{{Short description|Celebration commemorating the creation of the universe}} {{Infobox holiday | holiday_name = Feast of Creation | type = Christian | image = File:God the Geometer.jpg | caption = ''God the Geometer'' — Gothic frontispiece of the [[Bible moralisée]], representing [[God in Christianity|God]]'s act of Creation. France, mid-13th century | observedby = [[Christianity]] | date = 1 September | celebrations = | observances = [[Church service]]s, planting trees, picking up litter | relatedto = [[Feast of Saints Francis and Catherine|Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi]], [[Creationtide]] | frequency = annual | duration = 1 day }} The '''Feast of Creation''', also known as the '''Feast of Creation in Christ''', '''Creation Sunday''', '''Creation Day''' or the '''World Day of Prayer for Creation''', is celebrated in [[Christianity]] on September 1 or the subsequent Sunday to honour the creation of the universe by [[God in Christianity|God]] and commemorate the "mystery of creation in Christ".<ref name="Insua2023">{{cite web |last1=Insua |first1=Tomás |title=Why a “Feast of Creation” on September 1?|url=https://laudatosimovement.org/news/why-a-feast-of-creation-on-september-1/ |publisher=Laudato Si' Movement |access-date=1 September 2025 |date=30 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="Vatican2025">{{cite web |title=Pope invites Christians to unite for Creation Day on September 1 |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-08/pope-leo-creation-day-prayer-ecumenism-christians.html |access-date=1 September 2025 |date=31 August 2025}}</ref>
The Feast of Creation heralds God as Creator.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Feast of Creation - Ideas to Celebrate it |url=https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/the-feast-of-creation-ideas-to-celebrate-it |publisher=Birmingham Diocesan Trust |access-date=9 September 2025 |language=en |date=18 July 2024}}</ref> On the Feast of Creation, the faithful offer "prayers and supplications to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection and salvation," as proposed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1989.<ref name="Insua2023"/> The readings for this day include the [[Genesis creation narrative]] in the Bible.<ref name="Insua2023"/> In addition to partaking in [[Christian liturgy|liturgies]] of the Feast of Creation, Christians exercise [[Stewardship (theology)|environmental stewardship]] on the feast day through the caring for the world with activities such as [[Tree planting|planting trees]] or [[Clean-up (environment)|picking up litter]].<ref name="Vatican2025"/> In addition to formal liturgies, [[Ecumenism|ecumenical]] (interdenominational) prayer services are common on the Feast of Creation as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=WCC Podcast explores Feast of Creation ahead of Creation Day Conference |url=https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-podcast-explores-feast-of-creation-ahead-of-creation-day-conference |publisher=[[World Council of Churches]] |access-date=1 September 2025 |language=en |date=9 April 2025}}</ref><ref name="Vatican2025"/>
The Feast of Creation has long been observed by [[Christian denomination]]s such as the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es and since the 1990s, the [[Catholic Church]], [[Lutheranism|Evangelical Lutheran Churches]], [[Anglican Communion]], and [[Baptists|Baptist Churches]] have celebrated the holy day.<ref name="WCC2025"/><ref name="Insua2023"/><ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Gerardo Alminaza]] |title=Creation Day: a precious gift from the Orthodox Church |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-09/creation-day-orthodox-church-philippines-bishop-alminaza.html |publisher=[[Vatican News]] |access-date=3 September 2025 |language=en |date=1 September 2025}}</ref> The feast is recognized by the [[World Council of Churches]].<ref name="WCC2025"/> The month of September is regarded by many Christian Churches as '''Creationtide''' or '''Season of Creation''', which concludes on the [[Feast of Saints Francis and Catherine|Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi]] (October 4) as he is the patron saint of [[Christian views on environmentalism|ecology]].<ref name="LWF2025"/><ref name="CoE2025">{{cite web |title=Creationtide or the Season of Creation |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change/season-creation |publisher=[[Church of England]] |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref>
== Date == [[File:Creation-Luther-Bible-1534.jpg|thumb|''The Creation'' by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]], 1534]] The [[liturgical calendar|calendar]] used by the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]] from the 7th to the 18th century stipulated that God initiated the creation of the world on September 1, with that symbolism retained nowadays by being the feast marking the beginning of the Byzantine liturgical year.<ref name="Insua2023"/> This day has thus been observed, since ancient Christian times, as a day symbolizing the beginning of Creation.<ref name="Insua2023"/>
The oldest preserved Byzantine liturgical calendar, the Menologion of Basil II (10th century), explains: “Indikton [September 1] is celebrated by the Church of God, from the ancients, because it is thought to be the beginning of time... Therefore, the first day of September is also a defining month and the beginning of the whole year.”<ref name="WCC2024">{{cite web |title=Report - The Feast of Creation in Christ |url=https://www.feastofcreation.com/report-feast-of-creation-in-christ |publisher=[[World Council of Churches]] |access-date=15 January 2026 |language=en |date=6 December 2024}}</ref>
On 6 May 2025, at a gathering of the [[World Council of Churches]], Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Anglican and Baptist leaders met to prepare an "ecumenically shared feast of creation as such a witness for unity, so that this ecumenical dream for the third millennium may come true".<ref name="WCC2025">{{cite web |title=Christian leaders unite in Assisi to establish historic Feast of Creation |url=https://www.oikoumene.org/news/christian-leaders-unite-in-assisi-to-establish-historic-feast-of-creation |publisher=[[World Council of Churches]] |access-date=1 September 2025 |language=en |date=6 May 2025}}</ref>
The Feast of Creation (September 1) inaugurates the [[Season of Creation]] that concludes on the [[Feast of Saints Francis and Catherine|Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi]] (October 4), which is marked by the [[blessing of animals]].<ref name="North2014">{{cite web |last1=North |first1=Fair |title=Blessing all God’s creatures |url=https://www.livinglutheran.org/2014/09/blessing-gods-creatures/ |publisher=Living Lutheran |access-date=5 October 2025 |date=29 September 2014}}</ref>
== Observance by Christian denomination == ===Eastern Orthodoxy=== The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es have observed the Feast of the Indiction, as it is otherwise known, since the 5th century.<ref name="Vatican2025"/> In 1989, the Ecumenical Patriarch [[Demetrios I of Constantinople]] invited "the whole Christian world" to pray together on September 1 and "offer prayers and supplications to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection and salvation.” Along with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the [[Eastern Lutheranism|Eastern Lutheran Churches]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic Churches]] observe the Feast of Creation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios |title=Encyclical Letter on the Day of Protection of the Environment September 1, 1989 |url=https://www.orth-transfiguration.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Lecture_HAH-1989-Patr.-Dimitrios-on-Day-of-Prayer-for-Envir.pdf |website=Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration}}</ref>
===Roman Catholicism=== The Feast of Creation has been observed by various [[episcopal conference]]s of the Catholic Church since the 1990s. In 2015, [[Pope Francis]] "instituted it as the World Day of Prayer for the universal Catholic Church."<ref name="Vatican2025"/> In his message for Creation Day in 2025, [[Pope Leo XIV]] noted that “for believers, environmental justice is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed.”<ref name="Vatican2025"/> In the same year, Pope Leo XIV instituted the Mass for the Care of Creation to be used on the Feast of Creation.<ref name="Vatican2025"/>
===Evangelical Lutheranism=== The General Secretary of the [[Lutheran World Federation]] noted the importance of the Feast of Creation to the [[Lutheran |Evangelical Lutheran]] tradition:<ref name="LWF2025">{{cite web |title=Ecumenical efforts to introduce a Christian Feast of Creation |url=https://lutheranworld.org/news/ecumenical-efforts-introduce-christian-feast-creation |publisher=[[Lutheran World Federation]] |access-date=1 September 2025 |language=en |date=2 April 2024}}</ref> {{quotation|Creation and redemption through incarnation and cross, Lange noted, “are most evident in the sacraments” and also “shaped Luther’s call for the renewal of sacramental life.” By focusing on the material or ‘created’ elements of water, bread and wine used in the Eucharistic liturgy to symbolize the life and death of Jesus, he said, Lutherans are called “to care for the for the waters, the land, the fruits, the air.”<ref name="LWF2025"/>}}
===Anglicanism=== The Feast Day of Creation, along with the season of Creationtide, is observed by the [[Church of England]], mother church of the [[Anglican Communion]].<ref name="CoE2025"/>
== See also == {{Portal|Christianity}} *[[Christian views on environmentalism]] *[[Ecotheology]]
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.feastofcreation.com/ Feast of Creation] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0NdarXfRF4 Feast of Creation - World Council of Churches] *[https://seasonofcreation.org/ Season of Creation (Creationtide)]
[[Category:Christian feast days]] [[Category:Genesis creation narrative]] [[Category:September observances]]