Draft:Creation Day

Creation Day and the subsequent Season of Creation are an important Christian observance

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Creation Day, also known as the Feast of Creation or World Day of Prayer for Creation, is a Christian observance held annually on September 1 or the subsequent Sunday. The day commemorates the Christian belief in divine creation and emphasizes care for the natural world, understood by Christians as "creation", in a contemporary ecological context. It is recognized by the Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, Methodist Churches, the Anglican/Episcopal Churches and various Reformed Churches. In these churches, it marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, a global ecumenical period dedicated to prayer and action for the environment that continues until October 4, the feast of Francis of Assisi.^[1][2]

History

Eastern Orthodox Origin

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, September 1 is the first day of the liturgical year and has long been associated with the biblical account of creation in the first chapters of Genesis.^[3], a theme echoed in the biblical phrase "In the beginning" from both the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of John.^[4]

The Byzantine Creation Era calendar, used by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church from the 7th to the 18th century,^[5] calculated the day of creation as 1 September 5509 BC, based on biblical chronology. This date was retained as the liturgical new year after the transition from the Anno Mundi system^[6] to the Western Anno Domini calendar, a practice also observed by Byzantine Catholic rites.^[7]

Modern Development

In 1989, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios designated September 1 as a day of prayer for creation, inviting other Christian churches to participate. He called for "prayers and supplications to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection."^[8] Other churches adopted the celebration under the name "Creation Day"; for example, in 2003, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines introduced such a day, inspired by the Orthodox tradition, describing it as a day to reflect on the "responsibility to preserve and promote the integrity of creation in the face of the planetary ecological crisis". ^[9]

In 2015, Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1 September for the Catholic Church.^[10][11][12] Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a joint statement on September 1, 2017, to reiterate the ecumenical commitment.^[13][14] The World Council of Churches, inspired by the Orthodox celebration, extended the observance into a month-long Season of Creation running from September 1 through October 4 (the feast of Francis of Assisi).^[15] Creation Day and the larger ecumenical season are now celebrated by many Christian denominations, and ecumenical discussions have considered the possibility of establishing as a formal liturgical feast in non-Byzantine churches.^{[16][17] [18][19][20]}

Relevance

Theological Significance

The observance reflects on two meanings of "Creation": the theological doctrine of creation and the belief in God as creator; and protection of the natural world understood as "creation".^{[21][22][23][24]}

Some Christian leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI noted that the doctrine of Creation has received less emphasis in modern theology.^[25]

Contemporary Relevance

In many churches, the day is observed through liturgies, prayers of thanksgiving, and intercessions for environmental protection.^{[26][27][28][29]} Within the Season of Creation^[30] these liturgical observances are often accompanied by educational events, advocacy campaigns, and community projects related to environmental care.^{[31] [32][33][34][35]}

See also

• Byzantine Calendar
• Genesis creation narrative
• Ecumenism
• Ecotheology

References

1. "The Season of Creation runs throughout September". BBC Sounds.
2. "Creation Care". The Episcopal Church. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
3. "The beginning of the Indiction (September 1)". Orthodox Times.
4. "Why a Feast of Creation on September 1?". Laudato Si' Movement.
5. "Byzantine Creation Era Calendar". Orthodox Christianity, 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
6. Tøndering, Claus. "The Hebrew Calendar". www.tondering.dk. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
7. "The Orthodox Faith - Volume II - Worship - the Church Year - Church Year".
8. Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios. "Encyclical Letter on the Day of Protection of the Environment September 1, 1989" (PDF). Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration.
9. "Celebrating Creation Day and Creation Time". Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
10. Insua, Tomás. "Laudato Si': A drop in the ocean or a powerful oceanic undercurrent? It's up to us". Earthbeat. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
11. "Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis for the establishment of the "World Day of Prayer for The Care of Creation" [1st September]".
12. "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation". CAFOD.
13. Valente, Gianni (31 August 2017). "Francis and Bartholomew: May God help us save His creation". La Stampa. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
14. Glatz, Carol. "Pope, Orthodox patriarch issue joint plea for care of creation". Earthbeat. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
15. "Season of Creation". World Council of Churches.
16. "New steps towards the Feast of Creation: LSRI co-hosts ecumenical gathering in Assisi | Laudato Si' Research Institute". Laudato Si' Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford.
17. Larson, Lizette (16 March 2024). "The Feast of Creation and the Mystery of Creation". Pray Tell. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
18. "WCC Podcast explores Feast of Creation ahead of Creation Day Conference". World Council of Churches.
19. Eves, Hannah (10 September 2024). "The Story of the Season of Creation". A Rocha. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
20. "A Feast of Creation: An Unprecedented Journey to Unity". New City Publishing House. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
21. "THE FEAST OF CREATION AND THE MYSTERY OF CREATION: ECUMENISM, THEOLOGY, LITURGY, AND SIGNS OF THE TIMES IN DIALOGUE". Laudato Si' Action Platform.
22. "What is the Feast of Creation?". Season of Creation.
23. Williams, Rowan (2018). Christ at the Heart of Creation. London: Bloomsbury.
24. O'Callaghan, Paul (2022). God's Gift to the Universe: An Introduction to Creation Theology. Washington DC: The Catholic University of America Press.
25. "Why a Feast of Creation on September 1?". Laudato Si' Movement.
26. "Creationtide or the Season of Creation". The Church of England.
27. "Creationtide Resources". The Methodist Church.
28. "A Time for Creation: Liturgical resources for Creation and the Environment". The Church of England. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
29. "Mass For Creation Resources". Catholic Climate Covenant. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
30. "Season of Creation". Season of Creation. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
31. "What is the Season of Creation". Laudato Si' Movement.
32. "Launch of Laudato Si' Action Platform culminates Laudato Si' Week 2021 as Catholics around the world respond to Pope Francis' call". Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
33. "Creationtide or the Season of Creation". The Church of England. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
34. "Pope Leo: God's creation is not a battleground for vital resources". Vatican News. 2 July 2025.
35. "Season of Creation: A Time to Pray and Act". Scottish Episcopal Church Institute Journal. 3 (4). Winter 2019.