them a natural intensification of our Advent preparation. Even as winter begins, Christmas is a time of extraordinary abundance—but before we feast, we fast. Before we celebrate, we prepare through self-denial.
SECTION 4: THE THREE DAYS AND THEIR MEANING
Why specifically Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday? Each day has profound spiritual significance rooted in the Passion of Christ:
Wednesday was chosen because it was traditionally thought that Judas made his arrangements with the Pharisees to betray Jesus on a Wednesday—which is why Wednesday of Holy Week is called “Spy Wednesday.” On Ember Wednesday, we do penance remembering betrayal and the need for faithfulness.
Friday, of course, is the day Our Lord died on the Cross for our sins. Friday has always been the Church’s traditional day of penance and abstinence, commemorating Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. Ember Friday calls us to unite our small sacrifices with His great one.
Saturday was the day Jesus lay in the tomb—His friends were denied even the consolation of seeing His Body. Saturday is a day of waiting, of vigil, of preparation for the resurrection that will come on Sunday. Every Ember Saturday anticipates the “little Easter” of Sunday’s celebration of the Resurrection.
Together, these three days form a weekly Paschal pattern—betrayal, death, and burial—leading us to Sunday’s joy. This is why the Church calls Ember Days “mini-Lents.”
SECTION 5: THE SPIRITUAL PURPOSES
The Ember Days serve multiple interconnected spiritual purposes, each essential for our growth in holiness:
First: Thanksgiving for God’s Creation
The Ember Days focus our attention on the good things of God’s creation. In our modern urban lives, we’re disconnected from the earth and from the reality that our food, our fuel, even our sacramental materials come from God’s providential ordering of nature. The Ember Days force us to stop and recognize our dependence on God’s gifts.
Second: The Discipline of Moderation
But here’s the paradox: Sometimes we don’t appreciate what we take for granted. Voluntarily depriving ourselves of otherwise legitimate things teaches us to open our eyes and value those good things. By fasting from what is good, we learn gratitude. By saying “no” to legitimate pleasures, we learn to say “yes” more fully when the fast is complete.
As G.K. Chesterton wisely quipped, “We should thank God for beer and burgundy by not drinking too much of them.” The Ember Days teach us this spiritual discipline of moderation.
Third: Assistance to the Needy
The Church has always connected thanksgiving with almsgiving. The Ember Days are excellent opportunities to support the needy. When we fast, we save money on food. When we deny ourselves comforts, we have more to give. True gratitude for God’s gifts naturally leads us to share them.
Fourth: Prayer for Vocations
For centuries, Ember Days were times for ordinations, and the faithful would pray for vocations. Men were regularly ordained to the priesthood on Ember Saturdays. The laity would pray for these new priests and ask God to send good shepherds to His Church.
Even though ordinations are no longer restricted to Ember Days, in this day and age when priests are stretched thin yet called to heroically witness to the Gospel, they truly do need our prayers. The Ember Days remain a powerful time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Fifth: Spiritual Preparation Through Fasting
Perhaps most importantly for our personal sanctification, fasting unlocks deeper prayer. St. John Vianney taught: “If you take a very clean and very dry sponge, and soak it in water, it will be filled to overflowing; but if it is not dry and clean, it will take up nothing. In like manner, when the heart is not free and disengaged from the things of the earth, it is in vain that we steep it in prayer; it will absorb nothing.”
Fasting dries out the sponge of our souls, making us receptive to God’s grace.
SECTION 6: HOW TO OBSERVE THE WINTER EMBER DAYS
Now, here’s what you need to know about actually practicing the Ember Days. Since 1966, when Pope Paul VI reformed the Church’s fasting laws, Ember Days are no longer obligatory. However, they remain highly recommended, and many faithful Catholics are rediscovering their spiritual power.
The Traditional Fasting Rules:
Before 1966, the rules were clear and demanding:
Ember Wednesday and Saturday:
Fasting: One full meal (usually at midday), plus two smaller meals that together don’t equal another full meal
Partial abstinence: Meat was allowed at the principal meal only
Ember Friday:
Fasting: Same as above
Full abstinence: No meat at all
Now, these are commended but not required. You’re free to adapt them to your circumstances, but here are some practical approaches:
Full Traditional Observance:
Follow the traditional fast and abstinence rules for all three days. This is the most robust practice for those who are able and not exempt (pregnant women, nursing mothers, those with health conditions, etc.).
Simplified Fast:
Traditionally, the fasting associated with Ember Days consisted of not snacking between meals. At all. No snacks. You eat your regular meals at the normal time, but nothing at all in between. This might be more accessible while still maintaining the spirit of self-denial.
Modified Abstinence:
If you can’t do a full fast, consider:
Giving up desserts and sweets
Abstaining from alcohol
Skipping one meal
Eating more simply (no elaborate or expensive foods)
Giving up coffee or other beverages you enjoy
Other Forms of Penance:
If fasting is truly impossible for you, consider:
Abstaining from screens or entertainment
Extra time in prayer or Scripture reading
Works of mercy or service
Giving up a favorite activity or comfort
The Liturgy:
If you have access to the Traditional Latin Mass, Catholics should make a special point to assist at Mass on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week. The Ember Day Masses contain special readings—three lessons on Wednesday, and six or seven on Saturday—that are rich in promises of God’s blessings for those who serve Him.
Even in the Ordinary Form, try to attend daily Mass on the Ember Days if possible.
Prayer Intentions:
Focus your prayers on:
Thanksgiving for God’s material blessings
Vocations to the priesthood and religious life
The needs of the poor
Personal conversion and growth in virtue
The sanctification of the season and right use of creation
Almsgiving:
Plan to give generously during the Ember Days. Calculate what you save by fasting and give it to those in need. Support seminarians, religious orders, or charities that serve the poor.
SECTION 7: OBJECTIONS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS
Some might ask: “Why should I observe these days when the Church no longer requires it?”
The answer is simple: Because you’re not pursuing the bare minimum. You’re not asking “What’s the least I can do to avoid sin?” You’re asking “How can I grow in holiness? How can I transform my spiritual life through piety, asceticism, and virtuous habits?”
The Church removed the obligation for pastoral reasons—to avoid overwhelming people and to allow flexibility. But the 1966 Pastoral Statement from the US Bishops made clear: the devout would continue to “find greater Christian joy” in the Church’s liturgical feasts if the faithful continued to embrace these practices.
Think about it: We now have only two obligatory fast days in the entire year—Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Just two days. Is it any wonder that many Catholics struggle with self-discipline, with moderating their appetites, with ordering their desires toward God?
When the Church relaxed the requirements for fasting in the late 1960s, it was hoped that Catholics would still voluntarily fast and make acts of penance throughout the year at their own initiative, but we’ve instead all but forgotten the value of such self-denial.
Our Lord Himself modeled fasting. Before beginning His public ministry, He fasted for forty days in the desert. When His disciples couldn’t cast out a demon, He told them, “This kind can only come out through prayer and fasting.” Jesus clearly expected His followers to fast—not as a burden, but as a privilege and a path to spiritual power.
SECTION 8: THE BIGGER PICTURE
The recovery of Ember Days is part of something larger: the rediscovery of the Church’s full liturgical and ascetical tradition.
For centuries, Catholics lived by a rhythm of fast and feast. Lent prepared for Easter. Advent prepared for Christmas. Fridays commemorated the Passion. Vigils preceded great feasts. Ember Days marked the seasons. This rhythm formed souls. It taught self-control. It connected the spiritual and material. It sanctified time itself.
When we lost most of these practices, we didn’t just lose external rules. We lost formation. We lost a spiritual framework that had shaped saints for millennia.
Observing these days of penance throughout the liturgical year becomes a way of marking time on our pilgrimage through this life. The Ember Days aren’t just about individual acts of fasting—they’re about entering into the Church’s ancient wisdom for forming intentional Catholics who pursue holiness.
Remember: We are broken, fallen human beings in need of God’s grace. It is necessary for us to open our hearts, to put forward some effort for ongoing conversion at times other than just the springtime fast of Lent.
The Ember Days give us that opportunity four times a year. They anchor us in the rhythms of creation and grace. They connect our bodies and souls. They form us in the virtues of temperance, gratitude, and charity.
SECTION 9: PRACTICAL FINAL STEPS
So here’s what I want you to do:
This Week: Mark your calendar for the Winter Ember Days: December 18, 20, and 21—Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Decide Your Practice: Choose how you’ll observe them. Be realistic but also be ambitious. Don’t choose the absolute minimum, but don’t set yourself up for failure either.
Prepare Spiritually: Go to Confession before the Ember Days if you can. Start with a clean soul.
Plan Practically:
If you’re fasting, plan simple meals ahead of time
Remove temptations from your environment
Tell your household what you’re doing so they can support you
Set reminders to pray at specific times
Choose which charitable donation you’ll make
Pray for Vocations: Make this a central intention. Our Church desperately needs holy priests. Your sacrifice and prayer matter.
Attend Mass: Go to daily Mass on the Ember Days if at all possible.
Closing
Brothers and sisters, the Winter Ember Days are this week. Right now. In the midst of our Advent preparation, the Church’s ancient tradition calls us to intensify our fasting, deepen our prayer, and increase our charity.
This isn’t about legalism. It’s about formation. It’s about becoming the intentional Catholics we’re called to be—men and women who don’t just drift through life, but who actively pursue holiness through piety, asceticism, and virtuous habits.
The saints knew something we’ve forgotten: that regular, voluntary self-denial is essential for spiritual growth. That fasting opens the soul to God. That gratitude requires sacrifice. That the path to Easter joy runs through Lenten discipline.
The Winter Ember Days give us that path. They give us an opportunity to recover something precious that the modern Church has largely forgotten.
Will you join me in observing them this week? Will you fast? Will you pray? Will you give?
Remember the words of St. Thomas Aquinas on why we fast: First, to bridle the lusts of the flesh. Second, to free our minds to contemplate heavenly things. Third, to make satisfaction for sin.
These three days—December 18, 20, and 21—can change you if you let them. They can be the beginning of a new rhythm in your spiritual life, a rediscovery of the Church’s wisdom, a step forward in your journey toward holiness.
So let’s do this together. Let’s recover the Ember Days. Let’s sanctify this Advent. Let’s prepare our hearts for Christmas not just with sentiment and shopping, but with fasting, prayer, and almsgiving—the tried and true practices that have formed saints for two thousand years.
God bless you. I’ll be fasting and praying with you this week.