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 hold 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 saved, and it is also called Bread or Nut saved, akin to Apple and I'll save honey. 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.
These holidays are divided into two categories:
Fixed (non-moving) holidays: they always fall on a strictly defined day of the month, regardless of the day of the week, which changes annually. These include nine twelfth church holidays:
Twelfth Feasts
| Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | September 21 |
| †Exaltation of the Holy Cross (40 days from the Transfiguration) | September 27 |
| Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple | December 4 |
| †Nativity | Jan. 7 |
| January 19 | |
| †The Presentation of the Lord (40 days A.D.) | February, 15 |
| Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (9 months BC) | April 7 |
| †Transfiguration | August 19 |
| Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary | August 28 |
Movable (movable) holidays. The moving part of the church calendar moves along with the date of celebration, which changes from year to year. All “moving” holidays are counted from Easter and move in the space of the “secular” calendar along with it.
Twelfth moving holidays:
The twelfth holidays each have one forefeast day, with the exception of the Nativity of Christ, which has 5 forefeast days, and Epiphany, which has 4 forefeast days.
The number of days of post-feast varies from 1 to 8 days, depending on the greater or lesser proximity of some holidays to others or to days of fasting.
Some of the Lord's holidays, in addition, are preceded and concluded by special Saturdays and weeks (Sundays).
The services of the twelve feasts of the fixed circle are in menstruation. Services for the twelve feasts of the moving circle are located in Lenten and Tsvetnaya.
In Russia, until 1925, the twelfth holidays were both church and civil.
Great non-twelfth holidays:
The holidays of the Nativity and the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Circumcision of the Lord, the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul have no forefeast, afterfeast, or giving away.
- Bishop Alexander Mileant
- Yu. Ruban
- Holidays of the Christmas cycle Yu. Ruban
- Twelfth holidays prot. Alexander Men
- Troparions of the Twelve Feasts
Christian holidays
Christian holidays- certain days of the church calendar, marked by services of an individual liturgical nature. This is fixed in the names of holidays and “times of repentance”, the dates and order of their celebration, as well as in the content of the texts sung during the service. Their purpose and meaning is the recollection, glorification and theological interpretation of the key stages of the history of Salvation, which is embodied mainly in the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ (the Savior) and the Virgin Mary - a real participant in this divine-human process. Hence - an exceptional place in the calendar of holidays dedicated to Him.
The holidays are distributed within two overlapping annual cycles - (Mineaion) and (triode, or Easter-Pentecostal). Celebrations and memorable events of the first cycle are strictly fixed only by the dates of the month (for dates of the Julian calendar in relation to the modern civil calendar, an amendment is necessary: n - 13 days, - for the 20th-21st centuries). The holidays of the second are fixed only by day of the week, being strictly correlated with Easter, which is the starting point for the entire moving annual cycle. The date of the latter moves within 35 days (“Easter limits”): from April 4 (March 22, old style) - to May 8 (April 25, old style).
The most important holidays of the modern Orthodox calendar are called “twelve”, or “twelve” (from the Slavic twelve - “twelve”) (see). , as a “holiday holiday”, is outside this classification.
The second step in the holiday hierarchical ladder is occupied by holidays called “great” in liturgical usage. These include: the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (October 1/14), the Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great (January 1/14), Nativity of John the Baptist (June 24/July 7), memory of the first supreme appanages. Peter and Paul (June 29/July 12), the Beheading of John the Baptist (August 29/September 11), and also, according to some old calendars, the repose (death) of St. John the Theologian (September 26/October 9), memory of the saint. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (December 6/19) and the transfer of his relics from Myra to the Italian city of Bari (May 9/22).
All other numerous holidays are dedicated to ethereal forces (the general holiday is the Council of the Archangel Michael, November 8/21), Old Testament and Christian saints, the remembrance of significant events in Sacred Biblical and Christian history, the appearance of miraculous icons, and the discovery of relics.
The constant canonization of new saints means the continuous replenishment of the Christian calendar.
The Church Charter (Typikon) provides for the gradation of all holidays into five categories according to the degree of solemnity of their services, which is recorded special signs(the sixth digit has no sign). The patronal feast of any church (whose name it bears) is equated for it in the liturgical aspect to the twelve feasts. The same degree of solemnity may be inherent in “locally revered” holidays, even those having a modest liturgical status at the general church level.
Holidays common to all Christians are, first of all, Easter and Christmas (the latter, as a special calendar celebration, is not celebrated by the Armenian and other Monophysite churches). The most important annual holidays are basically the same among Orthodox and Catholics (because they are based on the same events of sacred history), but they differ in dates, often in names and semantic nuances, as well as in the nature of their celebration.
Many saints of the united Church are equally venerated: Eastern ones - in the West, Western ones - in the East (Basily the Great - Ambrose of Milan, etc.). But saints of one Church who lived after the division of the Churches (1054) can be venerated in another Church mainly at the local level, with the permission of church authorities. The official Catholic calendar, for example, includes the names of Sts. Cyril of Turov (May 11), Anthony of Pechersk (July 24), Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga and Vladimir (July 27 and 28), Boris and Gleb (August 5), Sergius of Radonezh (October 8); The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is also honored (September 7).
Protestants, rejecting the veneration of the Mother of God, saints, relics and icons, do not have corresponding holidays in their calendars.
The study of holidays in the context of the general process of formation of the church calendar (lit. “holiday studies”) is an auxiliary historical discipline, one of the sections of academic liturgics.
Liturgical texts are contained in the Service, in 12 volumes (for fixed holidays), Lenten and Tsvetnaya (for moving ones), Menea Festive, as well as in numerous editions of services for individual holidays, often containing historical information, comments, notation and other applications.
“How to celebrate the holiday? We celebrate an event (to delve into the greatness of the event, its purpose, its fruit for believers) or a person, such as: the Lord, the Mother of God, Angels and Saints (to delve into the attitude of that person to God and humanity, into his beneficial influence on the Church of God , at all). It is necessary to delve into the history of an event or person, to approach the event or person, otherwise the holiday will be imperfect and unpleasing. Holidays should have an impact on our lives, they should enliven, warm our faith (hearts) in future blessings and nourish pious, good morals.”
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), but 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 the 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, 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 (the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 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 day spring equinox 21 March
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.
Read more about Easter on Wikipedia
Easter celebration dates 2018-2027
- In 2018: April 8
- In 2019: April 28
- In 2020: April 19
- In 2021: May 2
- In 2022: April 24
- In 2023: April 16
- In 2024: May 5
- In 2025: April 20
- In 2026: April 12
- In 2027: May 2
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.
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 - 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 Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Nativity
The Nativity 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
Read this and other posts in our group at
1-2. Conception Ave. Mother of God from Anna (December 9), Nativity Ave. Mother of God (September 8)The righteous parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna, were barren until old age. But they constantly prayed to God, asking to give them a child. The Lord heard their prayers, and Joachim and Anna had a Daughter, whom they named Mary, which means “lordship, mistress, hope.”
The Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary existed in Byzantium already from the 8th century, and in the West it began to be celebrated from the 9th century.
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established at the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century in Jerusalem and was associated with the construction of the church Mother of God on Probatik. In Rome, the tradition of celebrating this day appeared in the 7th century with the arrival of Byzantine monks in Rome who fled from the Arabs. Pope Sergius I (687-701) established the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.
They have been celebrated in the Armenian Church since the 13th century.
3. Introduction to the temple Ave. Mother of God
When the Blessed Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents took Her to the Jerusalem Temple. It seemed that baby Mary would not be able to climb the high staircase of 15 steps leading to the temple. But when She was placed on the first step, She quickly reached the top of the ladder, supported by the power of God. The high priest Zechariah, the future father of John the Baptist, led Mary into the Holy of Holies of the temple, where only the high priest had the right to enter only once a year - to offer a sacrifice. The introduction into the Holy of Holies was evidence of the highest destiny of the Virgin Mary to become the Mother of God.
Until the age of 15, the Most Pure Virgin lived at the temple in the company of pious virgins, reading the Holy Scriptures, doing handicrafts and constantly praying and growing in love for God.
The origin of the holiday was associated with the construction of the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the site of the old Jewish Temple by Emperor Justinian (527-565). the consecration of which took place on November 21, 543. When the temple became a Muslim mosque, the day of its consecration began to be celebrated throughout the Christian world as the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the end VII - beginning In the 8th century this holiday began to be celebrated in Constantinople, from the 10th-11th centuries in the West, and from the 14th century it became part of the cycle official holidays Roman Catholic Church.
The holiday has been celebrated in the Armenian Church since the 18th century.
The date of celebration in all Churches is November 21/December 4.
4. Annunciation Ave. Mother of God
This great holiday established in memory of the announcement by Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the good news of the birth of the Savior of the world from Her. Son of God. This event is told in the Gospel of Luke (1, 26-38).
In the ancient Church, when the feast of the Epiphany was not divided into separate holidays and was celebrated on January 6, the Annunciation was celebrated on the day of the forefeast. It is difficult to say when it became a separate holiday. Undoubtedly, the construction of the Church of St. played an important role in its selection. Helen, mother of Constantine the Great, in Nazareth, at the place where, according to legend, the angel appeared before Mary. The day of the consecration of this temple and the annual celebration of this day turned into a local holiday of the Annunciation, which from the beginning of the 7th century gradually spread to the entire Christian world.
The Armenian Church celebrates the Annunciation on April 7/20, and the Orthodox and Catholic Churches on March 25/April 7.
5. Dormition Ave. Mother of God
One of the five main holidays of the Armenian Church, which is celebrated on the Sunday closest to August 15 (from August 12 to 18). According to legend, shortly before the death of the Mother of God, all the apostles, without talking to each other, gathered together in Her house. At three o'clock in the afternoon, a bright Divine light suddenly shone in Her room and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself descended from heaven, surrounded by angels, and received the soul of His Most Holy Mother. The apostles buried her pure body in a cave and closed the entrance to it with a large stone.
On the third day, the Apostle Thomas appeared. The apostles decided to open the entrance to the cave so that Thomas could venerate the body of the deceased. When they rolled away the stone, the cave was empty.
The Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated in Jerusalem on August 13 since the beginning of the 5th century. The place of celebration was a church built 3 miles from Jerusalem on the road to Bethlehem. Then the holiday began to be celebrated on August 15 in Gethsemane at the site of the grave of the Mother of God. In the 6th century, it spread to Syria; at the end of the century, Emperor Mauritius ordered the celebration of the Dormition of the Mother of God throughout the empire, and in the 7th century, the holiday was already celebrated in the West.
6. Finding an honest belt Ave. Mother of God
During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius (395-408), the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary was found in Jerusalem. A new church was built in Constantinople, in which the Holy Belt of the Mother of God was placed for the worship of believers and the holiday was established on August 31.
In ancient times, some compilers of calendars of the Armenian Church, speaking about this holiday, noted:
“If you want to celebrate, celebrate,” and Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi (1763-1780) made the holiday obligatory and set the date of celebration for Sunday in the period from August 26 to September 1.
7. Finding incense Pr. Mother of God
In the 5th century Two pilgrims, on their way to Jerusalem, were passing through Galilee and saw a crowd near the house of a Jewish woman. When they entered the house, they saw an incense burner with a robe. According to the owner, it belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Having made an exact copy, the pilgrims replaced the incense, and took the real one to Constantinople and gave it to the Patriarch, who placed it in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and approved the feast of the Finding of the Virgin's incense on June 2.
In the Armenian Church, the holiday became obligatory according to the approval of Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi, who appointed the celebration for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost.
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 inconsistent holiday numbers in 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 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 of the Lord. 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
15.09.2015 00:30
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