Corpus Christi in the United States

Many Christians in the United States, particularly those of the Catholic faith, observe Corpus Christi in honor of the Holy Eucharist. It is also known as the Feast of the Most Holy Body of Christ, as well as the Day of Wreaths.

Is Corpus Christi a Public Holiday?

Corpus Christi is not a public holiday. It falls on Sunday, 23 June 2019 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in the United States.

What Do People Do?

In commemoration of the Last Supper on the day before Jesus’ crucifixion many people, especially those who belong to the Catholic denomination, receive Communion on this day. It is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday in some parts of the United States, although the day falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in other places.

Some people, particularly children, may celebrate their first Communion on this day. This practice, also known as Eucharist, is observed throughout the life of a Christian and is a time of worship when people believe they come together as one body to remember and celebrate the life and works of Jesus Christ. It involves the acceptance of bread and wine in memory of the body and blood of Christ.

Public Life

Corpus Christi is not a federal holiday in the United States.

Background

Corpus Christi is a festival that has been celebrated by many Christians, particularly the Catholic Church, in honor of the Eucharist since 1246. The name “Corpus Christi” is a Latin phrase that refers to the body of Christ. This event commemorates the Last Supper on the day before Jesus’ crucifixion, as described in the Bible. Corpus Christi is primarily celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church but it is also included in the calendar of some Anglican churches.

The city of Corpus Christi, in Texas, was named after the day. In 1519, on the day of Corpus Christi, Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda discovered a lush semi-tropical bay on what is now the southern coast of Texas. The bay, and the city that later grew in that area, took the name of the feast day.

Symbols

Symbols that portray the event may include: an image of a host (consecrated bread) and chalice to depict the Holy Eucharist; an altar; and a ciborium, which is a chalice-like container used to store consecrated hosts of the sacrament of Eucharist, or the Holy Communion.

About Corpus Christi in other countries

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for "Body of Christ") is a Catholic liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the elements of the Eucharist—known as transubstantiation. Two months earlier, the Eucharist is observed on Maundy Thursday in a sombre atmosphere leading to Good Friday. The liturgy on that day also commemorates Christ's washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the priesthood and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The feast of Corpus Christi was established to create a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist emphasizing the joy of the Eucharist being the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Corpus Christi Observances

• Year Weekday Date Name Holiday Type

• 2015 Thu 4 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2016 Thu 26 May Corpus Christi Christian
• 2017 Thu 15 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2018 Thu 31 May Corpus Christi Christian
• 2019 Sun 23 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2020 Thu 11 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2021 Thu 3 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2022 Thu 16 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2023 Thu 8 Jun Corpus Christi Christian
• 2024 Thu 30 May Corpus Christi Christian
• 2025 Thu 19 Jun Corpus Christi Christian

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