Christian holidays list and description. Church holidays: calendar and meaning

Christianity, like any religion, on certain days of the calendar honors saints or celebrates events in the life of the church. Christian holidays are rooted in ancient ritual traditions associated with specific stages, types of economic activity, annual astronomical or calendar cycle. Conventionally, they are divided into pan-Christian (recognized by the Orthodox, Catholic, and most Protestant churches) and confessional (celebrated only by individual denominations). The most important of them relate to the twelve feasts - the twelve most important holidays after Easter, which the church celebrates with solemn services.

Nativity. This is one of the main holidays of Christianity associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. In Catholicism it is celebrated on December 25, in Orthodoxy (belongs to the twelve holidays) on January 7. Establishing himself in different countries, this holiday has absorbed the rituals and customs of other religions, national holidays, acquiring new features that corresponded to Christian dogmas.

The very tradition of Christmas has its origins in primitive cultic actions. The main role in its dogmatic sense the church assigns to the teaching about the birth of Jesus Christ, who appeared to atone for the sins of people, to show humanity the path to salvation. Indeed, in Ancient Egypt, for example, on January 6 they celebrated the birthday of the god of water, vegetation, and owner of the afterlife, Osiris. In Ancient Greece, the birth of Dionysus was celebrated on the same day. In Iran, on December 25, they celebrated the birth of the god of the sun, purity and truth - Mithras.

IN Kievan Rus The holiday of the Nativity of Christ came along with Christianity in the 10th century. and merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday - Christmastide (lasted for 12 days - from December 25 (January 7) to January 6 (19). The Orthodox Church tried in every possible way to replace them with the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, but the holidays and customs existing among the Eastern Slavs were so deeply rooted that it was forced to combine church holidays with folk ones. Thus, the church combined carols with the gospel story about star of bethlehem which announced the birth of Christ. “Pagan” carols turned into the walking of Christoslavs with a star from house to house. Children were widely involved in glorifying Christ. The believers thanked them with gifts.

Since 1990. Christmas Day is an official holiday in Ukraine.

Baptism of the Lord (Vodokhrischa, Blessing of the Waters, Epiphany). It is one of the main holidays in Christianity. In Orthodoxy it belongs to the twelve holidays. Catholics celebrate on the 6th, Orthodox on January 19. It was introduced in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. It is also called the Epiphany, because, according to the Gospel, during Jesus’ baptism, God the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove.

In Christianity it was introduced in the 2nd half of the 2nd century, and was first celebrated together with the Nativity of Christ. In Art. IV This day began to be celebrated separately. The Church considers it as a “holiday of enlightenment” of peoples, since, according to teaching, it was with baptism that Jesus began to enlighten them with the light of the gospel truth.

This holiday has always been celebrated very solemnly. Its main rite is the blessing of water in the church and in the ice hole. A procession of the cross went to the ice hole, and solemn prayers were held. The blessing of water in churches continues to this day.

Sprinkling with water existed in many pre-Christian religions. By spiritualizing natural phenomena, people also spiritualized water as an important source of life. Christianity in the early stages of its development did not know the rite of baptism; it borrowed it somewhat later from ancient cults, which assigned an important role to the rite of “cleansing” a person from any “filth” or “evil spirits” with the help of water. According to ancient beliefs, water cleansed people from “evil spirits,” “demons.” Therefore, ancient peoples had a custom of spitting water on newborns.

Candlemas. It is celebrated as one of the twelve holidays on February 15 on the occasion of the meeting (presentation) of the righteous Simeon with the baby Jesus, whom his parents brought to the Jerusalem Temple on the fortieth day after birth to present to God. It was then that Simeon predicted to Jesus his messenger mission as the Savior of people. This is stated in the Gospel according to. Luke. By introducing the holiday, the church cared not only about spreading the ideas of Christianity, but also about “truth to facts” in the biography of Christ, emphasizing the obligation of believers to bring babies to church within 40 days after birth. In addition, the church tried to protect Christians from ancient cults, since the Romans in February served “purification”, repentance, and fasted, believing that before the start of spring field work it was necessary to “cleanse themselves from sins” and “evil spirits” by making sacrifices to spirits and gods. The main cleansing ritual took place on February 15, when people with torches in their hands drove out the evil spirits of winter cold and disease.

Supporters of Orthodoxy did not recognize Candlemas for a long time. Later they gave it the meaning of a holiday of purification. This is exactly how it appeared in Rus', establishing itself mainly as a church holiday. In the popular consciousness, Candlemas marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring household chores, as evidenced by the popular belief: “At Candlemas, winter meets summer.”

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This twelfth holiday is celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. Household its name Palm Sunday, before the day of Holy Week, dedicated to the “mention of the suffering of Christ.”

According to the calendar, it is directly adjacent to Easter and does not have a fixed date. It was introduced in Art. IV. How important stage preparation for Easter. It is based on the biblical legend about the entry of Jesus Christ with the apostles into Jerusalem, accompanied by the performance of miracles. The people joyfully greeted the Son of God with palm branches.

In Rus', the ritual significance of palm branches is transferred to willow branches, which bloom at this time and, according to popular belief, protect against evil spirits. The celebration of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem is intended to encourage believers to open their hearts to Christ's teachings about the resurrection and eternal salvation, as did the inhabitants of Ancient Jerusalem.

Ascension of the Lord. It is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. And the very moment of the ascension to heaven of Christ, resurrected after his execution, completes his earthly biography. It is very common in everyday life and remains strictly ecclesiastical. Its content generates in believers the idea of the frailty of earthly life and directs them towards Christian asceticism in order to achieve the “eternal.”

Christian theology claims that the ascension of Christ opens the way for the righteous to heaven, to resurrection after death. This idea existed long before the advent of Christianity. Beliefs in the ascension to heaven of people, heroes and gods were common among the Phoenicians, Jews and other peoples.

Trinity (Pentecost). A holiday established in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ on the fiftieth day after his resurrection, as a result of which they began to speak different languages, which were not known before. It is called upon to focus the attention of believers on the voice of the church, which carries “God’s word”, to attract them to preach Christianity to other “languages,” that is, to other nations. Celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. In Orthodoxy it belongs to the twelve holidays.

The concept of the divine trinity existed long before Christianity. In the process of the formation of the Christian religion, the need arose to connect it with the stories of the Old Testament. Therefore, in the New Testament books, Christ is presented as the son of the Hebrew god Yahweh, as a hypostasis of the one God, which was evidenced by the step of Christianity from polytheism to monotheism. Accordingly, Christianity borrowed many Jewish holidays, including the Feast of Pentecost. Among the ancient Jews, it arose with their transition to agriculture and was associated with the completion of the harvest, which lasted “seven weeks,” that is, seven weeks, accompanied by the offering of bread from the new harvest to local field spirits and deities. Christianity gave him a new justification.

In most Eastern Slavs, the holiday of the Trinity merged with the local holiday of Semik (another name is “Trinity”), borrowing its everyday meaning. The ancient Slavs associated semik with the completion of spring work, trying to appease the spirits of vegetation during the period of flowering and harvest. An important element Orthodox holiday Trinity is the commemoration of the spirits of deceased relatives (funeral Saturday). In Ukraine since 1990. Trinity Sunday is an official holiday.

Saved. This is one of three holidays dedicated to the Savior Jesus Christ. It is based on the Gospel story of the transfiguration of Christ, who at the end of his earthly life led his disciples (Peter, James, John) to the mountain and during prayer completely changed: his face shone, his clothes became white, shiny, and a voice from heaven confirmed his divine origin. Christian teaching claims that Jesus wanted to strengthen the faith of his disciples and prove to them that he was truly the Son of God.

It is with this event that the Feast of the Transfiguration (“Apple Savior”), which is celebrated on August 19, is associated. On this day, they not only glorify Jesus Christ, but also sanctify apples and other fruits (according to popular custom, they can be consumed since then).

An important feature of the Savior, like many other holidays, is the combination of Christian pathos with calendar rituals and customs of cleansing from evil spirits. For example, during the “honey” celebration (“makovei”), which takes place on August 14, fresh honey is blessed in the church. Established in 1164 in honor of the Byzantine victory over the Muslims. This day is especially revered in Russian Orthodoxy, since it is believed that it was on August 14 that the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir was baptized. The third - "grain" saving - is celebrated on August 29, coinciding with the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter sowing. Christianity connects it with the honoring of the miraculous image of Christ, imprinted on a towel and handed over to Abgar, the king of Edessa.

In many parishes, the Feast of the Savior is also patronal (temple).

Exaltation of the Holy Cross. One of the twelve holidays dedicated to the cult of the Cross as a symbol of the Christian faith. The church connects several events with the cross. According to legend, the Roman Emperor Constantine, before one of his largest battles, had a vision: a cross illuminated in the sky with the inscription “With this conquer!” That same night, Jesus Christ himself appeared to the emperor in a dream and advised him to take into battle a banner with the image of a cross. Constantine did so, in addition, he ordered his legionaries to paint the sign of the cross on their shields. Constantine won the battle and since then believed in the miraculous power of the cross, although historical facts evidence that, to commemorate the victory, Constantine ordered the minting of coins with the image of pagan gods, which he believed helped him in the battle with his enemies.

The Church established this holiday in memory of the receipt by the mother of the Roman Emperor Helen in the 4th century. the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. So that the people could see it, the cross was raised (erected) on Mount Golgotha, where Christ was executed, and in the place where the cross was found, a temple was built, the consecration of which took place on September 13, 335.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is solemnly celebrated on September 27. It is accompanied by magnificent rituals. During the service, a cross decorated with flowers is brought out and placed in the middle of the temple. The ceremony is accompanied by ringing and church chants.

Believers revere the cross as a symbol of Christianity as a symbol of redemption, suffering and salvation, believing that every person, like Christ, must overcome his own “way of the cross.”

Mother of God holidays. They cover the holiday in honor of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ (Theotokos). These are the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Entry into the Temple of the Theotokos, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of the Dormition, the Intercession (the first four belong to the Twelves) and many holidays in honor of the “miraculous” icons of the Theotokos.

In the honoring of Mary the Mother of God, there are traces of veneration by the ancient peoples of the goddess of the earth, who gave birth to the savior, God's son - the god of vegetation. The creation of the image of the Christian Mother of God was influenced by the ideas of the ancient Egyptians about the goddess Izidu. Christianity depicts the Mother of God as the “queen of heaven,” a winged celestial being “shrouded in the sun.” On her head is a wreath of twelve stars. The ancient Egyptian goddess Isis was also depicted as the queen of heaven, believing that she gave birth to a divine son, the savior Horus. The Christian Mother of God has common features with the goddess of the Syrians and Phoenicians, Astarte.

Ancient peoples worshiped these goddesses, considering them deities of the fertility of the earth and livestock, and intercessors of agriculture.

The church also borrowed the idea of the virgin birth from pre-Christian religions. According to the myths of the peoples of the Ancient East, Mithra, Buddha, and Zoroaster were born from immaculate mothers. It was these myths that served to create the Christian legend about the “immaculate conception” of the Virgin Mary.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Malaya Prechistaya). The Church connects it with ancient agricultural autumn holidays, timed to coincide with the end of the harvest. On this day, it is emphasized that the Mother of God is a great righteous woman, a helper and intercessor of people, the patroness of agriculture, who with the “birth of Christ” took the first step towards their “eternal salvation.” Celebrated on September 21st.

Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin Mary. Connected with the tradition of three-year-old Mary being brought up in the Jerusalem Temple. By establishing this holiday, the church pursued, first of all, the goal of convincing parents of the need to bring their child to church on early age. Celebrated on December 4th.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is celebrated on the occasion of Mary receiving news from the Archangel Gabriel that she will give birth to a child from the Holy Spirit. In Rus', the church associated this holiday with the beginning of spring field work ("blessing" of seeds, etc.) and signs of the future harvest. Celebrated on April 7th.

First Most Pure One. The Church celebrates it as the day of remembrance of the Mother of God. The church interpretation of this holiday is much reminiscent of ancient Syrian legends about the death of Cybele, the goddess of fertility. In Rus', the holiday of the Assumption merged with the ancient Slavic pagan holiday of harvesting and sacrificing bread and fruits to the spirits. Celebrated on August 28th.

Intercession of the Virgin Mary. This holiday is associated with a vision of the Virgin Mary, which allegedly appeared in 910 in the Blachernae Church of the Virgin Mary in Constantinople. During the night service, the holy fool Andrew, who was canonized, and his disciple Epiphanius allegedly saw the Mother of God, surrounded by angels and saints, appearing above them, praying for the salvation of the world from troubles and suffering, with a white veil spread over everyone.

The holiday came to Rus' along with Orthodoxy; the church used it to supplant the autumn pagan holidays that were held at the end of field work. It is celebrated on October 14.

In Ukraine, the holiday of the Intercession is very respected; it has absorbed the traditional veneration of women, mothers, and the feminine principle in general, personified in the image of the mother earth. The Ukrainian Cossacks had a special attitude towards this holiday.

Easter (Easter). This is one of the most significant Christian religious holidays. It was established by the first Christians in memory of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Historically, the holiday comes from the custom of some ancient peoples of the Middle East (Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews), who were engaged in cattle breeding, to sacrifice lambs and calves from the first litter to the spirits during the spring holiday. They believed that this would appease evil spirits, and they would no longer destroy livestock and send diseases to them. With the transition to agriculture, bread, cakes, fruits, etc., baked from the grain of the new harvest, were offered as an atonement sacrifice to the spirits. These agricultural holidays merged with cattle Easter and adopted its name. they were united by the hope of the miraculous good power of deities who die and are resurrected.

Christianity borrowed this tradition, embodying it in the doctrine of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. But the main idea - God's self-sacrifice for people - has been preserved. The religious essence of the ritual remained the same as thousands of years ago: by making a sacrifice to cleanse people from evil, illness, misfortune and tragedy.

The idea of salvation, at least after death, became widespread, especially among the common people. The image of Christ, who voluntarily accepted martyrdom, seems to call for enduring earthly suffering. As Christian teaching established itself and developed, it developed the ceremony of celebrating Easter, and from the 2nd century. this holiday has become one of the main ones.

The week before Easter is called Great, or Passionate, because its days are associated with the Passion of the Lord. Particularly important days begin on Thursday, which is called “clean”. It is associated with the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the apostles.

The material embodiment of the resurrection is Easter eggs(in Ukraine - krashenki, pysanky) a symbol of life, spring, sun, in Christianity a symbol of the atonement of human sin.

In Kievan Rus, the celebration of Easter was introduced in the 10th century. Here it merged with local Slavic spring holidays. In the spring, before the start of agricultural work, the ancient Slavs held a festival of the sun, which “resurrects”. In those days, they made sacrifices to the spirits and deities of vegetation, and sought to satisfy the spirits of deceased ancestors. Christian Easter absorbed many of the ancient Slavic religious rituals, including public family meals in which bread, cheese, eggs, smoked meat and the like were prepared.

Since in early Christianity the celebration of the resurrection of Christ coincided with the Jewish Passover, at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) it was decided to celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurred on or on the day spring equinox(March 21), or after it. But it was obligatory to celebrate Passover on a different day than the Jews. By lunar calendar the spring full moon falls on the same date, after the solar one on different dates, and even on different days weeks. Therefore, Easter does not have a precisely established calendar. It is celebrated within 35 days.

To more accurately determine the date of Easter for each year, appropriate calculations were made, which are called Easter. In Orthodoxy they have remained unchanged to this day. In Catholicism, the formula for these calculations has undergone some changes, so both churches do not always celebrate Easter on the same day.

In Orthodoxy there are twelve most significant holidays- these are 12 especially important events of the church calendar, in addition to the main holiday - the great event of Easter.

This number includes both moving holidays and holidays with a fixed date. The most important holiday and celebration of celebrations is the Resurrection of Christ (Easter). We have prepared full list these holidays. The dates of non-moving holidays are indicated according to the Gregorian calendar.

Twelfth Immovable Holidays

This is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians. The full church name of the holiday is the Bright Resurrection of Christ. The celebration is timed to coincide with the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion.

The date of Easter is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar. The holiday is celebrated on the nearest Sunday after the first full moon, which occurs after the spring equinox. The date falls between April 4 and May 8.

- Sunday before Easter. The holiday is celebrated seven days before Easter, on the 6th Sunday of Lent.

Orthodox Christians most often call this event Palm Sunday and celebrate it when there is a week left before Easter. It is connected with the coming of Jesus to the holy city.

- celebrated on the 40th day after Easter.

Celebrated 40 days after Easter ends. Falls annually on the fourth day of the week. It is believed that at this moment Jesus appeared in the flesh to his heavenly Father, our Lord.

— The Holy Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter.

Falls on the 50th day after the end of Great Easter. 50 days after the resurrection of the Savior, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles.

The clergy in Russia has always had a special place in the history of the country, has always had significant political power, although this influence cannot always be attributed to direct activities churches.
Religious holidays in Christian Russia have centuries-old traditions, you can learn more about the most popular religious holidays from this section of our website. For each of the holidays, detailed information will be provided about when it is celebrated in the year, how, and here you can also find congratulations and cards for a specific religious holiday.
Before moving on to specific holidays, we present a summary table that presents the most important dates, the so-called great religious holidays.

Nativity

Christmas is the day when Jesus Christ entered the world with love. This is a day of forgiveness, bright feelings, a day when love triumphs. May the guns fall silent on this holiday and not a single rocket rise into the air except fireworks! May God give peace and rest to the soldiers! And let love for near and far enter our hearts! Merry Christmas!
In this category you will find not only about how Jesus came into our world, but also Christmas greetings in prose and verse for all the people near and dear to you.

Eve of the Epiphany

Epiphany Christmas Eve is preparation for the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord. According to the evangelists, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, and he was baptized by John the Baptist, who after the baptism of Christ received the name John the Baptist.
On Christmas Eve, Christians adhere to strict fasting. On this day you can only eat porridge, or sochivo, as Orthodox Christians call it. The name of the holiday comes from the name of this porridge. Usually sochivo was prepared from honey, raisins and rice or barley. But in different regions of Russia they prepare sochi in different ways.
In addition, this evening the blessing of water takes place. The blessing of water also occurs the next day - on the day of Epiphany. Since the procedure for consecrating water is the same, the water itself is considered holy, regardless of what day the consecration took place - on Christmas Eve or Epiphany

Epiphany

Epiphany is one of the most ancient and revered holidays among Christians. Jesus came to John the Baptist and asked to baptize him. But John disagreed, saying that “you must baptize me.” To which Jesus replied that this is the Will of God. After the baptism ceremony, the heavens opened, and God said that Jesus was his son, and a dove flew from heaven as confirmation.
After this, it is believed that Jesus himself and his disciples went to preach the word of God in different cities and countries. And the rite of Baptism itself became not so much a rite of purification, but a rite of communion with the sacrament of the Holy Trinity, and everyone who received communion had to preach the Word of God throughout the countries and villages

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a special holiday. The Word of God came true and the Son of God became a man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Archangel Gabriel, who brought the good news to the Virgin Mary, first asked her consent to give birth to the Child of God. Having given her consent, the Virgin Mary became the savior of the world. That is why the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos is so great.
The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on April 7

Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa is fun party lasting a whole week. After Maslenitsa, Lent begins, which ends only on Easter. Maslenitsa began depending on the date of Easter, from February 3 to March 14. Although we inherited Maslenitsa from paganism, it fits well into the Orthodox religious calendar. There is nothing wrong with having fun and overeating before the strict period of Lent.
The most common food on Maslenitsa is pancakes. Round, ruddy, they symbolized the Sun, which appeared more and more often in the sky and shone ever warmer. Therefore, the second meaning of Maslenitsa is saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. The symbol of farewell to winter was the burning of an effigy of Winter.

Forgiveness Sunday

Forgiveness Sunday is the last day of Maslenitsa. Co next day Lent begins. On Forgiveness Sunday, Orthodox Christians repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness for their offenses to each other. This ritual is necessary in order to hold Great Lent with a pure soul, and then celebrate the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ - Easter.
Don’t forget to forgive and ask for forgiveness on this day, because this is such a great opportunity to make peace!

Palm Sunday

On the last Sunday before Easter, Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Jesus as the King of heaven in human form. They greeted him with songs and palm branches. But since there are no palm trees in Russia, they were replaced with willow branches, which begin to bloom at this time.
According to the evangelists - John, Luke, Matthew, Mark - the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem symbolizes the entry of Jesus onto the path of suffering, but in return bringing the Kingdom of Heaven and liberating man from slavery to sin

Maundy Thursday

On Maundy or Maundy Thursday during Holy Week, Christians remember the Last Supper, at which all the apostles gathered, led by Jesus Christ. At the Last Supper, Christ, having washed the feet of his apostles, established the sacrament of the Eucharist or Holy Communion, thereby showing an example of humility and piety.
It is on this day that all believers clean their houses and wash themselves, since before Easter this will no longer be possible. And in order to understand how, what and why, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with short articles from this category, as well as poems for this day - Maundy Thursday.

Good Friday

Friday Holy Week the saddest day for believers. On this day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and died. Thus, he atoned for human sins. On this day, believers remember the suffering of Christ and hold long services. All services are held in front of the Shroud in which the Savior was wrapped when he was taken down from the cross.
Believers, praying and believing in the miraculous resurrection of Christ, observe strict fasting on this day.

Easter

Christ is Risen! Truly Risen! So, with joy in my heart and with bright soul Orthodox Christians greet each other on the greatest Christian holiday - Easter. Easter - Holy Resurrection of Christ! Easter is the hope of all Orthodox Christians for the resurrection and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
Before Easter, Christians observe the longest - almost 50 days - and strict Lent. The meaning of Lent is the physical and spiritual cleansing of a Christian before Easter.
For Easter, the date of celebration varies from year to year. General rule The date calculation for Easter states: "Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring"
Christ is Risen! Truly Risen!

Radonitsa

Radonitsa falls on the 9th day from Easter. It is also called parent's day. Radonitsa refers to special days of remembrance of the dead. It is on this day that you need to visit cemeteries where your parents or relatives are buried. And under no circumstances should you visit cemeteries on Easter, as many people do after listening to the stories of “educated” grandmothers. Easter is the joy of the resurrection of Christ, and Radonitsa is sadness for the departed, and at the same time the joy that they have acquired eternal life. The main thing in the ritual of visiting a cemetery is prayer for the souls of the departed. And there is no need to leave food or, especially, alcohol on the graves. Prayer is what you need to do in the cemetery

Trinity

Trinity Day is celebrated on the 50th day from Easter. In most cases, the holiday is called briefly, simply Trinity. Due to the 50th day from Easter, the Trinity also has a second name - Pentecost (Greek).
On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, who gathered at that time in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit blessed the apostles for the priesthood and the building of the Church on earth. In addition, the Holy Spirit gave them strength and intelligence to preach the Word of God

Ivana Kupala

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is associated with the birthday of John the Baptist. Although etymologically the name Kupala is associated with bathing, nevertheless, the deeper, original meaning is the meaning of baptism, because in Greek baptism means “washing”, “immersion”. Therefore, Ivan Kupala is Orthodox name John the Baptist.
On this holiday, even non-believers often organize peculiar orgies of bathing and dousing. However, anyone who has found themselves in such situations does not need to explain anything, as it happens...

Elijah's day

Elijah's Day is celebrated on last month summer, in August. This holiday carries several emotional notes at once. Firstly, they are sad, because after this holiday you will no longer swim in warm water, at least that is what is commonly believed. Although it depends more on what region you live in. Secondly, positive, since the harvest festivals begin in August. Apple Saved, Bread Saved, Honey Saved, that is, we will have the opportunity to taste the fruits of summer’s labor, which you will agree is not so bad! And now about all this and about congratulations on Ilyin’s Day in our category...

Honey saved

August 14 - First Savior, Honey Savior, Savior on the Water. This is the first of three August holidays dedicated to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the beginning of the Dormition Fast. The full church name of the first Savior is “The Origin of the Honest Trees of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.” The origin of this holiday is explained by the church as follows: due to the summer heat in August, Constantinople suffered from the spread of various diseases; Therefore, from ancient times, the custom was established to remove from the Church of St. Sophia a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified to consecrate the city and prevent epidemics. Apparently, initially the holiday was called not “origin”, but “pre-origin”, that is, removal.
The first Spas was also called Medov. It was believed that from this day on, bees stopped carrying honey from flowers and began to close the honeycombs. This is where the name of this holiday comes from - Spas.
In addition, on August 14, religious processions to the water were held everywhere.
We can say that this holiday has a long history, which means it is celebrated by many and sometimes on a grand scale. In order not to be left out of luck, and also not to disappoint our visitors, we have prepared for you a category with congratulations for this holiday. It is here that you will find congratulations in verse for friends, colleagues, comic and funny with Honey Savior.

Apple saved

August 19 is the date when Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the most important holidays, the Transfiguration of the Lord. According to legend, on this day Jesus revealed his divine nature to his disciples. He revealed to the three apostles the mystery of his origin and predicted that he would have to suffer for people, die on the cross and be resurrected. This holiday symbolizes the spiritual transformation of each of us. The Transfiguration is popularly known as the Apple Savior.

Bread Saved

The third spas, also called Bread or Nut spas, is akin to Apple and Honey spas. The actual Third Spas (Bread or Nut Spas) is marked by the collection of the next “fruits of autumn”, which allowed the average person in Rus' not to live in poverty during the long cold winters. The well-being of the majority depended on the extent to which each of the Spases were successful and, accordingly, “full-fledged.” That is why each of these holidays was marked not so much by a collection, but by the joyful event that something had been collected. So the third save, by its name, was dedicated to the harvesting of grain, that is, cereals and to the collection of nuts, if there were any in the region.
The celebration was marked by services in churches and festivities among ordinary people.

Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the 10th century, on October 1, a miraculous phenomenon occurred in the Blachernae church, where hundreds of worshipers gathered. The robe of the Mother of God, Her head covering and part of the belt were kept in this church. During the night vigil, the Mother of God herself appeared above the prayers and began to pray with everyone present. Then the Mother of God removed the veil from her head and covered everyone in the church with it, protecting them from present and future misfortunes. The Mother of God asked Jesus to accept all the prayers of the people in the temple and fulfill them. After the Mother of God melted into the air, her blessing and grace from her presence remained with people

St. Nicolas day

In the Orthodox calendar, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated twice – on May 22 and December 19. Saint Nicholas is highly revered in Rus'. Probably because he could forgive the deepest sinner if he sincerely repented of his act. This is very close to the Russian soul. Saint Nicholas is considered a miracle worker. Through his prayers the storms stopped and the winds subsided. Perhaps this is why St. Nicholas is revered as the patron saint of travelers.
For his determination against injustice, for his mercy and selflessness, for helping people, Saint Nicholas was revered as a saint during his lifetime. Saint Nicholas died, having lived to a ripe old age, in 345, and was buried in the city of Bari, in the very south of Italy.

Easter, or Bright Resurrection Christ is the first and most important holiday of the entire New Testament Orthodox Church. It occupies a dominant place among the twelve moving holidays. This day is a remembrance of the gospel events that became the basis of all Christian teaching.

The Resurrection of the Savior for any Christian is the victory of human essence over the constant laws of death.

The original sin of mankind was washed away by the shed blood on the cross of the Savior Jesus Christ, and, consequently, its subsequent punishment. On this day, all previous victories of humanity faded before this event of the triumph of life before death. Therefore, this holiday is also called by believing parishioners as the Triumph of Triumphs.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday, is also considered one of the twelve main holidays of the Russian Orthodox Church.

This date is very important for the entire Christian teaching, since the very fact of the coming of Jesus Christ to this city, where initially everyone was hostile to the Savior, indicates precisely that his suffering on the cross, which ended in death, was still voluntary.

The day of this holiday directly depends on the date of Easter Day. It falls on the week before Easter. All sources of the evangelists point to the special significance of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem.

Trinity Day is also called Pentecost.

These events are associated with the appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles. On the day of the Old Testament Pentecost, fiery tongues of the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples of Christ. This day is also associated with another famous event. The third hypostasis of the Holy Trinity was also revealed to the apostles. After this, the doctrine of the Triune God became perpetuated.

Nativity

Celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 7. According to church traditions, God promised a Savior to Adam, who sinned in paradise. His imminent appearance was predicted by the Old Testament prophets, since before the birth of Jesus Christ the Jews had already forgotten about their Creator. Many of them betrayed the church and began to worship pagan gods.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Celebrated by Orthodox Christians on September 21. Righteous Joachim and Anna were the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos or Virgin Mary. All their lives they grieved heavily from the fact that they could not have children. They believed that this was God's punishment for their sins. However, even in old age they did not lose hope and prayed every day. And finally the Lord had mercy on them.

Baptism

It is perhaps the most important Christian holiday. This holiday runs from January 18. Since that time, Orthodox Christians have celebrated Epiphany Eve, which means maintaining strict fasting and preparing for another holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord.

At the Baptism of the Lord, the Most Holy Trinity appeared to the world: “God the Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove.”

On Epiphany Eve, after the service, solemn processions are made to the ice holes in the reservoirs, they are blessed, and those who wish can swim. As a rule, bathing involves immersing your head in water three times. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”

For our readers: the main Christian holidays from detailed description from various sources.

In Orthodoxy, there are twelve most significant holidays - these are a dozen especially important events of the church calendar, in addition to the main holiday - the great event of Easter. Find out which holidays are called twelve and are most solemnly celebrated by believers.

Twelfth Moving Holidays

There are fickle holiday numbers in the church calendar, which turn out to be different every year, just like the date of Easter. It is with this that the transition of an important event to another date is associated.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Orthodox Christians most often call this event Palm Sunday and celebrate it when there is a week left before Easter. It is connected with the coming of Jesus to the holy city.
Ascension of the Lord. Celebrated 40 days after Easter ends. Falls annually on the fourth day of the week. It is believed that at this moment Jesus appeared in the flesh to his heavenly Father, our Lord.

Day of the Holy Trinity. Falls on the 50th day after the end of Great Easter. 50 days after the resurrection of the Savior, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles.

Twelfth Feasts

Some especially important days in the church calendar remain fixed and are celebrated at the same time every year. Regardless of Easter, these celebrations always fall on the same date.

Birth of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The holiday is celebrated on September 21 and is dedicated to the birth of the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. The Church is convinced that the birth of the Mother of God was not an accident. She was initially assigned a special mission to save human souls. The parents of the Heavenly Queen, Anna and Joachim, who could not conceive a child for a long time, were sent by providence from Heaven, where the angels themselves blessed them to conceive.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of the Virgin Mary's ascension into heaven on August 28th. The Assumption Fast, which ends on the 28th, is timed to coincide with this event. Until her death, the Mother of God spent her time in constant prayer and observed the strictest abstinence.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Christians celebrate this event associated with the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross on September 27. In the 4th century, the Palestinian queen Helen went in search of the Cross. Three crosses were dug up near the Holy Sepulcher. They truly identified the one on which the Savior was crucified, with the help of a sick woman who found healing from one of them.
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple, celebrated on December 4. It was at this time that her parents made a vow to dedicate their child to God, so that when their daughter was three years old, they would take her to the Jerusalem Temple, where she stayed until her reunion with Joseph.
Nativity. Orthodox Christians celebrate this godly event on January 7th. The day is associated with the earthly birth of the Savior in the flesh, from his mother the Virgin Mary.

Epiphany. The event falls on January 19 every year. On that very day, John the Baptist washed the Savior in the waters of the Jordan and pointed out the special mission that was destined for him. For which the righteous man subsequently paid with his head. The holiday is otherwise called Epiphany.
Meeting of the Lord. The holiday takes place on February 15th. Then the parents of the future Savior brought the divine baby to the Jerusalem Temple. The child was received from the hands of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph by the righteous Semeon the God-Receiver. From the Old Church Slavonic language the word “meeting” is translated as “meeting”.
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated on April 7 and dedicated to the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. It was he who announced to her the imminent birth of a son who would perform a great deed.
Transfiguration. The day falls on August 19th. Jesus Christ read a prayer on Mount Tabor together with his closest disciples: Peter, Paul and James. At that moment, two prophets Elijah and Moses appeared to them and informed the Savior that he would have to accept martyrdom, but he would resurrect three days later. And they heard the voice of God, which indicated that Jesus had been chosen for a great work. This twelfth Orthodox holiday is associated with such an event.

Each of the 12 holidays is important event in Christian history and is especially revered among believers. These days it is worth turning to God and visiting church. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and don't forget to press the buttons and

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Major Christian holidays and fasts

Easter- the main Christian holiday established in honor of the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, as narrated in the Gospels. Celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and full moon. To calculate the dates of celebration, tables (Easter) are compiled. For Orthodox churches, Easter falls between March 22 and April 23 according to the Julian calendar.

Nativity- one of the main Christian holidays, established, according to church doctrine, in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrated on December 25th. The temporary discrepancy between the celebration of the Nativity of Christ by different churches is due to the fact that a number of churches (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and other Orthodox churches) use the Julian calendar, December 25 of which corresponds to January 7 of the Gregorian calendar.

Trinity- a holiday in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which is interpreted by the church as the beginning of the widespread spread of Christianity. Celebrated on the 50th day from Easter and usually falls on last days May or early June.

Presentation of the Lord- a holiday in honor of the meeting (Candlemas) of the righteous Simeon of the Messiah - the child Christ, whom his parents brought to the temple to be dedicated to God. Celebrated on February 2(15).

Epiphany (Epiphany)- a holiday in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ by the prophet John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The water blessing ceremony (Jordan) is celebrated on January 6 (19).

Transfiguration- a holiday in honor of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, who revealed his divine nature to his disciples shortly before the Calvary sufferings. Celebrated on August 6 (19).

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)- a holiday in memory of the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, the inhabitants of which greeted the Son of God by throwing palm branches on the road in front of him. In popular life, the holiday was called Palm Sunday, because in Slavic countries in its ritual the role of palm branches was played by willow branches that bloomed by this time. Celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter.

Ascension- a holiday in honor of the ascension of Christ into heaven. Celebrated on the 40th day after Easter.

Exaltation- a holiday in memory of the so-called erection in the 4th century. in Jerusalem above a crowd of believers of the cross on which, according to legend, Christ was crucified. Celebrated on September 14 (27).

Nativity of the Virgin Mary- a holiday in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Christ. Celebrated on September 8 (21).

Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin Mary- a holiday in memory of the solemn entry of three-year-old Mary (the future mother of Jesus) into the Jerusalem Temple, where she was given by her parents to be raised. Celebrated on November 21 (December 4).

Annunciation- a holiday associated with the Christian legend about how the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary the good news about the upcoming birth of a divine baby. Celebrated on March 25 (April 7).

Dormition of the Virgin Mary- a holiday in memory of the death of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Christ. Celebrated on August 15 (28).

Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary- a holiday in memory of the appearance around 910 in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople of the Mother of God, extending her veil over all believers. Celebrated on October 1 (14).

Posts- abstinence for a certain period from eating any food or its individual types (especially meat). Fasting takes up about 200 days in the Orthodox church calendar. Every believer must fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, on Epiphany Eve, on the day of the beheading of John the Baptist, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In addition, there are four multi-day fasts:

spring (Great) - begins on the Monday after cheese week (Maslenitsa) and lasts about 7 weeks until Easter;

summer (Petrov) - begins on the first Monday after Spiritual Day and ends on June 29, the day of Saints Peter and Paul; autumn (Assumption) - 15 days before the Feast of the Assumption; winter (Rozhdestvensky, or Filippov) - 40 days before Christmas.

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The Orthodox Church has its own calendar. It is different from ours - for example, the year begins in September, not January. The Church calendar has its own - Church - holidays. What are the main holidays in Orthodoxy? How many holidays are there in Christianity? What are the twelve holidays? We tell you the most important things you need to know.

Orthodox calendar: what is it?

The Church lives according to the so-called Julian calendar: a yearly cycle in which there are the same number of days as in our “regular” calendar, and in general everything is exactly the same, with the only difference that the beginning of the year (and the Church beginning of the year) is September 1, and not in January.

Every day in the Church is a memory of some event or saint. For example, on January 7, the Nativity of Christ is remembered (or rather, celebrated). And thus, over the course of a year, the Church “lives” all the main events of its history, the earthly life of Christ, the Mother of God, the Apostles, and also remembers all its saints - not only the most revered (for example, Ambrose of Optina), but in general all of them. Each saint has his own day of remembrance, and every day of the year is a memory - a holiday - of one or another saint, and most often, not one, but several saints are remembered per day.

(For example, take March 13 - this is the day of remembrance of ten saints: St. John Cassian the Roman, St. Basil the Confessor, Hieromartyr Arseny Metropolitan of Rostov, Hieromartyr Nestor Bishop of Magiddia, Reverend Wives Marina and Kira, Hieromartyr Proterius Patriarch of Alexandria, St. John-named Barsanuphius Bishop . Damascus hermit of Nitria, venerable martyr Theoktirist, hegumen of Pelicites, blessed Nicholas Sallos of Christ for the sake of the holy fool of Pskov)

It turns out that if the secular calendar is divided into holidays and non-holidays (and there are very few holidays in it), then Church calendar consists entirely of holidays, since every day one or another event is remembered and the memory of one or another saint is celebrated.

This is a reflection of the whole essence of Christian existence, when rejoicing in the Lord and His saints does not occur on certain days of the week or year, but constantly. Whether it was a joke or not, a proverb was even born among the people: “For the Orthodox, every day is a holiday.” Actually, that's exactly the case. Although, there are exceptions: some days of Lent, which require special concentration.

Icon “for every day of the year” - an image, if possible, of all the saints and the main Church Feasts

What holidays are there in Christianity?

Speaking in very general terms, the Holidays in Orthodox Church can be divided into the following “categories”:

Easter(Resurrection of Christ) is the main holiday.
Twelfth holidays- 12 holidays that remind of the main events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Some of them are reflected in the texts of the New Testament (the Gospel or the Acts of the Apostles), and some (Christmas Mother of God, Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord) are taken from Church Tradition. Most of them have a specific date of celebration, but some depend on the date of Easter. We tell you more about each Twelfth holiday below.
Five Great Non-Twelfth Holidays. Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great; Christmas of St. John the Baptist; Memory of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Any Sunday of the year- as a direct reminder of the Resurrection of Christ.
Middle Holidays: Days of remembrance of each of the Twelve Apostles; Finding the honest head of John the Baptist; Days of remembrance of Saints John Chrysostom and Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste. Memory of the Vladimir and Kazan icons of the Mother of God. In addition, the average holiday for each temple is its Patronal holidays. That is, the memory of the saints in whose honor the altar or altars are consecrated, if there are several of them in the temple.
Small Holidays: all other days.

Main holidays in Orthodox Christianity

Easter, Resurrection of Christ

When is Easter celebrated: on the first Sunday after the full moon, no earlier than the vernal equinox on March 21

The main holiday is Holiday. The memory of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the center of all Christian doctrine.

In all Orthodox churches Easter is celebrated with night services and a solemn religious procession.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The annual cycle in Orthodoxy begins not on January 1, as in the “secular” world, but on September 1, so the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is the first Twelfth holiday in the Church year. During it, as on all Mother of God feasts, clergy dress in blue.

see: Colors of vestments: what they are and what they mean

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is the only twelfth holiday that is not directly related to the years of the life of the Savior or the Mother of God. Or rather, it is also connected, but not directly: on this day the Church remembers and celebrates the finding of the Holy Cross, which occurred in 326 near Calvary - the mountain where Jesus Christ was crucified.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

Another of the twelve feasts of the Mother of God in Orthodoxy. It was erected in memory of the day when the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos - the holy righteous Joachim and Anna - brought her to the Jerusalem Temple, in the Holy of Holies of which she lived until her betrothal to Joseph. All these years she was fed with food from heaven, which was brought to her by the Archangel Gabriel.

Icon of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

Nativity

Christmas in the flesh of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is the second, along with Easter, a holiday that is preceded by many days (40 days) of fasting. Like Easter, the Church celebrates Christmas with a solemn night service.

This is the most important holiday in Orthodoxy after the Resurrection of Christ.

Epiphany

On this day, the Church remembers and celebrates the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Icon of the Baptism of the Lord

Presentation of the Lord

This Holiday was established in memory of the day when the Mother of God and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple for the first time - on the 40th day after His birth. (This was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, according to which parents brought their first sons to the temple to be dedicated to God).

The word "Meeting" means "meeting." This was the day not only of the bringing of Jesus to the temple, but also of the meeting - there, in the temple - of Elder Simeon with the Lord. The pious old man had lived to be almost 300 years old at that time. More than 200 years earlier, he was working on a translation of the Bible and doubted the correctness of the text in the book of the prophet Isaiah - in the place where it was said that the Savior would be born of a Virgin. Simeon then thought that this was a typo and that in fact the word “young woman” was meant, and in his translation he wanted to take this into account, but the angel of the Lord stopped the elder and assured him that he would not die until he saw with his own eyes the fulfilled prophecy of the prophet Isaiah .

And so it became.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On this day, the Church remembers and celebrates the day when the Archangel Gabriel brought the news to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother according to the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

When is it celebrated: the nearest Sunday before Easter

The holiday was established in memory of the solemn entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people greeted Him enthusiastically. Many believed that the Savior would deliver them from the yoke of the Roman Empire and, first of all, they expected exactly this from Him. He did not come for this, and a few days later Christ was condemned and crucified...

Ascension of the Lord

When is it celebrated: 40th day after Easter

On this day, the Church remembers and celebrates the Ascension of the Savior into heaven. This happened on the 40th day after His resurrection - and after He appeared to His apostles for these forty days.

Day of the Holy Trinity

When is it celebrated: 50th day after Easter

This is the memory of the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” From the moment the Holy Spirit descended, the Apostles could speak in any languages with any nations - to bring the Word of God to all corners of the world.

And very soon - and despite all persecution - Christianity became the most widespread religion in the world.

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow. Trinity Day is a patronal holiday for this church.

Transfiguration

Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. On this day, the Church celebrates a moment that, like most other Twelve Feasts, is described in the Gospel. The appearance of the Divine greatness of the Savior before three closest disciples during prayer on the mountain. “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.”

Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Dormition of the Virgin Mary

For Christians, earthly death is not a tragedy, but the gateway to eternal life. And in the case of saints - a holiday. And the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the twelfth Feast - is one of the most revered by the Church. This is the last twelfth holiday in the annual cycle of the Orthodox Church.

Icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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