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| Church vestments are the robes traditionally worn by those leading the service, and are worn in the Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican Churches. The ministers in other Churches wear very basic robes or everyday clothes. |
| An Anglican priest: |
| These robes are largely based on clothes worn in Roman times, when Christianity first began and grew. Some have a symbolic meaning. |
| The following colours are used for vestments [such as the stole or scarf] and church hangings [ such as the altar frontal ] at various times during the Church calendar of festivals. |
| Red represents the fire of the Holy Spirit and the blood of those who died for their beliefs; it is used at Whitsun. White is for the times of celebration, such as Christmas and Easter. Purple is used for the times of preparation, such as Lent and Advent, while green represents the growth of the Church at Pentecost. |
| CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS: SPECIAL CLOTHES |
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| Cassock Surplice Stole |
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| Hood |
| Cassock: a long black coat worn as a basic 'uniform.' Bishops wear a purple cassock. Surplice: a white linen over- garment with wide sleeves, worn at morning and evening services and normally at Holy Communion. Scarf and hood: a long black scarf and an academic hood are worn over the surplice. For a Communion service the priest may exchange the scarf for a coloured stole. Clerical or Roman collar: a round white collar, fastened at the back. |
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| HOMEWORK ACTIVITY: Open a paint program [such as PSPro] and use it to design either some new robes and vestments for a priest or bishop or an elaborate stole for an archbishop. Remember to choose your colours according to the Church calendar. |