Masonic Holidays

Collected here are notable dates to those in the history of Freemasonry and founding dates of particular aspects of the craft.

If you know of a particular date that’s not on the list, drop it in the comments, and it will be added to the roll.

Unlike national holidays or religious observance holidays, these may (or may not) be widely celebrated, but should perhaps be considered as special days of note in the Masonic calendar and days to give pause for a few moments to reflect on their significance to the wider craft.

Follow this calendar on Google Calendars.

This is a living post in that it will be open to additions in the future.

Masonic Notable Dates

January

January 4–8, 1808 – Grand Lodge of Ohio was establishedº≠
January 9, 1844
– Grand Lodge of Iowa Founded
January 12th, 1886Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 Consecrated in London
January 13, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Indiana established º
January 14, 1892 – The beginning of the Allied Masonic Degrees in America
January 17, 1706
Ben Franklin born.  Statesman, Diplomat, Past Grand Master
January 17, 1865 – Grand Lodge of Nevada was founded in Virginia City, Nevada
January 17, 1872 – Grand Lodge of Utah was established≠
January 23, 1910SCIOTS adopted their name (originally Boosters from 1905)
January 25 1759 – Robert Burns born (d. July 21 1796)º
January 26, 1866 – Grand Lodge of Montana was founded≠
January 27, 1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born (d.5 December 1791)º

February

February 7, 1981 – Grand Lodge of Alaska was established in Anchorage, Alaska
February 19, 1811 – Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia founded
February 22, 1732 – George Washington born, first President of the United States
February 24, 1853 – Grand Lodge of Minnesota foundedº

March

March 6, 1775Prince Hall, was made a Master Mason in Irish Constitution Military Lodge No. 441
March 12, 1807Albert Gallatin Mackey – d. June 20, 1881 – Masonic Author, notably of the Masonic Dictionary
March 17, 1856 – Grand Lodge of Kansas established, Wyandotte County, Kansasº
March 18, 1919Order of DeMolay founded in Kansas City, Missouri, later to become DeMolay International
March 25, 1882 – Grand Lodge of Arizona was established in Tucson

Maundy Thursday

A Feast Day that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. Maundy Thursday move between March 19th and April 22nd with the Easter holiday. Celebration is held on the Thursday before Easter.

April

April 6, 1922International Order of the Rainbow for Girls founded in McAlester, Oklahoma
April 8, 1790 – Grand Lodge of New Hampshire was founded≠
April 16, 1838 – Grand Lodge of Texas established in Houston, Texasº
April 17, 1787 – Grand Lodge of Maryland was founded
April 20, 1884 – Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical, Humanum Genus against Freemasonry based upon the hoax by Leo Taxil
April 21, 1821 – Grand Lodge of Missouri was founded in Columbia, Missouriº

May

May 6, 1850 – Grand Lodge of California was established in Sacramento, CA
May 11, 1865 – Grand Lodge of West Virginia was founded≠
May 17, 1921High Twelve founded, Sioux City, Iowa
May 20, 1989 – Grand Lodge of Hawaii founded
May 31, 1801
– Ordo ab Chao, Founding of the The Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA

June

June 1, 1820 – Grand Lodge of Maine was founded≠
June 6, 1806
– Grand Lodge of Delaware Established
June 11, 1821 – 
Grand Lodge of Alabama was established in Cahawba, Alabama°
June 13, 1889 – Grand Lodge of North Dakota was established at Mitchell, South Dakotaº
June 13, 1890 – Grotto, or the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm was founded, Hamilton, New York
June 14, 1873Order of the Amaranth organized  in New York City, New York
June 20, 1812 – Grand Lodge of Louisiana was established

June 20/21

Saint John the Baptist Day / Summer Solstice
St. John the Baptist Day as a religious holiday is celebrated on June 24°

June 22 1867 – Walter Leslie Wilmshurst born (d. July 22 1939)*
June 23, 1868
– Grand Lodge of Idaho founded

June 24, 1717

Proto Grand Lodge, Grand Lodge of London and Westminster forms at the Goose and Gridiron alehouse in St. Paul’s Churchyard, London, England.

June 27, 1791 – Grand Lodge of Rhode Island founded≠
June* of 1826 – Grand Lodge of Michigan was established (Bessel suggests September 14, 1844)º≠

July

July 3, 1863

The meeting of Armistead and Hancock on the battle field. Union Captain, and brother, Henry H. Bingham coming to the aid of Confederate Brigadier General, and brother, Lewis Addison Armistead. Said to be “one of the greatest examples of the ideals of Freemasonry in action” leading to the dedication of the Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial statue at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.≠

July 6, 1830 – Grand Lodge of Florida Founded
July 8, 1789
– Grand Lodge of Connecticut founded.
July 21, 1875 – Grand Lodge of South Dakota was formed≠
July 24, 1783 – Simón Bolívar (d. December 17, 1830) – Venezuelan military and political leader.

Like Washington and the American founding fathers, Bolívar played a key role in Latin America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire. Bolivar was initiated in 1803 in the Masonic Lodge Lautaro which operated in Cadiz, Spain and was given the 33rd degree of Inspector General Honorary in April of 1824.

July 27, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Mississippi was founded
July 30, 1733 – Grand Lodge of Massachusetts founded

August

August 2, 1861 – Grand Lodge of Colorado founded
August 5, 1813
– Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite founded
August 7, 1742 – William Preston born – d. April 1, 1818.  Author of the revised Masonic Ritual
August 7, 1877 – Grand Lodge of New Mexico was founded≠

September

September 11, 1826 – the beginning of the Morgan Affair and the rise of the Anti Masonic Party – William Morgan arrested (and then abducted on September 12, 1826) in Canandaigua (city), New York
September 15, 1851 – Grand Lodge of Oregon was established (Bessel lists August 16)
September 21, 1880Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis consecrated
September 23, 1857 – Grand lodge of Nebraska was founded.º
September 26, 1872 – founding of the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
September 26, 1786 – Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was established in Philadelphia, PA.

Feast of Tishiri

15th day of the 7th month – though the date moves with the Jewish Calendar (7th Month of the Jewish calendar somewhere between September and October).

The origin of the Feast of Tishri is described in the book of Leviticus where it is said that the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying that on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishri of the Hebrew civil calendar, “ye shall have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord.” The Feast of Tishri is the Hebrew equivalent of Thanksgiving or Harvest festival.

The origins and significance of the Feast of Tishri make it the most Scottish Rite of festivals. No other occasion epitomizes the character and purpose of the Feast of Tishri more wholly than the dedication of King Solomon’s Temple. The rich legend of the Temples dedication, celebrated during the Feast of Tishri, is an essential part of the Fourteenth Degree.

By observing the Feast of Tishri, Scottish Rite Masons share the fraternal spirit and reaffirm our dedication to human concord and the brotherhood of all men. As Brothers, we resolve to build, as King Solomon did, peace for all mankind.

October

October 5, 1874 – Grand Lodge of Oklahoma was established≠
October 13, 1778 – Grand Lodge of Virginia was founded≠
October 15, 1794 – Grand Lodge of Vermont was established≠
October 16, 1800
– Grand Lodge of Kentucky established (founded 1788)º
October 18, 1911
– Corner Stone laid in the Construction of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction house of the Temple in Washington
October 20, 1920 – The Order of Job’s Daughters, founded in Omaha, Nebraska
October 23, 1894White Shrine of Jerusalem was incorporated
October 30, 1771 – Thomas Smith Webb, (d. July 6, 1819) author of Freemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonry, the foundation text of the York Rite American system of Freemasonry and the Founding Father of the York or American Rite

November

November 6, 1876Order of the Eastern Star first General Grand Chapter formed in Indianapolis, Indiana.
November 21, 1838 – Grand Lodge of Arkansas Founded*
November 30, 1835 – Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, – d. April 21, 1910.  Author, humorist lecturer, and father of American literature.
November 30Saint Andrews Day – The Feast of Saint Andrew

December

December 8, 1858 – Grand Lodge of Washington was established.≠
December 9, 1787
– Grand Lodge of North Carolina was established.º
December 11, 1822
– Grand Lodge of Illinois founded.
December 15, 1782 – Grand Lodge of New York was established.º
December 15, 1874 – Grand Lodge of Wyoming was formed.
December 16, 1786 – Grand Lodge of Georgia founded.
December 18, 1786 – Grand Lodge of New Jersey≠
December 18, 1843 – Grand lodge of Wisconsin established.≠

December 21st/22nd

Saint John the Evangelist Day/Winter Solstice. Saint John the Evangelist Day as a religious holiday is celebrated on December 27.

December 25: Christmas and Freemasonry

December 27, 1813

United Grand Lodge of England established, the proto Grand Lodge,  Grand Lodge of London and Westminster forms on June 24, 1717

December 27, 1783 – Grand Lodge of South Carolina was established.≠
December 27, 1813 – Grand Lodge of Tennessee was formed.
December 29, 1809 – Albert Pike, author of Morals and Dogma born,  d. April 2, 1891 (aged 81)
December 31New Years Eve-Auld Lang Syne

Sources:
° – Wikipedia
≠ – From Paul Bessel’s Website
* – Secondary source

Posted in Featured, Masonic Traveler and tagged , .

A devoted student of the Western Mystery Traditions, Greg is a firm believer in the Masonic connections to the Hermetic traditions of antiquity, its evolution through the ages and into its present configuration as the antecedent to all contemporary esoteric and occult traditions. He is a self-called searcher for that which was lost, a Hermetic Hermit and a believer in “that which is above is so too below.” Read more about Greg Stewart.

6 Comments

  1. Two corrections: as any Quebecois or Newfie can tell you, The Feast of St. John the Baptist is June 24. Furthermore, the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist is December 27. Both are near the solstices, but not quite on them.

  2. You are playing into the hands of Freemasonry’s enemies when you write of Masonic “Holidays”. We should not refer to our Festival Days as Holydays. This is not a moot point. Although some Masons consider the Craft to be their religion, it was never meant to be that way and should not be this way. We, all of us, suffer for the likes of Albert Pike and his Morals and Dogma. Find me just one Tin-Foiler who cannot qoute Pike.

  3. when was the Grand Lodge of Louisiana founded and isn’t it listed in your report on lodges creation date.

  4. Jesus is God and the Saviour of the world. Repent and turn from pride to be saved from eternal consequences. God is in control.
    Also why are so many of your members involved in sketchy stuff like biker gangs and offshore tax evasion?Darkness has no power of the righteous. Check ya’ll selves. Everyone will be judged individually before God. No one will have their “crew”. Just you and your own rejection or acceptance of God’s Son Jesus Christ as Lord.
    “35 Be careful, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 So if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.”…

    “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.”

    In the Name of Jesus (the Word of God) BE FREE!!

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