In the liturgical calendar of the Western church, Ember days are four separate sets of three days
within the same week, specifically, the Wednesday, Friday, and
Saturday — roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that
were formerly set aside for fasting and prayer. These days
set apart for special prayer and fasting were considered especially
suitable for the ordination of clergy. The Ember Days are known
in Latin as the
quattuor anni tempora.
The four quarterly periods during which the ember days fall are
called the
embertides.
