the cold withdraws itself, the clouds uplift, / and the rain falls in warm showers on the fair plains

Lent: A Botanical Coloring Calendar

For after Christmas comes crabbed¹ Lent,
that will have fish for flesh and simpler cheer.
But then the weather of the world chides with winter;
the cold withdraws itself, the clouds uplift,
and the rain falls in warm showers on the fair plains.
Then the flowers come forth, meadows and grove are clad in green,
the birds make ready to build, and sing sweetly
for solace of the soft summer that follows thereafter.
The blossoms bud and blow in the hedgerows rich and rank,
and noble notes enough are heard in the fair woods.

From Sir Gawain & the Green Night (author unknown; 14th c.), trans. Jessie Weston (1898)

The springtime season of Lent prompts us to embrace the tension of penitence and growth, sorrow and joy, death and rebirth. Derived from the Old English word lencten – “spring season” (literally, a “lengthening” of days) – we can, like nature, focus on renewal and growth through the rhythms that the Lenten season offers.

My hope in working on this Lenten botanical coloring calendar has been to better see the contours within Lent – looking at traditions that are kept by a variety of denominations today, as well as exploring some historic elements that have mostly fallen by the wayside but nonetheless offer so much beauty.

This calendar uses plants and colors to walk us through Lent:

PLANT STORIES: Though flowers aren’t traditionally used in churches throughout Lent, they’re nature’s way of telling the Lenten story. I’ve chosen flowers for their connections with liturgical tradition, color, bloom time, and other important associations in scripture.

COLOR STORIES: The Church uses various colors as an unspoken way of telling the stories embedded in different seasons and holy days. In this botanical coloring calendar, I’ve offered suggestions of what the traditional liturgical colors are (look for the color of the text used for each day) – but that’s meant to be food for thought, not a limit…do what works for you. You’ll also notice that purple flowers are repeated throughout the week – try using different shades, hues, or art media to bring each one to life with color in a different way. Maybe crayons one day, watercolor the next?

This coloring calendar is available as a printable for my paid subscribers - please hop over to the Scriptorium to download and print!

It’s also available to purchase in my online shop:

What do your Lenten rhythms look like? Will you be adding to or simplifying them this year? However you engage in Lent, I hope that it proves illuminating and fruitful for you.

Pax vobis,
Kristin

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1. “crabbed Lent” - an allusion to fasting (seafood replaced other meat during Lenten fasting in the Middle Ages)