Quinquagesima Sunday

9.9

The Sunday before Ash Wednesday that is the last Sunday before Lent

noun
/kwɪŋkwəˈdʒɛsɪmə ˈsʌndeɪ/

Archaic

: Quinquagesima

Many Christians attend a special service on Quinquagesima Sunday to prepare for Lent.

Examples

The tradition of observing Quinquagesima Sunday dates back to the early centuries of the Church.
On Quinquagesima Sunday, the congregation reflected on themes of forgiveness and self-denial.
Quinquagesima Sunday is celebrated in many Christian communities.
On Quinquagesima Sunday, we prepare for Lent.
Many Christians attend a special service on Quinquagesima Sunday to prepare for Lent.
On Quinquagesima Sunday, the congregation reflected on themes of forgiveness and self-denial.
On Quinquagesima Sunday, we prepare for Lent.

Synonyms

Quinquagesima

vsQuinquagesima Sunday

Archaic

9.9

A Sunday just before Ash Wednesday that is the last Sunday before Lent starts

is the full phrase form naming the last Sunday before the start of Lent

Surface Forms

Quinquagesima Sunday singular

Morphology

Quinquagesima + Sunday

The form is partly compositional: 'Sunday' clearly signals a day of the week so learners can infer it refers to a particular Sunday. However, 'Quinquagesima' is a specialized Latin liturgical label that is not analyzable or predictable for an average B1 learner, so the specific meaning (the last Sunday before Lent) requires prior cultural or lexico-historical knowledge.

Etymology

Quinquagesima Sunday gets its name from the Latin word quinquagesima, which means 'fiftieth'. Long ago people counted the days to Easter and this Sunday was about fifty days before Easter, so the name stuck. So today Quinquagesima Sunday marks the last Sunday before Lent.