A Masonic Tradition Worth Preserving

The Feast of St. John

by W.B. Nathan R. Neff, 33°, Grand Pursuivant n Oregon

In Freemasonry, the deadline to install our elected officers for the Lodges is the Western Feast Day of Saint John the Apostle, or Evangelist, on December 27th.(1) This has traditionally been a day of celebration by many Lodges in the jurisdiction by holding a festival. So why Saint John the Evangelist, and why should Lodges still make a point to commemorate this during our modern event-filled holiday season?

In the Christian faith, St. John is attributed as the patron saint of love, loyalty, friendships, and authors. Obviously love, loyalty, and friendship are Masonic virtues, while authorship perhaps not as much. The English Lodges held festivals on Wednesday after St. George’s Day, being the patron saint of England; Scottish Lodges on St. Andrew’s Day, being the patron saint of Scotland; and the Irish Lodges feasted on St. Patrick’s Day, being the patron saint of Ireland. Masonic historians believe that the adoption of the festival of St. John on the 27th came about after 1717 with the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England.(2) In the 1730 publication “Masonry Dissected” by Samuel Prichard the catechism therein recounts the familiar phrase, “Q. From whence came you? A. From the Holy Lodge of St. John’s.”(3) We know from Albert Mackey’s “A Lexicon of Freemasonry” and “An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry” that the early English Lodges were dedicated to King Solomon, and later dedicated to “God and his service,” while the parallel lines of the symbol of the point within the circle were representative of Moses and Solomon. This tradition was formally adopted by the

Grand Lodge of England in 1813, while the American Lodges kept with the St. John’s dedication and represented the parallel lines with the two Saints.(4&5) There have been many speculations on the relationship of the date of the saints’ festival days to astrological occurrences, which, to quote the great Masonic luminary Albert Pike, “will be explained when you are properly prepared.”

Many of the traditional Feasts of St. John the Evangelist held at our Oregon Lodges have fallen off; the timing around the holidays creates many hurdles for us to spend time both away and with our families. One of the Lodges I am a member of has changed their observance to a more traditional social gathering at a local tavern, harkening back to the traditions of the founders of Masonry in the early days of English and American Freemasonry when our Brethren held their meetings at taverns and alehouses. We notify the local tavern owner of our intentions for a dozen or so members to meet, we invite the Lodges in our area to join us, then on St. John’s Day we come together to toast, share stories, and rekindle for another year the Masonic spirit of love, loyalty, and friendship. I hope your Lodge continues your traditions of this festival!

1. Constitution and By-Laws, The Code, (2023), Oregon2. Saints John Days, (2024), Skirret.com3. Prichard S., (1730), Masonry Dissected, London4. Mackey A., Lexicon of Freemasonry, (1860), London & Glasgow5. Mackey A., An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, (1914), New York & London