Editing Liturgical year (section)

====Pre-Lent====
{{Main|Pre-Lent}}
[[Gregory the Great]] is the first to document a period of preparation for Easter beginning with [[Septuagesima]], whose name refers to a period of around seventy days before Easter.<ref name="Crampton">{{Cite journal |last=Crampton |first=L. J. |date=1968-04-01 |title=St Gregory's Homily XIX and the institution of Septuagesima Sunday |journal=The Downside Review |language=en |volume=86 |issue=283 |pages=162–166 |doi=10.1177/001258066808628306 |s2cid=164617825 |issn=0012-5806}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Callewaert |first=Camille |date=1 April 1937 |title=L'œuvre liturgique de S. Grégoire. La septuagésime et l'alleluia |journal=Revue d'Histoire Ecclésiastique |language=fr |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=306–326 |issn=0035-2381 |id={{ProQuest|1302425959}}}}</ref> This pre-Lenten period lasts two and a half weeks, encompassing [[Sexagesima]] and [[Quinquagesima]]. It concludes with [[Carnival]] and [[Shrove Tuesday]].

This period opens an educational period leading up to the reception of [[catechumens]] at Easter.<ref name="Chavesse">{{Cite journal |last=Chavesse |first=Antoine |date=1950 |title=Temps de préparation à la Pâque d'après quelques livres liturgiques romains |url=https://www.revue-rsr.com/note-de-lecture/temps-de-preparation-a-la-paque-dapres-quelques-livres-liturgiques-romains/ |journal=Recherches de Science Religieuse |language=fr |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=125–145 |issn=0034-1258 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Events such as [[mystery plays]] from the [[Old Testament]] performed during this period historically supported this instructional campaign,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Craig |first=Hardin |date=1913-04-01 |title=The origin of the Old Testament plays |journal=Modern Philology |language=en |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=473–487 |doi=10.1086/386899 |jstor=386899 |s2cid=161763679 |issn=0026-8232}}</ref> reflecting the traditional [[lectionary]] for the [[Canonical hours]], which begins on [[Septuagesima]] with the [[Book of Genesis]], as is still reflected in the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Willis |first=Geoffrey G. |date=1958-04-01 |title=The historical background of the English lectionary of 1955 |journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=73–86 |doi=10.1017/S0022046900063880 |s2cid=162572706 |issn=0022-0469}}</ref>

The pre-Lenten liturgy introduces some customs of Lent, including the suppression of the [[Alleluia]] and its replacement at Mass with the [[Tract (liturgy)|Tract]]. The Gloria is no longer said on Sundays.<ref name="Mahrt">{{Cite journal |last=Mahrt |first=William |date=2017 |title=Gregorian chant in the season of Lent |journal=Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=93–114 |doi=10.1353/atp.2017.0012 |s2cid=194585704 |issn=1543-9933}}</ref>

The 1969 reform of the Roman Rite subsumed these weeks liturgically into Ordinary Time,<ref name="Pristas">{{Cite journal |last=Pristas |first=Lauren |date=2010-07-01 |title=Parachuted into Lent: The suppression of Septuagesima |journal=Usus Antiquior |language=en |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=95–109 |doi=10.1179/175789410X12729674260985 |issn=1757-8949}}</ref> but Carnival is still widely celebrated. A pre-Lenten provision continues in many Anglican and Lutheran liturgies.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Common worship: services and prayers for the Church of England |date=2000 |publisher=Church House |isbn=978-0-7151-2000-2 |editor-last=Church of England |location=London |language=en}}</ref>

''Liturgical colour'' (where observed): violet or purple