Pilgrimage & Festivals
What Is Pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of special religious significance. Christians go on pilgrimages to deepen their faith, seek healing, do penance, experience God in a special way, or feel a connection to important events in Christian history. Some Christians believe that visiting a sacred place brings them closer to God. Others see the journey itself as a spiritual act — a time for prayer, reflection and personal growth.
Not all Christians agree that pilgrimage is necessary. Some argue that God is everywhere and can be worshipped anywhere. Others believe the money spent on travel could be better used to help the poor. However, many Christians value pilgrimage as a powerful expression of faith that has been practised since the earliest centuries of Christianity.
You need to know two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes (Roman Catholic, focus on healing) and Iona (ecumenical, focus on community and simplicity). Be ready to explain why Christians visit each and how they differ.
Lourdes
Lourdes is a town in south-west France. In 1858, a 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous reported 18 visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the river. During one vision, Mary told Bernadette to dig in the ground, and a spring of water appeared. This water is believed by many Catholics to have miraculous healing properties.
Today, around six million pilgrims visit Lourdes each year, making it one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage sites in the world. Pilgrims bathe in or drink the spring water, hoping for physical or spiritual healing. The site includes the Grotto of Massabielle (where the visions occurred), the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and hospitals and care facilities for the sick. Over 70 miraculous cures have been officially recognised by the Catholic Church.
Christians visit Lourdes to seek physical healing by bathing in or drinking the spring water. They also go to seek spiritual renewal and forgiveness through prayer and confession. Many go to pray for others who are sick, to feel closer to God in a place associated with the Virgin Mary, or to serve as volunteers caring for the sick and disabled. The sense of community at Lourdes — with millions of believers gathering together — strengthens faith and provides support for those who are suffering.
Iona
Iona is a small island off the west coast of Scotland. In 563 CE, an Irish monk named St Columba founded a monastery there, which became a centre for spreading Christianity across Scotland and northern England. Today, the Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian community that welcomes people of all denominations and none.
Pilgrims visit Iona for its simplicity, peace and sense of spiritual renewal. The community emphasises justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Visitors share in communal worship, manual work and discussion. Unlike Lourdes, Iona does not focus on miracles or healing — instead, it offers a retreat from modern life and an opportunity to live in a simple, prayerful community.
Christmas
Christmas celebrates the Incarnation — the belief that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ. Christians celebrate Christmas on 25 December (though some Orthodox Christians celebrate on 7 January). The festival recalls the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as described in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Christmas is important because it marks the moment God entered the world as a human being to save humanity from sin. The angel told the shepherds, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Christians celebrate through special church services (including Midnight Mass and carol services), nativity plays, gift-giving (symbolising the gifts of the Magi) and acts of charity.
For Christians in Great Britain today, Christmas remains the most widely celebrated religious festival. It brings families and communities together. Churches hold special services, including Advent services in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day worship. Many Christians also see it as a time to help those in need — through charity appeals, food drives and volunteering.
Some Christians are concerned that the religious meaning of Christmas has been overshadowed by commercialism and consumerism. They argue that the focus should be on Jesus’s birth and its theological significance, not on shopping and materialism.
Easter
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, three days after his crucifixion. The events of Easter are central to the Christian faith: without the resurrection, there would be no Christianity. St Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
Palm Sunday remembers Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna!” Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and shared bread and wine. Good Friday marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus — many churches hold sombre services, and some Christians fast or walk the Stations of the Cross. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection — churches hold joyful services with hymns, flowers and the lighting of the Paschal candle.
Easter is the most important Christian festival because it celebrates the resurrection — the foundation of the entire Christian faith. St Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Without the resurrection, Christians believe there would be no hope of salvation or eternal life.