Orthodox church calendar. Orthodox church calendar Christian calendar

- a great time when you can forget about your worries and have fun. And in 2016, Orthodox Christians, in addition to national celebrations, are also preparing for religious dates.

What memorable dates are celebrated on the church calendar and what do they mean?

In the Orthodox calendar with holidays for 2016, Christmas and Easter come first, followed by Twelfth holidays– 12 significant numbers, arranged in order of seniority after the Nativity and Resurrection of Christ.

Orthodox fasting calendar with holidays

Permanent holidays:

14.01 - Circumcision of the Lord (great)

15.02 — Presentation of the Lord (twelfth)

21.05 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

22.05 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker

07.07 — Nativity of John the Baptist (great)

12.12 - Holy First. apostles Peter and Paul (great)

19.08 — Transfiguration of the Lord (twelfth)

28.08 — Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)

11.09 — Beheading of John the Baptist (great)

21.09 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)

27.09 — Exaltation of the Holy Cross (twelfth)

09.10 — Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

14.10 — Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (great)

04.12 — Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos (twelfth)

19.12 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker

Moving holidays:

02/07 — Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia

14.02 — Week of Zacchaeus the Publican

21.02 — Week of the Publican and the Pharisee

28.02 — Sunday of the Prodigal Son

06.03 — Week of the Last Judgment

07.03 — Cheese Week

13.03 - Memories of Adam's exile. Forgiveness Sunday

20.03 — Triumph of Orthodoxy

27.03 — 2nd Sunday of Lent, St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop. Solunsky

03.04 — 3rd Sunday of Lent, Worship of the Cross

10.04 - 4th Sunday of Great Lent, St. John Climacus

17.04 — 5th Sunday of Great Lent, St. Mary of Egypt

23.04 — Lazarus Saturday (Saturday of the 6th week of Lent)

24.04 - Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (twelfth)

25.04 — Maundy Monday

26.04 — Maundy Tuesday

27.04 — Great Wednesday

28.04 — Maundy Thursday. Last Supper

29.04 — Good Friday. Crucifixion of Christ

30.04 - Holy Saturday. The Descent of Christ into Hell

08.05 - 2nd week of Easter (Antipascha). Recollection of the assurance of the ap. Thomas

15.05 — 3rd Sunday after Easter, Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women

22.05 - 4th Sunday after Easter, about the paralytic

29.05 — 5th Sunday after Easter, about the Samaritan woman

05.06 — 6th Sunday after Easter, about the blind man

09.06 - Ascension of the Lord (40th day after Easter, twelfth)

12.06 - 7th Sunday of Easter, St. Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

20.06 — Holy Spirit Day (first Monday after Pentecost)

26.06 — 1st Sunday after Pentecost, All Saints

03.07 — 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, all saints who shone in the Russian land

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05.03 — Ecumenical Parental Saturday (Saturday before the week of the Last Judgment)

26.03 — Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent

02.04 — Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent

09.04 — Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 4th week of Lent

18.06 — Trinity Parents' Saturday (Saturday before Trinity)

09.05 — Commemoration of deceased soldiers

Winter holidays

In the first month of winter, the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple is celebrated (December 4), and the Orthodox New Year begins with Nativity of Christ(Jan 7th BC) This is one of the main holidays in the Christian world. Beauty and solemnity mark the beginning of the new year. In memory of the Gospel tree, Christmas trees are decorated with candles. Strict fasting, that is, absolute abstinence from food, is observed on Christmas Eve. Orthodox Christians fast until the “first star.” The star that will be the first to light up in the sky this night is reminiscent of the star that announced the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem.

On January 19, the Baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan is celebrated. Although John refused to baptize the Savior, because he was convinced that a mere mortal was unworthy of such an honor. However, Christ did not put himself above other people and humbly went through the ceremony along with the rest of the people. The last winter holiday according to the church calendar Presentation of the Lord(Feb 15)

Spring dates

In March and April, Christians observe Lent, and on April 7 they celebrate Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the same month, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem takes place (April 26). This Great holiday is also called Palm Resurrection. This is also the date when Lent ends.

Easter. Bright Sunday of Christ (May 1)

Easter is the day of the Resurrection from the dead, the very essence of Christianity. In the Jewish calendar, Passover symbolizes liberation from slavery in Egypt, and for Christians it symbolizes liberation from the slavery of death. Easter reminds us of the Kingdom of Heaven for all the righteous.

Orthodox holidays in summer

In the warm half of 2016 it is celebrated Ascension of the Lord(the 9th of June). Next comes Trinity Day. Pentecost(June 19) Trinity celebrates the tenth day of Jesus' ascension into heaven, and the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. According to legend, the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles and blessed them to spread the teachings of Christ throughout the world. The Trinity symbolizes the beginning of the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

At the height of summer there will be Nativity of John the Baptist(July 7) and Day of the First Supremes Apostles Peter and Paul (July 12). August 19th day Transfiguration of the Lord, and ends the summer celebrations Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Aug 28)

Autumn in the Orthodox calendar

Autumn is the time of harvest and the final stage of the year. The first date and at the same time the post - Beheading of John the Baptist(Sept. 11) September 21 is coming Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross. After the crucifixion of the Savior, for several decades, the emperors of Rome attempted to destroy even the memory of the Resurrection. Therefore, the cross on Golgotha was covered with earth, and a pagan temple was erected at the site of Christ’s crucifixion. But later, Emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity, ordered the temple to be demolished and the cross on which Jesus was crucified to be found and preserved. In memory of these events, the Day of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord arose.

Last autumn date of Christians Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Oct 14)
This day symbolizes the patronage of the Mother of God over all believers. Gives faith that the prayer and protection of the Mother of God extends over all people. Called to give hope for salvation to everyone who turns to God, regardless of the person’s location and the circumstances surrounding him.

When is Easter in 2016? When does Maslenitsa and Lent begin? Dates of all Orthodox holidays with a brief explanation of their meaning. And also: how to find out your name day and the rules of fasting, the history of miraculous icons and the days of remembrance of our patron saints. The RG calendar will be your faithful assistant all year round.

November 28, 2015 - January 6, 2016, Wednesday. Christmas post. A forty-day fast was established to prepare for the Nativity of Christ

December 31, 2015, Thursday - January 6, 2016, Wednesday. The last week (in Church Slavonic “week”) of the Nativity Fast. The strictest post.

January

January 6, Wednesday. Christmas Eve, or Eve (i.e. the day before) the Nativity of Christ. Strict post. On Christmas Eve they eat only juice - wheat boiled with honey, they start eating after the first star appears in the sky, which reminds of the star that lit up after the birth of the Infant Jesus in Bethlehem. On this day it is customary to confess in order to internally prepare for the meeting of the born Christ.

January 7, Thursday. The Nativity of Christ, the feast of the Incarnation, the birth of God in the flesh from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not only houses, but also churches are decorated with evergreen trees - as a sign of the eternal life that Christ gave us. The stars on the Christmas trees are in memory of the star that lit up in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ and showed the Magi the place of His birth. And we give gifts, like the wise men who brought gifts to the Infant Christ. Christmas is an occasion for uniting all generations of the family. The memory of being together at night worship - the all-night vigil - is carried throughout life.

January 7, Thursday - January 17, Sunday. Christmastide (holy days). Fasting is canceled, genuflection is not performed, and marriage is prohibited. The festive days of Christmastide are dedicated to the joy of the Birth of Christ: people go to visit, sing songs glorifying Christ, give gifts, help the poor, and release the repentant from prison. The Church is categorically against fortune telling and other “atrocities of superstition” left over from pagan times; “those who persist in this sin” were subject to “eruption from the bosom of the church.”

January 14, Thursday. The Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Great, saint and compiler of the Divine Liturgy. New Year according to the old style. The New Year is a temporary boundary that gives a person the opportunity for renewal, so on this day priests advise coming to the temple and asking for blessings for the year.

January 18, Monday. Epiphany Christmas Eve, or Vecherie (i.e., the day before) Epiphany. Strict post. On this day, like the day of Epiphany, the Great Blessing of Water takes place. Holy water is sprinkled on the house. Blessed water “has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.”

January 19, Tuesday. Baptism of the Lord, or Epiphany. A holiday in honor of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, which took place when the prophet John the Baptist, recognizing Christ among many people, baptized Him in the Jordan River. When Jesus, having been baptized, came out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God “like a dove” descended on Christ. And at that time, God the Father announced with a voice from heaven that Jesus was the Son of God. Thus, all three hypostases of God were revealed to the world - God the Father with a voice from heaven, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. Hence the name - Epiphany. By receiving Baptism, Christ sets an example for us and sanctifies the watery nature. It is believed that on Epiphany all water is sanctified, hence the tradition of swimming on this day.

January 25, Monday. Tatyana's Day. Memorial Day of the early Christian martyr St. Tatiana (beginning of the 3rd century). The daughter of a Roman consul and a secret Christian, Tatiana abandoned the life of a noble Roman woman, choosing to serve the Church. She was brutally tortured because she did not bow to the pagan idol in the temple of Apollo and did not renounce Christ. In 1755, Count Shuvalov, on the name day of his mother, Tatyana Shuvalova, submitted a petition to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to found Moscow University: “for the common glory of the Fatherland.” The Empress could not refuse; the decree was signed. Over time, the day of remembrance of the martyr Tatiana became a student holiday.

January 27, Wednesday. Day of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, enlightener of Georgia (336) * .

February

February 1, Monday. Day of enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

February 6, Saturday. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg (XVIII century), famous for her feat of foolishness for Christ's sake. Prayer book, seer, saint. Ksenia helped the suffering, saving the “city of St. Peter” with her holiness. The saint does not leave us even now.

February 15, Monday. Presentation of the Lord. "Meeting" means "meeting." We remember how on the fortieth day after the birth of Jesus, He was brought to the temple, and there the meeting of the Infant God with the elder Simeon took place. Simeon was a translator from Hebrew to Greek. When he was translating the prophet Isaiah, he doubted that the Virgin could give birth, and then an Angel appeared to him and said that he would live until he saw Christ with his own eyes. The life of Elder Simeon became an endless wait, but one day, having come by inspiration to the temple, he met the Infant Jesus there. Meeting is interpreted as the meeting of the New and Old Testaments. Celebrating the Presentation, the Church emphasizes the need to observe the Old Testament tradition, when on the fortieth day after birth, the child was brought to the temple. And on the fortieth day, a cleansing prayer is read to the woman in labor, after which she can come to church and receive communion. A tradition has developed at Candlemas to remember the soldiers who died in Afghanistan.

March

March 5, Saturday. Ecumenical parental (meat-free) Saturday. The Saturday before Maslenitsa is dedicated to the remembrance of the departed, throughout the entire history of mankind - hence the name “Ecumenical”. And “meat-eating”, since next comes a resurrection without meat.

March 6, Sunday. Meat week, about the Last Judgment. In Church Slavonic, “week” is a Sunday day. And the seven-day cycle is called “week”. The meat-eating week is Sunday, when, according to the regulations, they stop eating meat; on this day, during services they remember the coming Last Judgment.

March 7, Monday - March 13, Sunday. Maslenitsa, or Cheese Week. During Cheese Week you are not allowed to eat meat, but you can eat eggs, milk, butter and cheese (hence the name), even on Wednesday and Friday. By taking the first step in restriction, giving up meat, a person prepares himself for more - for Lent.

March 13, Sunday. Forgiveness Sunday. The last day before fasting, they eat dairy and eggs. On Forgiveness Sunday, during the service, the rite of forgiveness is performed - an ancient monastic rite, when the monks, before retiring into the desert for the duration of fasting, not knowing whether they would live to see the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, said goodbye to each other. On Forgiveness Sunday, the Church gives us the opportunity, without hurting our pride, to reconcile with our neighbors and ask for their forgiveness.

March 14, Monday - April 30, Saturday. Great Lent. The seven-week fast, the longest of all, prepares us for the Bright Resurrection of Christ, Easter, through repentance and deepening our inner spiritual life. During all services, the repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, and in the first four days of Great Lent - the Great Canon of St. Andrey Kritsky.

March 14, Monday. Clean Monday. The first, most strict day of Lent, on this day complete abstinence from food is accepted.

April

April 3, Sunday. The third Sunday of Great Lent is called the Week of the Cross. During Lent, we are crucified, like Christ, while “we feel bitterness, despondent and exhausted.” Therefore, the Cross of Christ appears before believers, “reminding us of the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ and comforting us.” The day before, on Saturday, the Cross of the Lord is brought into the center of the temple, and it remains in the middle of the temple until Friday. Looking at him, we measure our feat with the feat of Christ.

April 7, Thursday. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They remember how the Archangel Gabriel brought the Good News to the Mother of God (hence the “Annunciation”) that she would become the Mother of God: “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.” Archangel Gabriel says that the future Child of God will be called Jesus, which means “Savior.” What is important is not only the call of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, but also her answer: “I am the Servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word,” that is, the dialogue of God through the Angel with the Mother of God, and in Her person with all humanity, because Christ was born in human race. On Annunciation, the fast is canceled, no one works - “the maiden does not braid her hair and the bird does not build a nest.”

April 23, Saturday. Lazarev Saturday. The Church remembers the event of the resurrection of righteous Lazarus by Christ.

April 24, Sunday. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday. Celebrated on the eve of Holy Week (i.e. week). Six days before the Old Testament Passover, Jesus enters Jerusalem, and the townspeople greet Him with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!” (i.e. “Save us!”). Jesus chose a donkey to enter Jerusalem - a symbol of peace in the east, showing that He did not come to people as a conqueror, that “His kingdom is not of this world.” But the crowd needs victories precisely in the earthly world; it expects external miracles and victories. Not even five days will pass before those who greeted the Savior with enthusiastic cries will demand: “Crucify Him!” Thus, the solemn meeting of Christ by the inhabitants of Jerusalem was a harbinger of His future suffering. There are no palm trees in Russia, so willow branches are brought to the temple - the first to bloom in spring. The willow is consecrated on the eve of the holiday at the All-Night Vigil and then kept in the house all year, as a symbol of the blessing of the home.

April 25, Monday - April 30, Saturday. Holy Week. The week before Easter, when we remember the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, His suffering, Crucifixion, death on the cross, burial. In Church Slavonic the word "passion" means "suffering", hence the name. All days of Holy Week are called great. Services on these days are especially long; the first three days of Holy Week, during the service, the entire Four Gospels are read.

April 28, Thursday. Maundy Thursday, Maundy Thursday. In churches, four events that occurred on this day are remembered: the Last Supper, at which Christ established the sacrament of Communion (Eucharist), Jesus washing the feet of His disciples - as a sign of deepest love and humility, the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas. Since the Sacrament of Communion was established on this day, everyone strives to receive communion on this day. At the evening service, twelve Gospel passages are read, telling about the suffering and death of Christ on the cross, and believers stand with lighted candles at this time. On Maundy Thursday there is a folk tradition of washing before sunrise and after the service putting the house in order - hence another name: “Clean Thursday”.

April 29, Friday. Good Friday. They remember the condemnation to death of Christ, His suffering on the cross and death. Liturgy is not served on Good Friday, since on this day Jesus Christ Himself sacrificed Himself. The evening service begins at 14:00, at the hour of the death of Jesus Christ. During the evening service, the Shroud is transferred from the altar to the center of the temple - in memory of the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross and His Burial. The shroud will be in the middle of the temple for three incomplete days, recalling the three-day presence of Christ in the tomb. The day of the strictest fasting of the year, people do not eat until the Shroud is taken out.

April 30, Saturday. Holy Saturday. During the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, clergy change from black to light clothes, as a sign of Christ’s victory over death. By twelve o'clock at night, the clergy silently transfer the Shroud from the middle of the temple to the altar, where it will remain until the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in memory of the forty-day stay of Jesus Christ on earth after the Resurrection from the dead.

May

Matrona of Moscow. Photo: Icon painting workshop of the Holy Trinity Church in Moscow.

May 1, Sunday. Bright Resurrection of Christ, Easter, holiday, celebration of the victory of life over death. Sinless, Jesus voluntarily, out of love for us, gives Himself to suffering and with His suffering redeems the human race from the power of death. “Buried as a man, He, as God, disarms death,” having descended into hell, He emerges from It, for in Him no affinity was found with sin, and therefore with death. But death is defeated by Christ not only for Him alone, it is defeated for all of us. “No one should be afraid of death, for the death of the Savior freed us from it!.. Christ has risen - and no one is dead in the tomb: for Christ, having risen from the dead, became the Firstborn of those who died.”

May 1, Sunday - May 7, Saturday. Bright week, fasting is cancelled. During the entire week, the Royal Doors (the gate in the middle of the iconostasis leading to the altar) are not closed in churches, symbolizing that Christ came and opened the gates of heaven for us.

May 2, Monday. Memorial Day of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow (1952). Blessed Matrona is a prayer book, “with the gift of insight and healing” helping everyone who flows to her with faith.

May 6, Friday. They remember the Great Martyr George the Victorious (303). Patron saint not only of Moscow, but also of England and Georgia. Warriors consider him their saint, and the icon depicting St. George the Victorious on a horse symbolizes victory over the devil.

May 8, Sunday. Fomino Sunday. In churches the Gospel is read about how one of the twelve apostles, Thomas, said: “Until I see the nail marks on Jesus’ hands and put my finger into these wounds, I will not believe that Christ is Risen!” Jesus’ reproachful answer is addressed not only to the unbelieving Thomas, but also to us: “Blessed (i.e. happy) are those who have not seen, but have believed!” Weddings begin in the Church on St. Thomas Sunday (they have not been performed since Lent).

May 10, Tuesday. Radonitsa. Remembrance of the dead. Throughout Bright Week, people are not supposed to commemorate the dead, no funeral services are held, and no people go to the cemetery. A special day has been established for this - Radonitsa, when we share the joy of the Resurrection of Christ and His victory over death with our loved ones who have already passed on to the eternal world.

May 22, Sunday. Nikola summer. Transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra in Lycia to Bar.

May 24, Tuesday. Equal to the Apostles Methodius (885) and Cyril (869), the first teachers and educators of the Slavs. They pray to the creators of the Church Slavonic language and preachers if children “do not succeed in science.”

June

June 9, Thursday. Ascension of the Lord. On the fortieth day after Easter, Christ gathered His disciples, led them to the Mount of Olives and ascended to Heaven. The Ascension of Jesus Christ is the completion of His earthly ministry. Having defeated death as a terrible consequence of sin, and thereby giving man the opportunity to resurrect, He showed that greater deification of the human body is possible. By His Ascension, Christ exalted all human nature.

June 11, Saturday. Memorial Day of St. Luke, Confessor, Archbishop of Simferopol (1961). St. Luke, in the world Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky, was both a great surgeon who saved thousands of lives, who did not begin an operation without prayer, and an unbending confessor of Christ who spent 11 years in exile. Through the prayers of the saint, miracles and healings continue. His books “Essays on Purulent Surgery” and “Spirit, Soul, Body” are classics of medicine and theology.

June 18, Saturday. Trinity Parents' Saturday, remembrance of the departed. Celebrated on the eve of Trinity, people who did not receive a Christian burial are especially remembered: the missing, those who died in the abyss of water. All Souls' Day was established before Trinity in order to show that the Holy Spirit acts both in the living and in the dead, and for God everyone is alive.

Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Photo: Icon-painting workshop of the Holy Trinity

June 19, Sunday. Trinity Day, Pentecost. Dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (hence the name “Pentecost”). And the holiday is called the Holy Trinity because it was the descent of the Holy Spirit that revealed to people the trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son and the sanctification of the world by God the Holy Spirit. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Christ’s disciples received the gift of speaking in different languages, and the preaching of Christianity to all nations began. Therefore, Trinity is also considered the birthday of the Christian Church. For the holiday, houses are decorated with greenery, people come to the temple with flowers - a sign of eternal life.

June 20, Monday. Holy Spirit Day or Spirits Day. Continuation of the holiday of the Holy Trinity, dedicated to the third hypostasis of God - the Holy Spirit. In the week beginning with the Day of the Holy Spirit, fasting is canceled.

June 27, Monday - July 11, Monday. Petrov post. Established in honor of Christ's disciples Peter and Paul. It begins on the second Monday after Trinity and ends on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

July

July 7, Thursday. The Nativity of John the Baptist - the greatest prophet, born in order to recognize Christ among thousands of others. John the Baptist was the voice of God, preparing people to meet Christ.

July 12, Tuesday. Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul. Christ said about the Apostle Peter that He would build His Church on his faith. The Apostle Paul did not see Christ with his own eyes during His earthly life; the Savior appeared to the Apostle Paul after His Ascension to Heaven. And ap. Peter, and ap. Paul left behind letters and were the greatest preachers.

July 18, Monday. Memorial Day of St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, Wonderworker of All Russia (1422).

July 21, Thursday. They remember the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in the city of Kazan (1579)

August

August 2, Tuesday. They remember the prophet Elijah (Elijah's day). Elijah is a great prophet, born 900 years BC, a denouncer of idolatry, especially revered in Rus'. They prayed to Elijah the prophet during a drought. The Russian airborne troops consider the prophet Elijah their patron.

August 9, Tuesday. Memorial Day of the Great Martyr Panteleimon (305), patron saint of the sick and doctors.

August 14, Sunday. The origin (wearing out) of the honorable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, among the people - the First Savior, the first of the August holidays dedicated to the Savior, on this day honey is consecrated.

August 14, Sunday - August 27, Saturday. The Dormition Fast was established in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, since the Mother of the Savior, preparing to depart to another world, spent the last two weeks of Her earthly life in fasting and prayer. Strict fasting, during which you cannot even eat fish.

August 19, Friday. The Transfiguration of the Lord celebrates the event of the transfiguration of Christ before His disciples Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor, when Christ first revealed to them His Divine essence: “And His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white like light.” On this day, fruits are blessed; in Russia, before the Transfiguration, apples and pears were not eaten. Another name is Apple Spas.

August 28, Sunday. Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Dormition (putting to sleep) of the Mother of God is Her transition from earthly life to the heavenly world. When, on the third day after Her Dormition, the apostles opened the coffin, they saw only burial shrouds in it. Having physically left the world, the Mother of God did not die and intercedes for us before Her Son.

August 29, Monday. Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image Not Made by Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ (944), the Third Savior, “walnut”. The Savior Not Made by Hands is the first icon given to us by the Lord Himself.

September

September 11, Sunday. Beheading of the head of John the Baptist. They remember the feat of John the Baptist, who was not afraid to denounce the powers that be. A day of strict fasting as an expression of grief.

September 14, Wednesday. Church New Year. The New Year according to the church calendar begins on September 1 (old style), which is September 14 in the new style.

September 21, Wednesday. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary's parents were childless for a long time, but they believed that, contrary to human nature, God could give them a child. They made a vow to dedicate their child to the Lord. Their prayer was heard, and by God's providence their Daughter Mary was born. They pray to the holy righteous Joachim and Anna when they are childless.

September 27, Tuesday. Exaltation of the Holy Cross. They remember how the holy Queen Helen, having destroyed a pagan temple, discovered three crosses and decided to find out which of them was the Cross of the Lord. A procession with the deceased walked past, and when he was applied to the Cross of the Lord, he was resurrected. The Cross is not just an instrument of torture, it is an altar on which Christ once and for all offered His sacrifice, and since then the Cross has become a protection and a fertile source of Life.

October

October 14, Friday. Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The holiday recalls how Saint Andrew saw the Mother of God holding the Veil over the besieged Constantinople - a symbol of protection.

November

November 4, Friday. Day of celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Day of National Unity.

November 28, Monday - January 6, Friday, 2017 Christmas post. A forty-day fast established in order to prepare us for the Nativity of Christ.

December

December 4, Sunday. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. Three-year-old Mary was brought to the temple, and She Herself climbed the steep stairs and entered it. On this day, it is customary to bring children to church for confession. According to Orthodox tradition, children begin to confess at the age of seven.

December 19, Monday. Nikola winter. Memorial Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (about 335).

January 2017

Memorial Day of Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt (1908) - miracle worker, prayer book, healer.

Christmas Eve, strict fasting.

The Nativity of Christ, the feast of the Incarnation, the birth of God in the flesh from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Homes and churches are decorated with evergreen trees - as a sign of the eternal life that Christ gave us.

Epiphany Christmas Eve, or Vecherie (that is, the day before Epiphany). Strict post. On Epiphany Eve, as on Epiphany Day, water is blessed.

Baptism of the Lord, or Epiphany. A holiday in honor of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, which took place when the prophet John the Baptist, recognizing Christ among many people, baptized Him in the Jordan River. Jesus, having been baptized, came out of the water, and then the heavens opened and the Spirit of God, like a dove, descended on Christ, and God the Father announced with a voice from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God. Thus, all three hypostases of God were revealed to the world - God the Father with a voice from heaven, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. Hence the name - Epiphany. By receiving Baptism, Christ sets an example for us and sanctifies the watery nature. At Epiphany, all water is blessed, hence the tradition of swimming on this day.

*in parentheses indicate the date of the saint’s death, since this is the date of transition to Eternity, meeting with God, to whom the saint so strived to join during his lifetime. Most often, the day of remembrance of a saint is the day of his death, the day of the discovery of his relics, or the day of his church glorification.

How to determine your name day? Name day is the day of remembrance of the saint whose name was given to us at baptism. In the Church, every day is dedicated to the memory of some saints, and one saint may have several days of memory. Therefore, in order to determine the day of your name day, you need to find in the church calendar the day of remembrance of the saint named after you, closest to the day of your birth, this will be your name day. And the saint is your heavenly patron.

At its core, the Orthodox church calendar-Easter consists of two parts - fixed and movable.
The fixed part of the church calendar is the Julian calendar, which differs by 13 days from the Gregorian calendar. These holidays fall on the same day of the same month every year.

The moving part of the church calendar moves along with the date of Easter, which changes from year to year. The date of Easter celebration itself is determined according to the lunar calendar and a number of additional dogmatic factors (not to celebrate Easter with the Jews, to celebrate Easter only after the spring equinox, to celebrate Easter only after the first spring full moon). All holidays with variable dates are counted from Easter and move in time on the “secular” calendar along with it.

Thus, both parts of the Easter calendar (movable and fixed) together determine the calendar of Orthodox holidays.

The following are the most significant events for an Orthodox Christian - the so-called Twelfth Feasts and Great Holidays. Although the Orthodox Church celebrates holidays according to the “old style”, which differs by 13 days, the dates in the Calendar, for convenience, are indicated according to the generally accepted secular calendar of the new style.

Orthodox calendar for 2016:

Permanent holidays:

07.01 - Nativity of Christ (twelfth)
14.01 - Circumcision of the Lord (great)
19.01 - Epiphany of the Lord (twelfth)
15.02 - Presentation of the Lord (twelfth)
07.04 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
21.05 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
22.05 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker
07.07 - Nativity of John the Baptist (great)
12.07 - Holy First. apostles Peter and Paul (great)
19.08 - Transfiguration of the Lord (twelfth)
28.08 - Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
11.09 - Beheading of John the Baptist (great)
21.09 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
27.09 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross (twelfth)
09.10 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
14.10 - Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (great)
04.12 - Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
19.12 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker

Days of special remembrance of the dead

05.03 - Ecumenical Parents' Saturday (Saturday before the week of the Last Judgment)
26.03 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent
02.04 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
09.04 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 4th week of Lent
10.05 - Radonitsa (Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter)
09.05 - Commemoration of deceased soldiers
18.06 - Trinity Parents' Saturday (Saturday before Trinity)
05.11 - Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday (Saturday before November 8)

ABOUT ORTHODOX HOLIDAYS:

TWELVETH HOLIDAYS

In worship Orthodox Church twelve great holidays of the annual liturgical circle (except Easter). Divided into The Lord's, dedicated to Jesus Christ, and the Theotokos, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to the time of celebration, the twelfth holidays are divided into motionless(non-transient) and movable(transitionable). The former are constantly celebrated on the same dates of the month, the latter fall on different dates every year, depending on the date of celebration Easter.

ABOUT MEAL ON HOLIDAYS:

According to the Church Charter on holidays Nativity of Christ And Epiphanies, happened on Wednesday and Friday, there is no post.

IN Christmas And Epiphany Christmas Eve and on holidays Exaltation of the Holy Cross And Beheading of John the Baptist Food with vegetable oil is allowed.

On the feasts of the Presentation, Transfiguration of the Lord, Dormition, Nativity and Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, John the Theologian, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, as well as in the period from Easter before Trinity Fish is allowed on Wednesday and Friday.

ABOUT FASTS IN ORTHODOXY:

Fast- a form of religious asceticism, the exercise of spirit, soul and body on the path to salvation within the framework of a religious view; voluntary self-restraint in food, entertainment, communication with the world. Corporal fasting- food restriction; sincere post- limitation of external impressions and pleasures (solitude, silence, prayerful concentration); spiritual fasting- struggle with one’s “bodily lusts”, a period of especially intense prayer.

The most important thing is to realize that physical fasting without spiritual fasting brings nothing to the salvation of the soul. On the contrary, it can be spiritually harmful if a person, abstaining from food, becomes imbued with the consciousness of his own superiority and righteousness. “He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting“, - teaches St. John Chrysostom, “is removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.” Fast- not a goal, but a means to distract yourself from enjoying your body, concentrate and think about your soul; without all this, it becomes just a diet.

Great Lent, Holy Pentecost(Greek Tessarakoste; Lat. Quadragesima) - the period of the liturgical year preceding Holy Week And Easter holiday, the most important of the multi-day fasts. Due to Easter may fall on different dates of the calendar, Lent also each year starts on different days. It includes 6 weeks, or 40 days, which is why it is also called St. Pentecostal.

Fast for an Orthodox person this is a set of good deeds, sincere prayer, abstinence in everything, including food. Physical fasting is necessary to perform spiritual and mental fasting; all of them in their combination form the post is true, promoting the spiritual reunification of those who fast with God. IN days of fasting(days of fasting) the Church Charter prohibits modest food - meat and dairy products; Fish is allowed only on certain fasting days. IN days of strict fasting Not only fish is not allowed, but any hot food and food cooked in vegetable oil, only cold food without oil and unheated drinks (sometimes called dry eating). In the Russian Orthodox Church there are four multi-day fasts, three one-day fasts and, in addition, fasting on Wednesday and Friday (with the exception of special weeks) throughout the year.

Wednesday and Friday installed as a sign that Christ was betrayed by Judas on Wednesday and crucified on Friday. Saint Athanasius the Great said: “By allowing meat to be eaten on Wednesday and Friday, this man crucifies the Lord.” During the summer and autumn meat-eaters (periods between the Petrov and Uspensky fasts and between the Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky fasts), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. During winter and spring meat-eaters (from Christmas to Lent and from Easter to Trinity), the Charter allows fish on Wednesday and Friday. Fish on Wednesday and Friday is also permitted when the holidays of the Presentation of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the Apostle John the Theologian fall on these days. If the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany fall on Wednesday and Friday, then fasting on these days is canceled. On the eve (eve, Christmas Eve) of the Nativity of Christ (usually a day of strict fasting), which happens on Saturday or Sunday, food with vegetable oil is allowed.

Solid weeks(in Church Slavonic, a week is called a week - days from Monday to Sunday) means the absence of fasting on Wednesday and Friday. Established by the Church as a relaxation before a multi-day fast or as a rest after it. The continuous weeks are as follows:
1. Christmas time - from January 7 to January 18 (11 days), from Christmas to Epiphany.
2. The Publican and the Pharisee - two weeks before Great Lent.
3. Cheese - the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat).
4. Easter (Light) - week after Easter.
5. Trinity - the week after Trinity (the week before Peter's Fast).

One-day posts except Wednesday and Friday (days of strict fasting, no fish, but food with vegetable oil is allowed):
1. Epiphany Eve (Epiphany Eve) January 18, the day before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day, believers prepare themselves to receive the great shrine - Agiasma - Epiphany Holy Water, for purification and consecration with it at the upcoming holiday.
2. Beheading of John the Baptist - September 11. On this day, a fast was established in memory of the abstinent life of the great prophet John and his lawless murder by Herod.
3. Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27. This day reminds us of the sad event on Golgotha, when “for our salvation” the Savior of the human race suffered on the Cross. And therefore this day must be spent in prayer, fasting, contrition for sins, in a feeling of repentance.

MULTI-DAY POSTS:

1. Great Lent or Holy Pentecost.
It begins seven weeks before the holiday of Holy Easter and consists of Lent (forty days) and Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter). Pentecost was established in honor of the forty-day fast of the Savior Himself, and Holy Week - in remembrance of the last days of earthly life, suffering, death and burial of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The total continuation of Great Lent along with Holy Week is 48 days.
The days from the Nativity of Christ to Lent (until Maslenitsa) are called Christmas or winter meat-eater. This period contains three continuous weeks - Christmastide, Publican and Pharisee, Maslenitsa. After Christmastide, fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays, until the whole week (when you can eat meat on all days of the week), which comes after the “Week of the Publican and the Pharisee” (“week” in Church Slavonic means “Sunday”). In the next week, after the full week, fish is no longer allowed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but vegetable oil is still allowed. Monday - food with butter, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without butter. This establishment has the purpose of gradual preparation for Great Lent. The last time before Lent, meat is allowed on the “Meat Eating Week” - the Sunday before Maslenitsa.
In the next week - cheese week (Maslenitsa), eggs, fish, and dairy products are allowed all week, but they no longer eat meat. They make a fast for Lent (the last time they eat fast food, with the exception of meat) on the last day of Maslenitsa - Forgiveness Sunday. This day is also called “Cheese Week”.
It is customary to observe the first and Holy Weeks of Great Lent with particular strictness. On Monday of the first week of Lent (Clean Monday), the highest degree of fasting is established - complete abstinence from food (pious laymen with ascetic experience abstain from food on Tuesday as well). During the remaining weeks of fasting: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil (vegetables, cereals, mushrooms), on Saturday and Sunday vegetable oil is allowed and, if necessary for health, a little pure grape wine (but in no case vodka). If the memory of a great saint occurs (with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before), then on Tuesday and Thursday - food with vegetable oil, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without oil. You can find out about the holidays in the Typikon or the Followed Psalter. Fish is allowed twice during the entire fast: on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (if the holiday does not fall on Holy Week) and on Palm Sunday, on Lazarus Saturday (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) fish caviar is allowed, on Friday of Holy Week it is customary not to eat any food until it is taken out shrouds (our ancestors did not eat food at all on Good Friday).
Bright Week (the week after Easter) is continuous - fasting is allowed on all days of the week. Starting from the next week after the continuous week until Trinity (spring meat-eater), fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays. The week between Trinity and Peter's Fast is continuous.

2. Petrov or Apostolic Fast.
Lent begins a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity and ends on July 12, the day of the celebration of the memory of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Established in honor of the holy apostles and in remembrance of the fact that the holy apostles, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, dispersed to all countries with the good news, always being in the feat of fasting and prayer. The duration of this fast varies from year to year and depends on the day of Easter. The shortest fast lasts 8 days, the longest - 6 weeks. Fish is allowed during this fast, except on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Monday - hot food without oil, Wednesday and Friday - strict fasting (cold food without oil). On other days - fish, cereals, mushroom dishes with vegetable oil. If the memory of the great saint happens on Monday, Wednesday or Friday - hot food with butter. On the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (July 7), according to the Charter, fish is allowed.
In the period from the end of Peter's fast to the beginning of the Assumption fast (summer meat-eater), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. But if these days fall on the feasts of a great saint with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before, then food with vegetable oil is allowed. If temple holidays occur on Wednesday and Friday, then fish is also allowed.

3. Assumption Fast (from August 14 to August 27).
Erected in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God herself, preparing to depart into eternal life, constantly fasted and prayed. We, the spiritually infirm and weak, should all the more resort to fasting as often as possible, turning to the Most Holy Virgin for help in every need and sorrow. This fast lasts only two weeks, but its severity is consistent with the Great One. Fish is allowed only on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), and if the end of the fast (Assumption) falls on Wednesday or Friday, then this day is also a fish day. Monday, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, Saturday and Sunday - food with vegetable oil. Wine is prohibited on all days. If the memory of a great saint happens, then on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food with butter, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without butter.
The food regulations on Wednesdays and Fridays during the period from the end of the Dormition Fast to the beginning of the Nativity Fast (autumn fast) are the same as during the summer meat-eater, i.e. on Wednesdays and Fridays, fish is allowed only on the days of the twelfths and temple holidays. Food with vegetable oil on Wednesday and Friday is allowed only if these days fall on holidays in memory of a great saint with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before.

4. Christmas (Filippov) fast (from November 28 to January 6).
This fast was established on the day of the Nativity of Christ, so that we could cleanse ourselves at this time with repentance, prayer and fasting and with a pure heart we would meet the Savior who appeared in the world. Sometimes this fast is called Philippov, as a sign that it begins after the day of celebration of the memory of the Apostle Philip (November 27). The regulations regarding food during this Lent coincide with the regulations of Petrov's Fast until St. Nicholas Day (December 19). If the holidays of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 4) and St. Nicholas fall on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then fish is allowed. From the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas until the pre-festival of Christmas, which begins on January 2, fish is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ, fasting is observed in the same way as during the days of Great Lent: fish is prohibited on all days, food with butter is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve), January 6, pious custom requires not to eat food until the appearance of the first evening star, after which it is customary to eat kolivo or sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins; in some areas sochivo is called boiled dry fruits with sugar. The name of this day comes from the word “sochivo” - Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is also before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day (January 18), it is also customary not to eat food until taking Agiasma - Epiphany holy water, which begins to be blessed on the very day of Christmas Eve.

Thus, both parts of the Easter calendar (movable and fixed) together determine the calendar of Orthodox holidays.

Orthodox calendar for 2016:

Permanent holidays:

ABOUT ORTHODOX HOLIDAYS:

TWELVETH HOLIDAYS

ABOUT MEAL ON HOLIDAYS:

According to the Church Charter on holidays Nativity of Christ And Epiphanies, happened on Wednesday and Friday, there is no post.

IN Christmas And Epiphany Christmas Eve and on holidays Exaltation of the Holy Cross And Beheading of John the Baptist Food with vegetable oil is allowed.

ABOUT FASTS IN ORTHODOXY:

MULTI-DAY POSTS:

Orthodox holidays include church-wide celebrations dedicated to the remembrance of some sacred events and revered saints.The Orthodox church calendar consists of movable and fixed parts.The holidays of the fixed part of the calendar have a constant date and are celebrated annually on the same day. HolidaysThe movable part of the church calendar moves along with the date of Easter, which changes from year to year, whichdetermined according to the lunar calendar and a number of additional dogmatic norms.

Orthodox holidays of 2016 by month with explanations

All dates below are given according to the new style - according to which we live.

January 2016

Orthodox holidays in January 2016

1st of January. Memorial Day of St. right John of Kronstadt
On this day in Rus' they honored the memory of Ilya Muromets, an epic hero who was considered the deliverer of Kyiv from the Tatar Tsar Kalin. Ilya Muromets, together with Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, are the guardians of Rus', symbols of the power of our Fatherland. It is believed that the prototype of the epic hero was the Monk Elijah of Pechersk, who lived during the time of Vladimir Monomakh. Relics and icons of St. Elias of Muromets are able to heal those who suffer from diseases of the spine and whose legs are paralyzed.

January 2. Memorial Day of St. right John of Kronstadt (1829 - 1909)

1909 - the date of the saint’s death is indicated in parentheses, since this is the date of transition to Eternity, meeting with God, to whom the saint so strived to join during his life. Most often, the day of remembrance of a saint is the day of his death, the day of the discovery of his relics, or the day of his church glorification). Righteous John was a man of prayer, a prophet, his life was a feat of compassionate and effective love for people. Through the prayer of Fr. John, the sick were healed, and other miracles occurred.

Memorial Day of St. Alexy of Moscow, miracle worker (1378) Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus', saint, statesman, diplomat. In church texts he is called the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, the miracle worker. People pray in front of the icon when there are problems with the eyes. The icon of the saint will protect the house from collapse in the event of an accident or natural disaster. As the patron saint of the name, Saint Alexy will take care of health and maintain well-being in the family.

Mary's standing - memory of the Venerable Mary of Egypt
On the fifth week of Great Lent, Matins is celebrated, which is popularly called the “Standing of Mary.” Usually Mary's standing takes place on Wednesday evening. This is a truly long service. During this service, the entire Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in its entirety once a year. Also at this service the life of Mary of Egypt is read.

April 16.- Icon of the Mother of God "Unfading Color"

Since ancient times on the island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea, located near Athos, there is a tradition: on the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, white flowers are brought here, similar to the lily with which the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Most Pure One in his hand to reveal to Her the will of God about Her. Flowers are reverently and carefully placed under the icon case, to Her face, and there they remain until the very holiday of Her Assumption without water and without sunlight. But a miracle happens: after almost five months, their stems, dried out and in the twilight, incredibly fill with moisture, come to life, new buds appear instead of dried inflorescences and bloom into white lush flowers, which symbolizes the “unfading color.”

April 23. Lazarev Saturday
On Lazarus Saturday, the resurrection of the righteous Lazarus is celebrated. Many people turn to the multi-healing relics of the righteous Lazarus, especially those who are in a state of grave despondency and despair, and the saint invariably helps everyone, strengthening the spirit and increasing faith. The saint is also the patron of hospitality and other works of mercy.

The miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Unbreakable Wall” received its name due to the fact that for nine centuries it remained intact, despite the fact that both the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral and the city were repeatedly destroyed. They pray in front of the icon, asking for healing from incurable diseases, to save a family on the verge of destruction.

June 11. St. Luke, Confessor, Archbishop of Simferopol (1961)

St. Luke, in the world Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky, was both a great surgeon who saved thousands of lives, who did not begin an operation without prayer, and an unbending confessor of Christ who spent 11 years in exile. Through the prayers of the saint, miracles and healings continue. His books “Essays on Purulent Surgery” and “Spirit, Soul, Body” are classics of medicine and theology.

June 11. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”
Many believers who turn to the Queen of Heaven for help and intercession in the event of some kind of disorder, family troubles, and especially when their “soul hurts,” testify that after praying in front of the icon they receive spiritual relief and peace, for She truly is the “Helper of Sinners.” "!

June 14. Memorial Day of St. right John of Kronstadt

1908 - the date of the saint’s death is indicated in parentheses, since this is the date of transition to Eternity, meeting with God, to whom the saint so strived to join during his life. Most often, the day of remembrance of a saint is the day of his death, the day of the discovery of his relics, or the day of his church glorification). Righteous John was a man of prayer, a prophet, his life was a feat of compassionate and effective love for people. Through the prayer of Fr. John, the sick were healed, and other miracles occurred.

June 18. Trinity Parents' Saturday, remembrance of the departed
Celebrated on the eve of Trinity. On this day, the Church especially commemorates people who did not receive a Christian burial, for example, those who went missing or died in the abyss of water. All Souls' Day was established before Trinity in order to show that the Holy Spirit acts both in the living and in the dead, and that everyone is alive to God.

June 19. Trinity Day, Pentecost

Dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (hence the name “Pentecost”). And the holiday is called the Holy Trinity because it was the descent of the Holy Spirit that revealed to people the trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son and the sanctification of the world by God the Holy Spirit. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Christ’s disciples received the gift of speaking in different languages, and thus began the preaching of Christianity to all nations. Therefore, Trinity is also considered the birthday of the Christian Church. According to the church charter, for fifty days after Easter, until the Descent of the Holy Spirit, no bows are made, but on Trinity Day a special kneeling prayer is read, which calls for the Holy Spirit to descend on all of us. For the holiday, houses are decorated with greenery, people come to the temple with flowers - a sign of eternal life.

June 20. Holy Spirit Day
Continuation of the holiday of the Holy Trinity, dedicated to the third hypostasis of God - the Holy Spirit. In the week beginning with the Day of the Holy Spirit, fasting is canceled.

June 24. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”
They pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God during mental and physical illnesses, at the end of any task.

June 26. All Saints' Day
It is no coincidence that all the Saints are remembered a week after Trinity - on the day of Pentecost the Church was born. And the children of the Church, born into eternal life, are holy martyrs and confessors, saints and prophets, holy fools and saints. All Saints' Day is connected with the first resurrection after Pentecost, this shows that holiness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

June 27 - July 11. Petrov post
Established in honor of Christ's disciples Peter and Paul. It begins on the second Monday after Trinity and ends on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

July 2016

Orthodox holidays in July 2016

July 1. Day of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God
The Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God, one of the oldest miraculous icons in Russia, was painted in the 12th century at the request of the blessed Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in memory of the appearance of the Mother of God to him. The glory of the miracles and signs performed by the icon prompted the believing people of Russia to turn to writing copies of the revered image, which over time became widespread and received the grace-filled power of miracles.

July 6. Day of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

Cathedral of Vladimir Saints.The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has been revered for many centuries as a miraculous icon that helps in healing diseases and all kinds of physical and mental ailments. The icon of the Vladimir Mother of God saves from mortal danger, from the invasion of enemies, from violence, and protects Orthodox soldiers. In front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in all centuries they prayed for the preservation of Russia. The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is a family icon, prayer in front of which will help when making important decisions or in anticipation of some serious changes and significant events in life.

July 9. Day of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God
Tikh-Vin-skaya icon of God Ma-te-ri, according to tradition, one of the icons painted by the holy apostle and Evan- Ge-li-stom Lu-koy. In the 5th century from Ieru-sa-li-ma she was transferred to Kon-stan-ti-no-pol, where the Blachernae Temple was built for her. In 1383, 70 years before the capture of Tur-ka-mi Kon-stan-ti-no-po-la, Iko-na disappeared from the temple and in the lu-che-zar- a new light appeared over the waters of Lake La Doge. Chu-des-but-no-si-may from place to place, she stayed near the city of Tikh-vi-na. one day, in view of the Swedish army approaching, the foreigners decided to flee from the mo-sty-rya, taking the miraculously created icon, but could not move it from its place. This miracle left the little souls, and they remained in the monastery, trusting in the protection of God Ma-te -ri. After the miraculous victory over the Swedes, the royal envoys arrived in Monastery, taking down the list of the miraculously created icon. -we, they went to the village of Stol-bo-vo, 50 versts from Tikh-vi-na, where on February 10, 1617 there was a captivity -chen peace with the Swedes. All-Russian celebration of the Tikh-Vin-skaya icon of God Ma-te-ri, the glorified indes-number of miracles we have -your-re-ni-I-mi, establish-the-Cer-co-view in memory of her miraculous appearance and defeat of enemies before -sta-tel-stvom Bo-go-ro-di-tsy.

July 11. Day of the icon of the Mother of God, called “Three-Handed”.
The Icon of the Mother of God “Three Hands” is a miraculous icon revered in the Orthodox Church. The celebration of the icon takes place on July 11 and 25. The Royal Family prayed before the icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” in the Ipatiev House on the eve of their martyrdom. They pray in front of the icon in case of illnesses of the hands, feet, mental unrest, or in case of fire.

July, 12. Day of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

Christ said about the Apostle Peter that He would build His Church on his faith. The Apostle Paul was not a witness of Christ, that is, he did not see Christ with his own eyes during His earthly life; the Savior appeared to the Apostle Paul after His Ascension to Heaven. And ap. Peter, and ap. Paul left behind letters and were the greatest preachers. Prayer in front of the icon of the Holy Apostles helps in many ways. You can address both at once and each separately. Before the holy icon they pray for confirmation in the faith and its firmness. Prayer of St. Ap. She helps Pavel in studying subjects that are difficult to understand, in healing mental and physical trauma, and in starting his own business. Prayer to St. Peter is lifted up, asking for help for healing, especially with heat, fever, and a lingering cold. Holy apostle Peter helps fishermen: both whole flotillas and individuals. If the Holy Apostles are your patrons by name, then they will be your helpers and intercessors before the Queen of Heaven and the Lord Himself in all matters.

July 13. Council of the Glorious and All-Valuable 12 Apostles
This is an ancient holiday, mention of it dates back to the 4th century. The Holy Church, honoring each of the 12 apostles at different times of the year, has since ancient times established a general celebration of them on the day after the memory of the glorious and supreme apostles Peter and Paul.

the 14 th of July. Memorial Day for the unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, victims in Rome

The holy mu-che-ni-ki-bes-sreb-reni-ki brothers Kos-ma and Da-mi-an lived in the 3rd century after the Birth of Christ in Ri-me, in the per-ri-od go-ne-niy on chri-sti-an, raised-dig-well them-per-ra-to-ra-mi-language-ni-ka-mi. In the course of their lives, the saints revealed the true Christian worship of mankind -ta: talent is a gift from God, which must be used not for the purpose of gain, but for the service of God and people. Saints are prayed to in illness.

July 17th. Memorial Day of St. Andrei Rublev, icon painter (XV century)
The brush of St. Andrei Ruble lives near the famous miraculous image of the Most Holy Trinity, which -that is still an unsurpassed example in iconography. Saint Andrei painted the Bla-go-ve-schen-sky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, icon-no-stas and the Assumption Cathedral itself in the city Vla-di-mi-re (1408). St. Andrey Rublev wrote the Vladimir Icon of Bo-go-ma-te-ri for the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir; na-pi-sal iko-no-stas and ras-pi-sal the walls of the Assumption So-bo-ra in Zve-ni-go-ro-de (late XIV - na-cha-lo XV centuries); de-i-sus-ny rank in iko-no-sta-se with-bo-ra of the Birth of the Most Holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy Sav-in-Sto-ro-zhev- sko-th mo-na-sta-rya; painted the walls and filled the iko-no-stas Tro-its-ko-go so-bo-ra Tro-i-tse-Ser-gi-e-voy Lav-ry, etc.

July 20. Day of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God
This holy icon is also called Hodegetria, that is, the Guide. It was with this icon that Patriarch Sergius (610-631) walked around the walls of Constantinople with prayer services during the siege of the capital by the Avars in 626. The shrine is included in the collection of the State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, where by God's providence it has been preserved unharmed to this day.
July 25. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”
The first list (copy) of the icon of the Mother of God “Three Hands” was brought to Russia in 1661 and was installed by Patriarch Nikon in the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. Currently, the collection of the New Jerusalem Museum contains a list made from that icon in 1854, but the image itself has disappeared. There are several more ancient copies of the icon in Moscow - one in the Assumption Church of the Bulgarian Compound, the other in the Trinity Cathedral of the St. Daniel Monastery. They pray in front of the icon in case of illnesses of the hands, feet, mental unrest, or in case of fire.

26 July. Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Gabriel was chosen by the Lord in order to proclaim the good news to the Virgin Mary, and with Her to all people, the great joy of the Incarnation of the Son of God. These days, we remember all the appearances of the Archangel Gabriel: he inspired Moses when writing the book of Genesis; the prophet Daniel announced the fate of the Jewish people; appeared to righteous Anna with the news of the birth of the Virgin Mary from her; the priest Zechariah announced the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord; persistently remained with the Mother of God during Her earthly life; appeared to Saint Joseph the Betrothed. Prayers are offered to Archangel Gabriel in requests for conception in the absence of children for a long time and assistance in adoption; expectant mothers and fathers ask for help in a successful pregnancy. Archangel Gabriel serves as the patron saint of muses and educators, especially those who work with children.

July 30. Day of the Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God
This miraculous icon is located in the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra. The Most Holy Lady Theotokos to this day sends Her all-powerful help to everyone who comes with faith to Her Most Pure Image.

July 31st.

August 2016

Orthodox holidays in August 2016

August 2. Prophet Elijah (Elijah's Day)

Elijah is a great prophet, born 900 years BC, a formidable denouncer of idolatry, especially revered in Rus'. icon of the Prophet Elijah - the patron saint of men named Elijah and military personnel serving in the ranks of the airborne troops, since the day of remembrance of the Prophet Elijah is celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on August 2 (new style). The icon of the prophet Elijah protects from passions, from anger and from strife. The icon of the Holy Prophet Elijah helps you succeed in any business. According to ancient tradition, those involved in agriculture turn to the saint with prayer. Elijah the prophet is asked for rain during drought or clear weather with continuous rainfall.

5th of August. Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God
The cha-ev-skaya icon of God Ma-te-ri is among the most revered shrines of the Russian Church. She is known throughout the Slavic world: she is revered in Russia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria and other places. Along with the right-glorious ones to venerate the miracle of the Most Holy Bo-go-ro-di- They come and Christians of other is-ve-yes. In the Po-chaevsky Lavra, the ancient stronghold of Pravo-slav-viy, the miraculously created icon has been around for about 400 years. Chu-de-sa, pro-is-te-ka-yu-shchie from the holy icon, many-number-of-linen-ny and for-wi-de-tel-stvo-va-ny in mo -on-the-books of faith, with prayers for deliverance from the inexorable healing my ailments, liberating God from captivity and the evil of sinners. In front of the icon they pray for protection from heresies and schisms, from the invasion of foreigners, for healing from blindness, both physical and spiritual, for liberation from captivity.

August 6. Day of the Martyrs of the Blessed Princes Boris and Gleb
The holy noble princes-passion-bearers Boris and Gleb (in Holy Baptism - Roman and David) are the first Russian saints canonized by both the Russian and Constantinople Churches. They were the youngest sons of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The icon of saints helps believers get rid of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and promotes the reconciliation of warring parties. Through prayer, believers receive healing from the most serious ailments. Through the icon you can appeal for the salvation of the soul of a loved one or acquaintance, for peace on Russian soil.

August 9. Great Martyr Panteleimon (305), patron saint of the sick and doctors

The icon "Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon" is known as miraculous. She heals all diseases, patronizes the military, protecting them from death and injury, and helps to quickly heal wounds. For people whose profession is to save and protect the lives of other people, the icon will contribute to successful work. It is appropriate to give such an icon to doctors, military personnel and rescuers - all people whose calling is to save and protect the lives of other people. In addition, the icon serves the wives and mothers of military personnel and rescue workers to appeal for the protection of their husbands and children.

10th of August. Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” - Guide and Seraphim-Diveevo “Tenderness” or “Joy of All Joys”
On the icon of “Tenderness,” the Mother of God is depicted at half height, with her hands folded crosswise on her chest, before the birth of Jesus Christ, but after the Annunciation, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Virgin Mary, so the image glows with special tenderness and warmth. The Tenderness icon is considered feminine; it helps in conception and childbirth. The Seraphim-Diveevskaya Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” belonged to St. Seraphim of Sarov, who called it “Joy of All Joys,” and was his cell icon. With oil from the lamp that burned in front of this holy icon, the Reverend anointed the sick, who then received healing.

August 14. The origin (wear and tear) of the honorable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, among the people - the First Savior

The first of the August holidays dedicated to the Savior, honey is blessed on this day.

August 14. - August 27. Dormition post

It was installed in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, since the Mother of the Savior, preparing to depart to another world, spent the last two weeks of Her earthly life in fasting and prayer. This is a strict fast during which you cannot even eat fish.

August 19. Transfiguration

The holiday celebrates the event of the transfiguration of Christ before His disciples Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor, when Christ first revealed to them His Divine essence: “And His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white like light.” On this day the fruits are blessed; in Russia it was customary not to eat apples and pears until this day. Another name is Apple Spas.

August, 26th. Day of the “Passionate” and “Seven Arrow” Icons of the Mother of God
The Passionate Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos received its name from the fact that near the face of the Mother of God two Angels are depicted with the instruments of the Passion of the Lord. The image of the Passionate Mother of God symbolizes not only the Passion of the Lord, but also human passions. In front of the icon they pray for healing from cholera, the blind and paralytic, as well as from fire.
In front of the “Seven Arrows” icon they pray during enmity and persecution, for the pacification of the suffering, and also in the embitterment of the heart - for the gift of patience.

August 28. Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Dormition (putting to sleep) of the Mother of God is Her transition from earthly life to the heavenly world. When, on the third day after Her Dormition, the apostles opened the coffin, they saw only burial shrouds in it. Having physically left the world, the Mother of God did not die and intercedes for us before Her Son
.

August 29. Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image Not Made by Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ (944), Third Savior, “nut”

The Savior Not Made by Hands is the first icon given to us by the Lord Himself.

August 29. Day of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God
According to legend, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was painted by St. the apostle and evangelist Luke. Church history has preserved many miracles of icon renewal. But the opposite miracle happened with the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Shortly before the abdication of the passion-bearer Tsar Nicholas II, the image darkened and became almost black. The Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God has long been revered by believers not only as miraculous, but also as especially protective of family well-being, the birth and upbringing of children, and helping in difficult childbirths.

August 30. Day of the Svenskaya (Pechersk) Icon of the Mother of God
The Svensk-Pechersk Icon of the Mother of God was painted by the Monk Alypius of Pechersk around 1114. The icon became famous for its healing of the blind, the demon-possessed, and its intercession from enemies.

August 31. Icons of the Mother of God "Vsetsaritsa"

According to an ancient monastery legend, one day a young man approached the icon and began to mutter something inaudibly. Suddenly the face of the Mother of God shone with a wondrous light, some invisible force threw the young man away, and he fell to the ground. Rising, he ran in fear to the elder monks and with tears in his eyes confessed to them that he had led an ungodly life, practiced witchcraft, and had come to the monastery to test the power of his magic on the holy icons. The miracle that happened at the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos turned the young man away from witchcraft forever, directed him to the path of repentance and returned him to the path of a pious life. Having demonstrated its miraculous power for the first time against magical spells, the “Vsetsaritsa” also has the grace of healing cancer patients

September 2016

Orthodox holidays in September 2016

September 1. Day of the Don Icon of the Mother of God
The Don Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was painted by Theophan the Greek. On the day of the Battle of Kulikovo (September 8, 1380), the icon was among the Russian army, giving him help, and after the victory it was given by the Don Cossacks as a gift to Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy. They fervently prayed to the icon as the defender of the Fatherland. Since 1919, the Don Icon of the Mother of God has been kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. But every year, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, on the day of the celebration of the Icon, it is solemnly transferred from the Tretyakov Gallery to the monastery for the festive procession of the Cross.

6 September. Cathedral of Moscow Saints and Day of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God
This is a relatively new holiday - it has been celebrated for just over 15 years and is celebrated on the first Sunday in September, usually coinciding with Moscow City Day. The Cathedral of Moscow Saints includes 542 holy saints of God, of whom 81 people were canonized before the 20th century, and 461 people in the 20th century, of which 453 were new martyrs.

Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was taken from Georgia to Persia in 1622. In front of the icon they pray for the healing of those suffering from blindness and deafness, as well as other diseases of the eyes and ears.

September 14. Church New Year

The New Year according to the church calendar begins on September 1 (old style), which is September 14 in the new style.

September 15th. Day of the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God (1748)
The Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revered in the Russian Church. She is considered the patroness of Kaluga and the Kaluga land.
Those suffering from ailments of relaxation, diseases of the ears and hearing pray in front of the icon.

September 17. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Burning Bush”
In Christianity, the Burning Bush became the prototype of the Mother of God, symbolizing the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. Among the people, the Burning Bush was quite naturally considered a protector from fire and lightning. The corresponding prayer was said on this holiday. In addition, there was a custom in the event of a fire to walk around a burning house with an icon of the Virgin Mary of the Burning Bush.
Memorial Day of Archangel Michael

September 21. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Day of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God

The Virgin Mary's parents were childless for a long time, but they believed that, despite all human nature, God could give them a child. They made a vow to dedicate their child to the Lord. Their prayer was heard, and by God's providence their Daughter Mary was born. They pray to the holy righteous Joachim and Anna when they are childless.

The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered shrines of the Russian Church. It is considered miraculous by believers. In front of the icon they pray for protection from heresies and schisms, from the invasion of foreigners, for healing from blindness, both physical and spiritual, for liberation from captivity.

September 27. Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Feast of St. John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 09/14/407)

On this holiday we remember how the holy Queen Helen, having destroyed a pagan temple, discovered three crosses and wanted to know which one was the Cross of the Lord. A procession with the deceased walked past, and when he was applied to the Cross of the Lord, he was resurrected. The Cross is not just an instrument of torture, it is an altar on which Christ once and for all offered His sacrifice, and since then the Cross has become both a protection and a fertile source of Life.

The Archbishop of Constantinople, a theologian, is revered as one of the three Ecumenical saints and teachers. He is revered as an ascetic and martyr, passionate and caustic, talented and brilliant speaker. The saint is the patron saint of students and all those who follow the path of knowledge. You can also pray to this saint for well-being, for help in trouble and grief, for salvation from invisible enemies and for the safety of your home when entering a new home.

. Day of Remembrance of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia Those who accepted martyrdom from Emperor Andrian for their adherence to the Christian faith. The icon “Holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia” is revered as one of the most “family” icons. Prayer before her will help strengthen the family hearth, save the marriage from breaking up, and protect you from the evil intentions and intrigues of ill-wishers. This image is especially revered among married women, for there is much evidence of how fervent prayer to the Holy Martyrs helped honest women return harmony, peace and love to their families. The Martyrs also respond to requests for a successful marriage, the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy and an easy delivery. Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Mirozhskaya” they pray for all physical and mental weaknesses, for relief from ailments, from all epidemics.

October 8. Repose of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Through labors, abstinence and prayer, the monk reached a ripe old age and notified the brethren of the monastery about his death. Sergius, abbot of Radonezh, founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, wonderworker of all Russia. He is revered by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint and is considered the greatest ascetic of the Russian land. In front of the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh they pray for the spiritual health of children and for their success in education. Prayers before the icon of the Saint, who himself was a model of humility, help in gaining humility and taming pride - both one’s own and that of others. They turn to him with prayer for protection from any problems in life.

October 9. Glorification of Patriarch Tikhon and Day of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. (1st century)

The first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, after the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917. In 1989, by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Tikhon was canonized. Patriarch Tikhon tried to find a compromise between the church and the atheistic state and condemned the path of resistance to the authorities.

The Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian occupies a special place among the chosen disciples of Christ the Savior. All the writings of the Apostle John are permeated with love, which is why he is called the Apostle of Love. The entire life of the Apostle John the Theologian is dedicated to the service of Love. Saint John the Theologian became famous for many miracles. Those who work in the field of information can count on the patronage of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian: writers, publishers, specialists working on the Internet. The evangelist icon helps to build a strong family and make reliable friends.
In front of the icon of John the Theologian, you can pray for the protection of you and your family members from discord, quarrels and conflicts. It protects your home from people with malicious intent. John the Evangelist is the patron saint of fishermen and protects them from accidents on the water, natural disasters, and helps them get a good catch.

October 13. Day of the Hieromartyr Gregory the Illuminator (239-325/6, g.)
Saint Gregory is the enlightener of Greater Armenia and the first Catholicos of all Armenians.

October 14. Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The holiday recalls how Saint Andrew saw the Mother of God holding the Veil - a special wide ribbon, a symbol of protection - over besieged Constantinople. In front of the icon of the Mother of God they pray for the mercy and intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, for the sending of love, patience, complacency and the fulfillment of desires.

October 18. Day of the Council of Moscow Saints

On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church commemorates the great saints Peter, Alexei, Jonah, Macarius, Philip, Job, Hermogenes, Tikhon, Peter, Philaret, Innocent and Macarius, wonderworkers of Moscow and all Russia. Despite the difference in historical eras in which the saints lived, their different character and appearance, the Moscow miracle workers are united by deep love for Christ, selfless service to the Church, the Russian state and their neighbors.

The 20th of October. Day of the Pskov-Pechersk Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”
The image of the Mother of God was brought to the Pechersk monastery around 1521. The icon became especially famous in 1524 for numerous miraculous healings, which were witnessed by the residents of Pskov and Veliky Novgorod. The icon represents the sacrifice of Christ the Savior on the cross, as the highest expression of God’s love for people. The revered icon, according to the faith of those who ask, gives them healing.

October 21. Day of St. Taisia (end of the 3rd century - 340)
Christian saint, repentant harlot who lived in an Egyptian monastery. Taisiya’s life shows that the Lord is ready to accept every sinner, as long as we come to Him.

October 24. Cathedral of the Venerable Optina Elders
For a whole century, Optina was a source of spiritual enlightenment for the entire Russian society. For everyone who came here, the monastery was a healing source that healed spiritual wounds. The feat of life of the Great Elders is amazing; it is inscribed in the chronicle of Russian holiness. This is an example of selfless devotion to our Orthodox Fatherland.

the 25th of October. Day of the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God (1748)
The Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revered in the Russian Church. She is considered the patroness of Kaluga and the Kaluga land.
Those suffering from ailments of relaxation, diseases of the ears and hearing pray in front of the icon.

October 26. Day of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God
The Iveron Icon, which is now kept on Mount Athos, was in the possession of a blessed widow in the 9th century. you, who live near the city of Nikeya. During the reign of Fe-o-fi-le (829-842), the Iko-no-fighters, who had destroyed the holy icons, came to the house of this hri-sti-an-ki, and one warrior hit the image of Bo-go-ro-di-tsy. Immediately blood flowed from the other place. The widow, fearing the destruction of the saint, promised them money and pro-si-la Don't touch them until the morning. When they left, the woman and her son lowered it into the sea to preserve the holy icon. Iko-na, standing on the water, swam to Athos. The Athos monks came to the bank and found a holy image standing on the water. They accepted the holy icon and placed it in the temple, but the next day the icon was not in the temple, but above the gate. mi obi-te-li. This happened again several times, until the Most Holy Virgin revealed her will in a dream, saying that she did not want to be saved. -not my ino-ka-mi, but wants to be their Guardian. After this, the image was placed over the mo-na-styr-ski-mi-ro-ta-mi. That's why the holy icon is called Port-ta-i-tis-so, Vra-tar-no-tseyu. They pray to the icon for deliverance from various misfortunes and for consolation in troubles, from fire, and for increasing the fertility of the earth.

28 of October. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Spreader of the Loaves”
The icon was painted with the blessing of St. Ambrose of Optina (1891). Particularly revered in Optina Pustyn. The field that the Queen of Heaven blesses is the field of our spiritual life, bringing us closer to the Lord. In front of the icon they pray for deliverance from drought, loss of grain, and famine.

October 31. Day of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke
According to legend, Luke was a Syrian physician from Antioch who accompanied the Apostle Paul. Luke recounted the stories of Jesus on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, from Antioch to Caesarea. The main feature of the Gospel of Luke is that it is written as a biography. At the same time, Luke emphasizes that Jesus comes from God. Prayer before the icon of the Saint will help both the doctor before a complex operation and the patient preparing for surgery.

November 5. Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday, remembrance of the departed

November 6. Icons of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow"
An icon that strengthens people’s faith in the Mother of God, as a wondrous Intercessor, who hurries wherever the groan of human suffering is heard, wipes away the tears of those who cry and in the very grief gives moments of consolation and heavenly joy.

November 12. Day of the Martyr Anastasia of Thessaloniki (III century)
The icon of St. Anastasia will protect the whole family from evil and deceitful people.
For women baptized with the name Anastasia, the saint will become a heavenly patroness. It will help in cases of diseases of the joints and spine, and women's diseases. With all the problems, all Anastasias can resort to her.

15th of November. Day of the Shuya-Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God
The icon was painted in 1654-1655 in the Resurrection parish of the city of Shuya, Vladimir diocese. Thanks to this icon, displayed in the temple, many miraculous healings took place, especially from eye diseases.

November 18th. Day of St. Tikhon of Moscow (1865-1925)
The first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, after the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917. In 1989, by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Tikhon was canonized. Patriarch Tikhon tried to find a compromise between the church and the atheistic state and condemned the path of resistance to the authorities.

November 21. Memorial Day of Michael the Archangel
The Church reveres Archangel Michael as a defender of the faith and a fighter against heresies and all evil. In iconography, Michael was often depicted as a warrior-defender, the patron of the people of God in their struggle for freedom. Saint Michael is revered as their heavenly intercessor by the sick and dying, as well as by doctors and ambulance drivers. He is also the patron saint of sailors, military, police and, of course, the knights of the Church.

November 22. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”
The holy image was painted in the 10th century in the Dohiara monastery on Holy Mount Athos.
Through this holy icon of the “Quick to Hear,” the Most Holy Theotokos performed many healings in subsequent times: she gave sight to the blind, and restored the paralytic. Particularly noted were cases of healing from epilepsy and demonic possession. The Mother of God saved many from shipwreck and freed them from captivity.

November 24. Day of the Martyr Victor (2nd century)
Victor of Damascus is an early Christian saint, revered as a martyr due to the numerous tortures he endured. They pray to Saint Victor for healing for hand diseases, various skin and eye diseases. The icon will help men named Victor in their career advancement and protect them from dangers and enemies. The saint will help you find health, find reliable friends and life partners.

November 25. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Merciful” (Kykkos)
This icon was painted, according to legend, by the holy evangelist Luke. Until now, people resort to the help of this icon, they are healed of infertility, female diseases, and through prayers to the Kykkos image, rain descends on the earth in dry weather. The faces of the Mother of God and the Child of God on the icon “Merciful-Kykkos”, according to the custom established in ancient times, are hidden from people’s eyes with a dense cover that is never removed. Even when the monks change the cover due to dilapidation, they take the image out of the temple, lifting it and turning it towards the sky. According to a legend preserved in Cyprus, anyone who dares to lift the veil may go blind.

November 26. Memorial Day of St. John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 09/14/407)
The Archbishop of Constantinople, a theologian, is revered as one of the three Ecumenical saints and teachers. He is revered as an ascetic and martyr, passionate and caustic, talented and brilliant speaker. The saint is the patron saint of students and all those who follow the path of knowledge. You can also pray to this saint for well-being, for help in trouble and grief, for salvation from invisible enemies and for the safety of your home when entering a new home.

November 28 - January 6, 2017. Christmas post

A forty-day fast established in order to prepare us for the Nativity of Christ.

29th of November. Day of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
The holy apostle and evangelist Matthew is one of the 12 apostles. In the Holy Scriptures he is also called Levi. The Gospel of Matthew preaches mainly that Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by God, foretold in the Old Testament by the prophets and sent from God, from the line of David and Abraham. Since the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew, before being called by the Lord to follow him, was a publican - a collector of taxes and taxes, today he is considered the patron saint of financiers, accountants, customs workers, and tax services. People also come to him asking for mental healing.

Orthodox holidays in December 2016

December 4. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

The holiday recalls how, at the age of three, Mary was brought to the temple, how She herself climbed the stairs of high steps and entered the temple. On this day it is customary to bring children to confession, and it is good if the child’s first confession is made on this day. According to Orthodox tradition, children begin to confess at the age of seven.

5th of December. Memorial Day of the Blessed Prince. Mikhail Tverskoy (1271W2 - 1318)
Grand Duke of All Rus', Prince of Tver, Grand Duke of Vladimir. He was tortured and killed in the Golden Horde at the instigation of his rival, Prince of Moscow Yuri Danilovich. Mikhail Yaroslavovich Tverskoy was the first to unite Rus', and therefore was the first to be called the “Grand Duke of All Rus'”. He was the first to enter an open military conflict with the Horde cavalry and defeat it. Prayer to the Saint helps in solving health problems. The defenders of the Motherland and their loved ones pray to him. He especially patronizes the natives of the Tver land in all matters.

December 6. Memorial Day of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky (1221 - 1263)
The holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky is the heavenly patron of the military, security personnel, diplomats and all Alexanders. To make the service prosperous and successful, the icon of St. Alexander Nevsky can be placed in the office. For those men who bear the name Alexander, it is better to keep the holy image at home; it will help them maintain good health, build a good career, protect them from enemies and give prosperity to the home.

December 7th. Memorial Day of the Great Martyr Catherine
The Great Martyr Catherine is a very revered saint, and her relics were brought from Sinai, an ancient place of Orthodox asceticism and piety. The icon of St. Catherine will protect against mistakes that can ruin a person’s life. The holy image will strengthen you in faith and protect you from dangers. Women whose angel is Saint Catherine find the meaning of life with the image of their saint. The icon will protect their families from harm and bring peace and prosperity to the house.

9th December. Yuryev day. On this day the acts of St. George the Victorious (303) are mentioned.
This Saint has become extremely popular since the times of early Christianity. In the West, the cult of St. George appeared no later than the 5th century. St. George the Victorious is considered a symbol of Moscow and the protector of the Orthodox army. Prayer before the icon of the Saint helps Russian soldiers on duty, as well as soldiers who have gone into reserve. An icon with the image of St. George and a prayer in front of it also helps farmers and livestock breeders, it will help preserve the harvest and the health of livestock.

December 10. Icon of the Mother of God, called "The Sign"
The icon depicts the Most Holy Theotokos raising her hands in prayer. On Her chest, against the background of a round shield, is the blessing Divine Child. Icons of this type appeared for the first time in Rus' in the 11th-12th centuries. In our country, this icon began to be considered an intercessor from enemies, and this is connected with the glorification of the miraculous Novgorod icon in 1170. In connection with this, the name “Sign” arose in the meaning of “a sign of mercy on the part of the Mother of God.”

The Holy Icon protects against sudden death. They pray to the Great Martyr Varvara not to be deprived of Holy Communion on the day of her death, and there is a legend that the Saint herself gives communion to those who are honored with death on the day of her memory. The saint also prays for deliverance from illnesses, for children, for help in despondency and sadness, and for consolation in sadness.

December 19th. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (about 335), St. Nicholas in winter

Even during his lifetime, Nicholas became famous as a pacifier of warring parties, a defender of the innocently convicted, and a deliverer from needless death. In the Russian state and the Russian Empire, the veneration of Nicholas the Wonderworker, “honored everywhere in Rus',” was very widespread; the number of churches and icons dedicated to him was the largest after the Virgin Mary. His name was one of the most popular when naming babies until the beginning of the 20th century. Considered the patron saint of sailors, travelers, merchants and children. Saint Nicholas is the prototype of Santa Claus.

December 22. Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” of Seraphim-Diveevskaya or “Joy of All Joys” and Day of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”
On the icon of “Tenderness,” the Mother of God is depicted at half height, with her hands folded crosswise on her chest, before the birth of Jesus Christ, but after the Annunciation, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Virgin Mary, so the image glows with special tenderness and warmth. The Tenderness icon is considered feminine; it helps in conception and childbirth. The Seraphim-Diveevskaya Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” belonged to St. Seraphim of Sarov, who called it “Joy of All Joys,” and was his cell icon. With oil from the lamp that burned in front of this holy icon, the Reverend anointed the sick, who then received healing.

The icon is named in memory of the healing of a certain sinner through the holy icon through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God. The icon “Unexpected Joy” teaches us a grateful life. Joy and understanding that you have been accepted by the Most Pure One will come unexpectedly. Only prayer in front of the icon will help you realize that wide open spaces and unlimited possibilities are open to you.

Calendar of Orthodox church holidays for 2016 with brief explanations by month.All dates are given according to the new style - according to which we live.The online gift store "Fresh Solutions" has a wide range of , which you can buy for a suitable holiday.Delivery across Russia!