How to Create a Liturgical Calendar Pie Chart

The Liturgical Year is the division of the calendar by which the Roman Catholic Church identifies and celebrates the events surrounding the life and death of Jesus Christ. A pie chart is a type of chart that is divided into segments, like a pie or pizza. Each segment represents one week of the year. Traditional colors are used to mark the chart: purple is used for Lent and Advent (except pink is used for the third week of Advent), white is used for the Easter and Christmas seasons, red is used for Palm Sunday and the succeeding 7 days of Holy Week, and green is used for "Ordinary Time," namely, liturgical periods that aren't marked by another color.

Draw a circle on your paper with your pencil, 6 inches in diameter.

Divide the circle into 52 evenly spaced segments (each segment should look like a tiny slice of pizza). Each segment should equal 6.9 degrees. Lightly draw the divisions: you'll color over these as you make your chart.

Starting at the top of the chart and moving clockwise, color the first two sections purple, the third section pink (to mark Gaudete Sunday and the succeeding week), and the fourth section purple. This represents the four weeks of Advent. Label the area "Advent."

Leave the next two sections white. Label this area "Christmas."

Color the next 7 sections green. Label this area "Ordinary Time."

Color the next 6 weeks purple to represent Lent. Label the area "Lent."

Color the next segment red, to represent the Holy Week before Easter. Label this "Holy Week."

Leave the next 7 segments white. Label this "Easter."

Color the rest of the sections in the calendar green. Label the area "Ordinary Time."