Meanings
plural Ember days · alternative ember day
- ChristianityAny of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that are set aside for fasting and prayer. In Western Christianity they are usually the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday, Holy Cross Day (14 September), and Saint Lucy's Day (13 December).
You must not butcher beef on an Ember day but you may cut it up.
1915, Edwin Miller Fogel, “Special Days and Seasons”, in Beliefs and Superstitions of the Pennsylvania Germans, Philadelphia, Pa.: American Germanica Press, →OCLC, paragraph 1305, page 2525 more examples
Days of Faſting or Abſtinence. [...] The Ember-days at the four Seaſons, being the Wedneſday, Friday, and Saturday after #92;#123; the First Sunday in Lent. / The Feaſt of Pentecoſt. / September 14. / December 13.
1662, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “Tables & Rules for the Moveable and Immoveable Feasts; together with the Days of Fasting and Abstinence, through the Whole Year”, in The Book of Common-Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, […], London: […] John Bill, and Christopher Barker, […], →OCLCSaints Days, &c. [...] 9 [...] Ember-week [...] 11 [...] Ember-day [...] 12 [...] Ember-day
1715, Job Gadbury, “MARCH hath xxxi Days”, in ΈΦΗΜΕΡΙΣ [EPHEMERIS]: Or, A Diary Astronomical, Astrological, Meteorological, for the Year of Our Lord, 1715. […], London: Printed for T. W. for the Company of Stationers, →OCLCSt. Lambard's day (Auguſt 15) the feaſt of the dedication of Ryerſh church happening frequently in the Ember days (in diebus iiiiᵐ temporum) and alſo in harveſt, the biſhop ordered that it ſhould be kept on the tranſlation of St. Martin in the ſummer, which was July 4th.
1784 May 6, Rev. Mr. Denne, “XXIX. Memoir on Hokeday.”, in Archaeologia: Or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, London: Printed by J[ohn] Nichols, printer to the Society [of Antiquaries of London]; […], published 1785, →OCLC, pages 253–25447. When does the third Ember day happen? On the first Wednesday after the Holy Cross. 48. When does that day happen? The Holy Cross always happens on the 14th day of September. 49. Why is that day named Holy Cross? Because that day was instituted in consequence of Queen Helena finding a piece of the Cross on Mount Calvery,^([sic – meaning Calvary]) about the year A.D. 615.
1848, Joel Spyker, “Almanack. Containing 169 Questions and Answers.”, in A Collection of Geographical, Moral, Religious, Biblical, Political and Other Chapters, in the Form of Questions and Answers, […], Brookville, Pa.: Brady & Wilson, printers, →OCLC, page 115The Ember-days are periodical fasts originally instituted, it is said, by Pope Calixtus, in the third century, for the purpose of imploring the blessing of Heaven on the produce of the earth; and also preparing the clergy for ordination, in imitation of the apostolic practice recorded in the 13th chapter of the Acts.
1864, “December 13”, in R[obert] Chambers, editor, The Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in Connection with the Calendar: […] In Two Vols., volume II, Edinburgh: W[illiam] & R[obert] Chambers, →OCLC, page 687, column 2Synonyms: Embering
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that are set aside for fasting and prayer. In Western Christianity they are usually the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday, Holy Cross Day (14 September), and Saint Lucy's Day (13 December).
Origin
- Latinquatuor tempora“four periods”
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)r ̊-nw-“to flow, move, run”
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰi“around, about”
- Old Englishymbryne“period, revolution of time”
- Old Englishymbrendæg
- Middle Englishember-dai
- EnglishEmber day
From Middle English ember-dai, imber-dai, imbre-dai (“Ember day”), from Old English ymbrendæg. Ymbren is possibly a corrupted form of Old English ymbryne (“period, revolution of time”), from ymb (“around, about”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi (“around, about”)) + ryne (“path along which motion occurs; course”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)r ̊-nw- (“to flow, move, run”)). Alternatively, Ember could be a corruption of Latin quatuor tempora (“four periods”), from which German Quatember (“Embertide”) is derived.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech Suché den
- Suché denany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Danish Tamperdag
- Tamperdagany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
French Quatre-Temps
- Quatre-Tempsany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
German Quatember
- Quatemberany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Italian tempora
- temporaany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Polish suche dni
- suche dniany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Portuguese têmpora
- têmporaany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Spanish témpora
- témporaany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Vietnamese Chay mùa
- Chay mùaany of the three days within the same week, four separate sets of which occur roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, set aside for fasting and prayer
Cite this entry
Ember day. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ember%20day
“Ember day.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ember%20day. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ember day,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ember%20day.
Source: Ember day on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.