Vestments for The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

There are multiple separate Feasts of the Cross in the Christian liturgical calendar, all of which remember the cross used in Jesus' crucifixion. Unlike Good Friday, which commemorates Christ's suffering and crucifixion, these feast days honor the cross as a symbol of salvation. The most prevalent day of commemoration in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism is usually September 14.

The official translation of the Roman Missal calls it "the feast The Exaltation of the Holy Cross," whereas the 1973 translation dubbed it The Triumph of the Cross.

The feast is known as Holy Cross Day in various sections of the Anglican Communion and Lutherans. Holy Rood Day is another name for the occasion.

Colors of the Liturgy

In churches that follow such traditions, red is the most common liturgical color.

At church services held on this day in Western Christianity, red vestments are worn.

Red is also the liturgical color for 'The Exaltation of The Cross Day,' according to the lectionaries of the Church of England and other Anglican churches) as well as Western Rite Orthodoxy.

Red vestments are also worn in Eastern Orthodox churches that use a variety of liturgical colors. The wearing of red, however, continues for a week after the feast in particular Orthodox churches.

Red vestments are worn at Mass on this day in Roman Catholic liturgical observances. Until 1969, the Church recognized one of the year's four sets of Ember Days.

In essence, the cross is the international symbol of Christian belief to this day. When St. Helena discovered the True Cross of Christ, it healed a dying lady.

It's carried in processions, brought to the Altar at the start of Mass, worn as Christian jewelry, and displayed in Christian homes as a humble reminder. It had no beauty in the perspective of the early Christians, serving only as a reminder of the decaying bodies of those who opposed Rome's power. It is now internationally recognized as a symbol of our Savior's unwavering love for us.