Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient Christian origin, the date selected being the anniversary of either their death or the translation of their relics.[2]
Not to be confused with Dedication of Saints Peter and Paul or Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Red
29 June 2024
Annual
Western Christian tradition[edit]
In the General Roman Calendar, the celebration is a solemnity. In earlier editions, it was ranked as a Double (Tridentine calendar), Double of the First Class (e.g., General Roman Calendar of 1954), or First-Class Feast (General Roman Calendar of 1960). Prior to the liturgical reforms of Pope Pius XII, this feast was followed by a common octave. On this feast, newly created metropolitan archbishops receive from the pope the primary symbol of their office, the pallium.[10]
It is a holy day of obligation in the Latin Church, although individual conferences of bishops can suppress the obligation.[11] The Enchiridion Indulgentiarum of 2004 grants the partial indulgence for the faithful who has devoutly recited the prayer in honor of the apostles .[12]
In England, Scotland and Wales the feast is observed as a holy day of obligation while in the United States and Canada, it is not. The feast ceased being a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States in 1840.[13]
The Church of England celebrates 29 June as a festival.[14] The Lutheran churches celebrate it in the rank of a lesser festival.[15]
Because of the importance of Sts Peter and Paul to the Catholic Church, many Catholic-majority countries observe their feast day as a public holiday. The feast is observed in Rome because St. Paul and St. Peter are patron saints of the Eternal City.[16] In the Apulia region of southeastern Italy, the feast was associated with the Tarantella dance since the Middle Ages.[17]
In Malta the solemnity is a public holiday and in Maltese is known as L-Imnarja. It is celebrated with festivals the preceding weekend in Nadur Gozo and as well as Buskett Gardens in Rabat.[18]
It is also a public holiday of the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland, as well as parts of the Swiss cantons of Lucerne and Graubünden.[19] It is a public holiday in Peru[20] and in various municipalities of the Philippines. In Ormoc, festivals, bazaars, parades, and pageants are held annually on the feast day, as Peter and Paul are the city's patron saints.[21]
In 1577 Jan Rubens named his son Peter Paul, because he was born during the office of vespers of this day.[22]