Christian holidays. Church Orthodox calendar

Consecrated Time of the Church: : church new year and peace circle. In the calendar, this day is marked as the beginning of the indiction. Christians did not want to share the beginning of the new year on the same day with the followers of Confucius, Allah, Buddha, so they decided to consider September 14 (September 1, O.S.) the beginning of the Orthodox New Year. The feast of the Church New Year was established by the holy fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, who decided to begin the reckoning of the church year on September 1/14. The first day of the annual liturgical circle opens the “entrance of summer”, and the service of this day is of a festive nature, the culmination of which is the Gospel read at the liturgy, which tells about the beginning of the preaching of Jesus Christ after His Baptism and temptations from the devil in the desert. According to legend, this happened on the first day of the Jewish holiday of the harvest, which was celebrated on September 1-8. In the Gospel we hear the Savior preaching to us the coming of the favorable “year of the Lord.” On this day, Jesus Christ began preaching the Kingdom of God and for the first time witnessed the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah (the Son of God) and thus about the end of the Old and the beginning of the New Testament.
Righteous Joshua (XVI century BC).
Martyrs Callists and brothers of her martyrs Evoda and Hermogenes .
martyr Aifala deacon.
Martyrs 40 fasting virgins and a martyr Ammuna deacons, their teachers.
Reverend Simeon the Stylite and his mother Martha . Simeon the Stylite (5th century) became famous as a man of a selfless lifestyle. He discovered a new kind of asceticism. Wanting to test his spiritual strength, faith in God, he built a 4-meter-high pillar on the mountain with a platform on top, surrounded it with a wall, and read sermons to numerous pilgrims from this "mountainous" place. Then Simeon settled on a pillar in a small cell, indulging in intense prayer and fasting. Gradually, he increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. His last pillar was 40 cubits (16 meters) high. He spent 80 years in enhanced monastic deeds, of which 47 stood on a pillar. His life was well known in Rus', they learned from him to endure in the name of a holy cause the numerous difficulties of human existence. According to an ancient tradition, it was believed that on this day it is necessary to do charitable deeds, to be merciful. In Muscovite Rus', not a single beggar was left without abundant alms on this day, and even prisoners in dungeons were presented with gifts.
Flight Seed Day (Semyon, Simeon Stylite, Semyon the pilot, pilot, seeing off the summer, Semyon's day, Semyon's day, the first autumns, Indian summer, meeting of autumn, apiary day, onion day, ambush, end of summer, beginning of autumn, last sowing). The first meeting of autumn, the end of the young Indian summer and the beginning of the old one. Many beliefs and rituals were associated in the old days with this day. And it is not surprising, because in pre-Petrine Rus', September 1 was considered the beginning of a new year. In 1700, Peter I moved the celebration of the New Year from September 1 to January 1. Gradually, the holiday lost its former meaning, but many customs remained in the life of the peasants. For example, cockroaches and flies were buried in the villages on September 14th. They put them in a coffin carved from turnips or rutabagas and carried them with weeping and lamentations to bury them as far from home as possible. The rest of the houses drove the flies out of the house "a fly on a fly, fly to bury the flies." This custom has its roots in pagan times and is associated with the veneration of Belbog, the lord of all insects.
Another important custom was to extinguish an old fire and make a new one. The old men went out into the yard and rubbed two pieces of wood against each other until they began to smoke. A smoldering tree was fanned by a girl or daughter-in-law, and then a candle was set on fire from a flaring fire. This fire kindled the furnace. The next morning the coals were fanned again. So the fire was maintained in the furnace all year. On this day, four-year-old boys were put on horses. This custom came from ancient times and was associated with the transition from infancy to adulthood. September 14 was called Indian summer in the villages because at this time various agricultural work began (hemp scutching, flax urinating, etc.), which were usually performed by women in the open air. The so-called sit-ins began with Semyon, when they worked in the huts in the evenings. The first day of sittings was celebrated as a family holiday. All relatives met in the house of the eldest in the family. From the pilot (September 14) to Guria (November 28), in the old days time was set aside for wedding weeks.
From this day on, moles and mice move from fields to houses and gardens.
Signs of the weather on September 14: If Marfa is dirty, the autumn will be rainy. Indian summer (begins on September 14) is rainy - autumn is dry, and Indian summer is dry - autumn is wet. The drier and warmer September is, the later winter will come. If the cones on the spruce grew low, it will be early frost, and if at the top, real cold will come only at the end of winter.

Christianity, like any religion, honors saints or celebrates events in the life of the church on certain days of the calendar. Christian holidays are rooted in ancient ritual traditions associated with specific stages, types of economic activity, the annual astronomical or calendar cycle. Conventionally, they are divided into all-Christian (recognized by the Orthodox, Catholic, most Protestant churches) and confessional (recognized 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 Christian holidays associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. In Catholicism, it is celebrated on December 25, in Orthodoxy (refers to the twelfth holidays) on January 7. Being approved in different countries, this holiday absorbed the rites and customs of other religions, folk holidays, acquiring new features that corresponded to Christian dogmas.

The very tradition of Christmas, with its sources, reaches into primitive cult actions. The main role in its dogmatic sense, the church assigns to the doctrine of the birth of Jesus Christ, who appeared to atone for the sins of people, to show mankind the way to salvation. Indeed, in ancient Egypt, for example, on January 6, they celebrated the birthday of the god of water, vegetation, the owner of the underworld, Osiris. In ancient Greece, the same day they celebrated the birth of Dionysus. In Iran, December 25 marked the birth of the god of the sun, purity and truth - Mitra.

In Kievan Rus, the feast of the Nativity of Christ came along with Christianity in the 10th century. and merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday - Christmas time (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 feast of the Nativity of Christ, but the holidays and customs existing among the Eastern Slavs took root so deeply that she was forced to combine church holidays with folk ones. So, the church combined carols with the gospel story about the star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ. The "pagan" carols turned into the walking of Christoslavs with a star home. Children were widely involved in the glorification of Christ. The believers thanked them with gifts.

Since 1990. Christmas Day is an official holiday on the territory of Ukraine.

The Baptism of the Lord (Vodokhrischa, Water Consecration, Epiphany). It is one of the main holidays in Christianity. In Orthodoxy, it belongs to the Twelve Feasts. Catholics celebrate January 6th, Orthodox - January 19th. It was introduced in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. It is also called Theophany, because, according to the Gospel, during the baptism on Jesus, 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 along with the Nativity of Christ. In IV Art. This day is celebrated separately. The Church regards it as a "feast of enlightenment" for the peoples, because, according to the teaching, it was from 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 hole. A religious procession went to the hole, solemn prayers sounded. The consecration of water in temples is performed in our days.

The sprinkling of water existed in many pre-Christian religions. Inspiring 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", "evil" with the help of water. According to ancient beliefs, water cleansed people from "evil spirits", "demons". Therefore, among the ancient peoples there was a custom to sprinkle newborns with water.

Candlemas. It is celebrated as one of the twelfth holidays on February 15 on the occasion of the meeting (meeting) 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 of. Luke. Introducing the holiday, the church cared not only about the spread of the ideas of Christianity, but also about the "truth to the facts" of the biography of Christ, emphasizing the obligation of believers to bring babies to the temple within 40 days after birth. In addition, the church tried to protect Christians from ancient cults, since the Romans served "cleansing", repentance, and fasting in February, believing that before the start of spring field work it was necessary to "cleanse themselves of sins" and "evil spirits" by sacrifices to spirits and gods. The main cleansing ceremony took place on February 15, when people with torches in their hands cast out evil spirits of winter cold and disease.

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

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This holiday is celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. Household its name is Palm Sunday, before the day of Passion Week, timed to "remembrance of the sufferings of Christ."

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

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

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

Christian theology claims that the ascension of Christ opens the way for the righteous to heaven, to the resurrection after death. This idea existed long before the rise 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 spoke in different languages ​​that they did not know before. Called to focus the attention of believers on the voice of the church, which carries the "word of God", to attract them to the preaching of Christianity to other "languages", that is, to other peoples. It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. In Orthodoxy, it belongs to the Twelve Feasts.

The concept of the divine trinity existed long before Christianity. In the process of the formation of the Christian religion, it became necessary to connect it with the legends of the Old Testament. Therefore, in the New Testament books, Christ is presented as the son of the Hebrew god Yahweh, as the 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, was accompanied by the offering of bread from the new harvest to local field spirits and deities. Christianity gave him a new rationale.

In most Eastern Slavs, the holiday of the Trinity merged with the local holiday 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 of the Orthodox holiday of the Trinity is the commemoration of the spirits of deceased relatives (commemoration Saturday). In Ukraine since 1990. Trinity 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 completely changed during prayer: his face shone, his clothes became white, shiny, and the voice from heaven confirmed his divine origin. Christian teaching claims that Jesus wanted to strengthen the faith in his disciples and prove to them that he was indeed the Son of God.

It is with this event that the Feast of the Transfiguration ("apple" Savior), which is celebrated on August 19, is connected. On this day, they not only glorify Jesus Christ, but also consecrate apples and other fruits (according to folk custom, since then they can be consumed).

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

In many parishes of the Savior of the Feast there are also patronal (temple) parishes.

Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. One of the twelve holidays dedicated to the cult of the Cross as a symbol of the Christian faith. The church associates several events with the cross. According to legend, the Roman emperor Constantine had a vision before one of his biggest battles: in the sky there was a shining cross with the inscription "Conquer it!". That same night, Jesus Christ himself appeared to the emperor in a dream and advised him to take a banner with the image of a cross into battle. Constantine did so, in addition, he ordered his legionnaires to draw the sign of the cross on the shields. Constantine won the battle and since then believed in the miraculous power of the cross, although historical facts show that in commemoration of the victory, Constantine ordered the minting of coins depicting pagan gods, which, he believed, helped him in the battle with enemies.

The church established this holiday in memory of the receipt by the mother of the Roman emperor Elena in the 4th century. the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. In order for the people to see it, the cross was raised (erected) on Mount Golgotha, where Christ was executed, and on the spot 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 carried out and placed in the middle of the temple. The ceremony is accompanied by ringing, church hymns.

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 "way of the cross."

Holy holidays. They cover the feast in honor of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ (Virgin Mary). These are the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Entry into the Temple of the Theotokos, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the feast of the Assumption, the Intercession (the first four are attributed to the Twelve) and many holidays in honor of the "miracle-working" icons of the Theotokos.

In honoring Mary the Mother of God, there are traces of veneration by the ancient peoples of the goddess of the earth, who gave birth to a 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 Izida. Christianity depicts the Mother of God as "the queen of heaven", a winged celestial, "shrouded in the sun." On her head is a wreath of twelve stars. The ancient Egyptian goddess Izida was also depicted as the queen of heaven, believing that she gave birth to a divine son, the savior of Horus. The Christian Mother of God has common features with the Syrian and Phoenician goddess Astarte.

The ancient peoples worshiped these goddesses, considering them to be deities of the fertility of the earth and livestock, intercessors of agriculture.

From pre-Christian religions, the church borrowed the idea of ​​the Immaculate Conception. According to the myths of the peoples of the Ancient East, Mitra, Buddha, Zarathushtra were born from immaculate mothers. It was these myths that served to create the Christian legend of the "immaculate conception" of the Virgin Mary.

Nativity of the Mother of God (Little Most Pure). The church associates it with the ancient agricultural autumn holidays, timed to coincide with the completion of the harvest. On this day, it is emphasized that the Mother of God is a great righteous woman, helper and intercessor of people, patroness of agriculture, who by the "birth of Christ" took the first step towards their "eternal salvation". Celebrated on September 21st.

Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin. It is connected with the tradition of the three-year-old Mary for education in the Jerusalem temple. By establishing this holiday, the church pursued, first of all, the goal of convincing parents of the need to bring a child to church at an early age. Celebrated on December 4th.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. 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 ("consecration" of seeds, etc.) and signs about the future harvest. Celebrate April 7th.

First Pure. The church celebrates it as the day of remembrance of the Mother of God. The church interpretation of this holiday is much reminiscent of the 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.

Protection of the Virgin. This holiday is associated with the vision of the Virgin, which allegedly appeared in 910 in the Blachernae Church of the Virgin in Constantinople. During the night service, the holy fool Andrei was accepted as a saint, and his disciple Epiphanius allegedly saw how the Mother of God, who was surrounded by angels and saints, appeared above them, prayed for the salvation of the world from troubles and suffering, spreading a white veil over everyone.

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

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

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 offspring to the spirits during the spring holiday. They believed that this appeases evil spirits, and they will no longer destroy livestock and send diseases to it. With the transition to agriculture, bread, cakes, fruits, and the like, baked from the grain of the new crop, were brought to the spirits as an expiatory sacrifice. These agricultural holidays merged with the Scottish Easter and adopted its name. they were united by the hope for the miraculous good power of deities who die and resurrect.

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 the sake of people - has been preserved. The religious essence of the ceremony remained the same as it was thousands of years ago: by making a sacrifice to cleanse people from evil, illness, misfortune and tragedy.

The idea of ​​salvation, even after death, has gained considerable currency, especially among the common people. The image of Christ, who voluntarily accepted martyrdom, seems to call for enduring earthly suffering. Affirming and developing, Christian teaching developed the ceremony of celebrating Easter, and from II Art. this holiday has become one of the main ones.

The week before Easter is called the Great, or Passion, because its days are associated with the Passion of the Lord. Especially important days come from 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 - krashenka, pysanky) a symbol of life, spring, the 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 the local Slavic spring holidays. The ancient Slavs in the spring, before the start of agricultural work, arranged a holiday for the sun, which "resurrects". In those days, they made sacrifices to the spirits and deities of vegetation, sought to satisfy the spirits of their dead ancestors. Christian Easter absorbed many of the ancient Slavic religious rites, 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 Easter, it was decided at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) to celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurred either on the day of the vernal equinox (March 21), or after it. But obligatory was the celebration of Passover on a different day than the Jews. According to the lunar calendar, the spring full moon falls on the same date, after the solar calendar on different dates and even on different days of the week. Therefore, Easter does not have a fixed calendar. It is celebrated within 35 days.

For a more accurate determination of the date of the celebration 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 - this is a dozen especially important events of the church calendar, in addition to the dominant holiday - the great event of Easter. Find out which feasts are called the Twelve and are most solemnly celebrated by believers.

Twelfth rolling holidays

There are non-permanent holidays in the church calendar, which turn out to be different every year, like the date Easter . It is with her that the transition of an important event to another number is connected.

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

• Day of the Holy Trinity. It falls on the 50th day after the end of Easter. After 50 days from the resurrection of the Savior, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles.

Twelfth fixed holidays

Some of the most 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 originally 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 providence from Heaven, where the angels themselves blessed them to conceive.
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven on September 28. The Assumption Fast is timed to this event, which ends exactly on the 28th. Until her death, the Mother of God spent time in constant prayer and observed the strictest abstinence.
• Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Christians celebrate this event, connected with the acquisition of the Life-Giving Cross, on September 27th. In the 4th century, the Palestinian queen Helena went in search of the Cross. Three crosses were dug near the tomb of the Lord. They truly determined the one on which the Savior was crucified, with the help of a sick woman who received healing from one of them.
• Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, celebrated on December 4th. 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 Temple in Jerusalem, where she stayed until she was reunited with Joseph.
• Nativity . Orthodox celebrate this charitable 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 annually on January 19th. On that very day, John the Baptist bathed the Savior in the waters of the Jordan and pointed to the special mission that was destined for him. For which, in consequence, the righteous paid with his head. In another way, the holiday is 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 Simeon the God-bearer. From the Old Slavonic language, the word "candlemas" is translated as "meeting".
• Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is celebrated on April 7 and is timed to coincide with the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Mother of God. It was he who announced to her the imminent birth of a son who would have to 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 rise again after three days. And they heard the voice of God, which indicated that Jesus had been chosen for a great work. This twelfth Orthodox holiday is connected with such an event.

Each of the 12 holidays is an important event in Christian history and is especially revered among believers. These days it is worth turning to God and visiting the church.

These holidays fall into two categories:

Fixed (non-movable) 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 fixed holidays

Movable (movable) holidays. The movable part of the church calendar moves along with the date of celebration, which changes from year to year. All "mobile" holidays are counted from Easter and move in the space of the "secular" calendar along with it.

The Twelfth Passing Holidays:

The twelfth feasts each have one fore-feast day, with the exception of the Nativity of Christ, which has 5 days of fore-feast, and Theophany, which has 4 pre-feast days.

The number of afterfeast days is not the same - from 1 to 8 days, depending on the greater or lesser proximity of some holidays to others or to the days of fasting.
Some of the Lord's feasts, moreover, are preceded and concluded by special Saturdays and weeks (Sundays).

The services of the twelfth feasts of the fixed circle are in menstruation. Services of the twelfth holidays of the moving circle are located in Lenten and Colored.

In Russia, until 1925, the Twelfth Holidays were both church and civil.

Great non-twelfth holidays:

At the feasts of the Nativity and the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Circumcision of the Lord, the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Holy Primate Apostles Peter and Paul, there is no fore-feast, after-feast and no giving.

• Bishop Alexander Mileant
• Y. Ruban
• Holidays of the Christmas cycle Y. Ruban
• Twelfth holidays arch. Alexander Men
• Troparion of the Twelfth Feasts

Christian holidays

Christian holidays- certain days of the church calendar, celebrated with divine services that have an individual liturgical character. This is fixed in the names of the holidays and "penitent times", the dates and order of their celebration, as well as in the content of the texts performed during the service. Their purpose and meaning is the remembrance, glorification and theological interpretation of the key stages in the history of Salvation, which is embodied mainly in the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ (the Savior), and the Virgin Mary, the real accomplice of this divine-human process. Hence - an exceptional place in the calendar of holidays dedicated to Them.

The holidays are distributed within two overlapping annual cycles - (menaion) and (triode, or Easter-Pentecost). Celebrations and memorable events of the first cycle are strictly fixed only by the days of the month (for the dates of the Julian calendar in relation to the modern civil one, an amendment is necessary: ​​n - 13 days, - for the XX-XXI centuries). The holidays of the second are fixed only by the days of the week, being rigidly 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, O.S.) to May 8 (April 25, O.S.).

The most important holidays of the modern Orthodox calendar are called "twelfth", or "twelve" (from the Slavic twelfth - "twelve") (see). , as "holidays holiday", is outside this classification.

The second step in the festive hierarchical ladder is occupied by holidays, which are called “great” in liturgical word usage. These include: the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (October 1/14), the Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great (January 1/14), the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 24/July 7), the memory of the supreme app. 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), commemoration of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Mir of Lycia (December 6/19) and the transfer of his relics from Mir to the Italian city of Bari (May 9/22).

All other numerous holidays are dedicated to incorporeal forces (the common holiday is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, November 8/21), Old Testament and Christian saints, commemoration of significant events in Sacred Biblical and Christian history, the appearance of miraculous icons, the discovery of relics.
The constant canonization of new saints means the continuous replenishment of the Christian calendar.

The Church Charter (Typicon) provides for the gradation of all holidays into five categories according to the degree of solemnity of their worship, which is fixed by special signs (the sixth category has no sign). The patronal feast of any church (whose name it bears) is equated for it in the liturgical aspect with the Twelve Feasts. The same degree of solemnity can be inherent in "locally honored" holidays, even those that have 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, does not have the Armenian and other Monophysite churches). The most important annual holidays are mostly the same for Orthodox and Catholics (because they are based on the same events of sacred history), but differ in dates, often in names and semantic nuances, as well as in the nature of the celebration.
Many saints of the one Church are equally revered: eastern ones in the West, western ones in the East (Basil the Great - Ambrose of Milan, etc.). But the 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 the 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 commemorated (September 7).
Protestants, rejecting the veneration of the Mother of God, saints, relics and icons, do not have their respective holidays in their calendars.

The study of holidays in the context of the general process of the formation of the church calendar is engaged in (lit. "holiday studies") - an auxiliary historical discipline, one of the sections of academic liturgy.

Liturgical texts are contained in the Service Book, in 12 volumes (for fixed feasts), Lenten and Colored (for movable feasts), the Festive Menaia, as well as in numerous editions of services for individual feasts, often containing historical references, commentaries, notations, and other appendices.

“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 towards God and humanity, into its beneficial influence on the Church of God, in general). 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, unpleasing. Holidays should have an impact on our lives, should enliven, kindle our faith (hearts) in future blessings and nourish pious, good morals.

Church Orthodox holidays are divided into great, medium and small. The great ones are Pascha, the twelfth and the non-twelfth. These days, services in churches are held with special solemnity.

Easter

Easter (full church name - Bright Resurrection of Christ) is the most important and brightest event in the church calendar of Christians. The date of the holiday is unique for each year, determined according to the solar-lunar calendar and falls between April 4 and May 8. Easter is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion. On this day, it is customary to attend divine services, consecrate Easter cakes and colored eggs in churches, lay a festive table, and organize festivities. People greet each other with the words: “Christ is risen!”, to which the answer is supposed to be: “Truly risen!”.

Twelfth holidays

The Twelfth Feasts are the 12 most important holidays of the Orthodox calendar dedicated to the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. They are divided into two categories: non-transitional and transitional.

Twelfth non-passing holidays

The twelfth fixed holidays have a fixed date, falling on the same date every year.

Christmas - January 7
The holiday is established in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to attend divine services, lay a festive table, go from house to house and sing carols. People greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!”, to which the answer is supposed to be: “We praise Him!”. The holiday is preceded by a 40-day Advent fast.

Baptism of the Lord (Holy Theophany) - January 19
The holiday is established in honor of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. On this day, it is customary to bless the water in churches, to swim in the hole.

Meeting of the Lord - February 15
The holiday was established in memory of the meeting in the Jerusalem temple of Simeon the God-Receiver with little Jesus during the rite of consecration to God. The meeting took place on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus. On this day, it is customary to pray, go to church, and bless candles.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin - April 7
The holiday is dedicated to the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the conception and future birth of the Son of God. On this day, it is customary to attend divine services, consecrate prosvirs in churches, give alms, and do charity work.

Transfiguration of the Lord - August 19
The holiday is dedicated to the memories of the Divine Transfiguration of Jesus in front of the disciples during prayer on Mount Tabor. On this day, it is customary to consecrate apples, pears, grapes in the church, to honor the memory of deceased relatives.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin - August 28
The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the Assumption (death) of the Mother of God. On this day, believers go to church, pray to the Most Holy Theotokos, bless bread, give alms. The holiday is preceded by the Dormition Fast.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin - September 21
The holiday is established in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to attend church, pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and do charity work.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27
The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. It was erected in honor of the finding in Jerusalem near Mount Golgotha ​​of the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. On this day, it is customary to observe a strict fast, pray for your health and the health of loved ones.

Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos - December 4
The holiday is dedicated to the introduction of little Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ - into the Jerusalem temple for consecration to God. On this day, a solemn service is held in churches, parishioners pray to the Virgin Mary.

Twelfth rolling holidays

The twelfth moving holidays have a unique date for each year, which depends on the date of the celebration of Easter and moves along with it.

Palm Sunday (Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem)
The holiday is celebrated a week before Easter. Dedicated to the solemn appearance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem on the eve of His martyrdom and death. On this day, it is customary to bless the willow in the church, whip the family members with branches, while saying: “I don’t beat, the willow beats!” or “Willow whip, beat to tears!”.

Ascension of the Lord
The full name of the holiday is the Ascension of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter. The holiday commemorates the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. On this day, it is customary to attend services in churches, pray, and give alms.

Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost)
It is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. The holiday is established in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Virgin Mary. On Trinity, it is customary to attend a solemn service in the church, decorate temples and houses with tree branches, cover the floor with fresh grass, arrange a festive dinner, organize festivities and fairs.

Non-Twelfth Holidays

Non-twelfth holidays - 5 great holidays of the Orthodox Church dedicated to the birth and death of John the Baptist - the baptist of Jesus Christ, the apostles Peter and Paul, the appearance of the Virgin, the circumcision of the Lord.

Circumcision of the Lord - January 14
The holiday is established in remembrance of the Jewish rite of circumcision performed on the baby Jesus. On this day, festive services are held in churches, people go from house to house, sing sowing songs and wish the owners well and prosperity.

Nativity of John the Baptist - July 7
The full name of the holiday is the Nativity of the honest glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. Dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist - the baptizer of Jesus Christ. On this day, people attend divine services, consecrate water, herbs and flowers in the church.

Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - July 12
The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the transfer of the relics of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. On this day, fishermen pray for successful fishing, fairs and festivities are organized.

The Beheading of John the Baptist - September 11
The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the martyrdom of John the Baptist - the baptizer of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to attend worship services, observe strict fasting.

Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos - October 14
The holiday was established in honor of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to St. Andrew the Holy Fool. On this day, it is customary to visit churches, pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for health, intercession, and a happy family life.

Medium and small Orthodox holidays are distinguished by less solemnity of worship.

Everyday are not, in fact, holidays. These are the days of the saints.

Orthodox posts- periods of abstinence from food of animal origin.
By duration, fasts are divided into multi-day and one-day fasts. There are 4 multi-day fasts and 3 one-day fasts per year. Also fast days are every Wednesday and Friday (there is no fast on these days in continuous weeks). Fasting varies in severity, up to complete abstinence from food.

Solid weeks- weeks in which there is no fast on Wednesday and Friday. There are 5 such weeks in a year.

Days of Remembrance of the Dead- days of universal commemoration of dead Christians. There are 8 such days in a year.