Baptism.
Water is the sign of baptism, and a river runs through Scripture from the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10) to the river of the water of life (Revelation 22:1).
The days ahead
The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer names the days on which Holy Baptism is especially appropriate: the Easter Vigil, the Day of Pentecost, All Saints' Day or the Sunday after it, and the Baptism of our Lord.
- All Saints' DaySunday 1 November 2026 White: the white stole
- The Baptism of the LordSunday 10 January 2027 White
- The Easter VigilSaturday 27 March 2027 White or gold
- The Day of PentecostSunday 16 May 2027 Red
- All Saints' DayMonday 1 November 2027 White: the white stole
- The Baptism of the LordSunday 9 January 2028 White
- The Easter VigilSaturday 15 April 2028 White or gold
- The next dates appear here as the calendar turns.
What each tradition wears
- Roman Catholic
- Where the Ritual Mass for baptism is celebrated, it takes its proper colour, white or a festive colour (GIRM 347); otherwise the colour of the day.
- Other churches
- There is no single baptism colour, and practice differs, so ask the church.
Choosing
The River of Life stole is printed with a river winding down from a sunrise: a design for churches that welcome its use; where a service calls for a particular colour, that colour comes first. For the Baptism of the Lord, a feast of the Lord, the white stole or the white simple cross.
Sources: The Book of Common Prayer (1979), Holy Baptism, Additional Directions; The Roman Missal, General Instruction ch. VI, ยงยง346 to 347 (USCCB).
