Ember days

British  

plural noun

1. RC Church Anglican Church any of four groups of three days (always Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday) of prayer and fasting, the groups occurring after Pentecost, after the first Sunday of Lent, after the feast of St Lucy (Dec 13), and after the feast of the Holy Cross (Sept 14)

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Etymology

Origin of Ember days

Old English ymbrendǣg, from ymbren, perhaps from ymbryne a (recurring) period, from ymb around + ryne a course + dǣg day

Example Sentences

When the December Ember days came, the wind was, over the period, predominantly from the East.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Ember days, you know, were named as movable dates for prayer and fasting by the Council of Placentia in 1095.

From Time Magazine Archive

For years I have been using the wind direction on Ember days as a basis on which to forecast.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ember days are three days set apart in each of the four seasons of the year as special days of prayer and thanksgiving.

From Baltimore Catechism, No. 3 by Anonymous

The Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of these weeks are the Ember days distinctively.

From Our Calendar by Packer, George Nichols