The most important of these is, of course, Happy Easter, Resurrection of Christ. On this day, the Church remembers how the crucified Savior rose from the dead, breaking the fetters of hell and thus giving hope for future immortality to every person.

Following are twelve holidays, called great or twelfth. The twelfth holidays are divided into non-transitory and transitory. The first of them are celebrated on the same day every year. The dates of the second are connected with the movement of the date of Easter.

Also read: Orthodox calendar for 2018

Non-passing twelfth holidays

Christmas Day January 7 according to the new style - this is the most famous Christian holiday dedicated to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the beginning of a new era in the life of mankind.

Ascension of the Lord- on the 40th day after Easter, the Ascension of the risen Lord Jesus Christ into the Kingdom of His Father in Heaven is celebrated, which took place on Mount Olivet, in the presence of the apostles and the Mother of God.

Holy Trinity Day, Pentecost- on Sunday, on the 50th day after Pascha, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the holy apostles and the Mother of God in the form of fiery tongues is remembered. This holiday is considered the birthday of the Christian Church.

Dates of rolling twelfth holidays by year

Palm Sunday - date by year

• Palm Sunday in 2015 - April 5
• Palm Sunday in 2016 - April 24
• Palm Sunday in 2017 - April 9
• Palm Sunday in 2018 - April 1

Easter dates by year

• Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord in 2015 - April 12.
• Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord in 2016 - May 1.
• Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord in 2017 - April 16.
• Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord in 2018 - April 8.

Ascension of the Lord - dates by years

• Ascension of the Lord in 2015 - May 21.
• Ascension of the Lord in 2016 - June 9.
• Ascension of the Lord in 2017 - May 25.
• Ascension of the Lord in 2018 - May 17.

Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost) dates by year

• Trinity in 2015 - May 31.
• Trinity in 2016 - June 19.
• Trinity in 2017 - June 4th.
• Trinity in 2018 - May 27.

Church holidays are important dates for Christians, for which it is customary to prepare prayerfully, observe fasting, and then come to the solemn liturgy with communion in the temple. Some Orthodox holidays, such as the Dormition, seem strange to people far from church life. Why do Christians celebrate death? We will try to tell you about the essence of church holidays in this article.

The calendar of non-transferable church holidays is known:

Passing church holidays, in turn, are constantly celebrated in different days. We have compiled a table for the nearest dates:

What is a church holiday?

Rejoice always in the Lord; and again I say: rejoice ( Phil. 4:4–7 .)

What is an Orthodox holiday? Secular people often ask this question when entering the path of church life. Many worldly holidays are accompanied by noisy feasts, dances and songs. How are church holidays different from them?

The Lord called us not for suffering, but for salvation and eternal life, which, in itself, is already a reason for joy. Therefore, even when we weep, repenting of our sins, it is a great joy. After all, we have One who is ready to accept our repentance. Orthodox holidays are enclosed in the quiet joy of unity with God. These important dates designed to remind us of the events of the Gospel, they are associated with ancient Christian traditions and allow us to temporarily escape from worldly fuss in order to devote one more day of the year to communion with God. During a church holiday, a liturgy is served in the temple, and we praise the history of our Salvation by Jesus Christ, recalling certain events of Holy Scripture or the lives of Orthodox saints.

Church holidays are divided into passing and non-moving. The date of non-transferable holidays never changes and is celebrated on the same day every year. Transitional Orthodox holidays do not have a fixed date and depend on the date of the celebration of Easter. It is because of the date of the celebration of Easter that the Church calendar usually moves. The date of the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ is calculated according to the solar-lunar calendar. It is usually celebrated on the nearest Sunday after the first full moon following the day spring equinox(March 21). The Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council decreed this order as early as 325.

There are twelve most important church holidays. They are called "twelfth" or sometimes "twelve". Easter is not included in this list, as the most important Orthodox holiday, standing separately, outside of any categories.

• Nativity
• Epiphany
• Candlemas
• Annunciation
• Palm Sunday
• Ascension
• Trinity
• Transfiguration
• Dormition of the Blessed
• Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Nativity of the Virgin
• Introduction to the Temple of Our Lady

• Protection of the Holy Mother of God
• Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great
• Nativity of John the Baptist
• Commemoration of the Chief Apostles Peter and Paul
• The Beheading of John the Baptist
• Holy memory. Nicholas
• Transfer of relics of St. Nicholas in the Italian city of Bari.

With the advent of new saints, the list of Orthodox holidays is also replenished.

Holidays in the Orthodox calendar

Twelfth Feasts of the Theotokos

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Not far from Jerusalem is the city of Nazareth. It was in this city that the righteous and already elderly spouses Joachim and Anna lived. For a long time the Lord did not give them children. At the time of their lives, this was considered a shame, because children were considered a blessing from God. Once the High Priest did not even accept Joachim's sacrifice, accusing him of having obviously done something wrong before God, since the Lord does not give him children. Joachim prayed to the Lord to grant him and his wife a child. Anna considered herself guilty of a childless marriage. She also turned to God with a request to give them and Joachim offspring and promised to bring the child as a gift to God, to serve Him. Then a Heavenly Angel appeared before her and said: “Your prayer has been heard. You will give birth to a blessed daughter. For her sake all the generations of the earth will be blessed. Through her, salvation will be given to the whole world and she will be called Mary.

In those days, only the birth of a male baby was considered a blessing from God. Even in the Holy Scriptures, people are counted only in male units. But the girl that Anna will give birth to will be the Most Holy Theotokos, the mother of Christ.

Joachim, meanwhile, hastened to the Golden Gate of Jerusalem after a forty-day fast in the mountains. He had to see his wife Anna, because in the mountains an angel appeared to him too. Embracing him at the gate, Anna said, “Now I know that the Lord has blessed me.”

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first twelfth Orthodox holiday in the church year, which begins on September 14 according to the new style. The Mother of God served the cause of Salvation by giving birth to the Son of Man, from whom a new era and a new chronology began. With the Savior, the Lord revealed to us that the main law in our life should be the law of love, the ability to sacrifice in the name of love. The earthly path of the Mother of God was filled with sorrows, she stood at the Cross of the Lord and, together with the Savior, experienced the agony of the Cross.

But the world rejoiced at her birth, on the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, our intercessor before the Gods was born, through prayers to which great miracles are performed.

Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the main church holidays dedicated to the earthly life of the Mother of God. In addition to the Introduction, the Nativity of the Virgin and the Assumption of the Virgin are also celebrated. These holidays are based on Holy Tradition. The feast of the Annunciation is based on the Gospel events, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to announce the conception of Christ.

In addition to these main holidays, other Orthodox holidays are also celebrated - the holidays of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God, the Intercession (this day is especially loved by the people) and many other days that reflect our love for the Most Holy Theotokos. The introduction of the Virgin Mary into the temple is a special date that has no analogues among other church holidays. Holy Tradition tells that as soon as the Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents Joachim and Anna took her to the temple in order, according to the vow given to the Lord, to raise her in Divine grace. This vow was fulfilled in gratitude for the gift of a child. It did not mean that the child took a vow of monasticism or a special ascetic life, but his upbringing was no longer done by his parents, but by the servants of the temple. This is a sign of the highest trust in God.

In Jerusalem at that time there was one temple, in the altar of which the Ark of the Covenant was once kept. In the same temple there was a special theological school, where boys and girls dedicated to God were brought up. The Virgin Mary was met by the high priest Zacharias. He played an important role in the Old Testament Church and was an indisputable moral authority for believers. Without outside help The Virgin Mary ascended all fifteen steps leading to the sanctuary, barely crossing the threshold of the temple. Those who saw it perceived the ascent as a miracle. Despite the body of the baby, the Mother of God was already perfect in soul. She entered the temple joyful and triumphant, as in her own home.

The high priest Zechariah led the girl to the holy of holies of the temple, where he himself could enter only once a year. He immediately saw that before him - not an ordinary child. Staying in the temple, the Virgin Mary admired everyone with the fullness of her virtue, being at the same time humble and meek. This was another step on the way to the appearance of the Savior in the world, therefore believers so honor this significant date and distinguish it among many Orthodox holidays.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25/April 7)

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the twelfth Orthodox holiday.

It was called differently among the first Christians: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel of Mary, but in the 7th century in the East and West it began to be called the same - the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

This day brought joy to the whole world and became the beginning of our Salvation, a blessing for all people. On this day, God united with mankind and in the person of the Virgin Mary all the prophecies of the Old Testament about the Son of Man were fulfilled. In the whole world then there was no holier and more worthy of the Virgin Mary. She had been living in the temple for twelve years when the high priest told her that when she came of age, she should leave the temple, get married, and move into her husband's home. The Virgin Mary humbly replied that she had made a vow to devote her life to the Lord and did not want to break her vow of chastity. The high priest cannot force the Virgin to break her vow to God, so he gathered the clergy of the temple to pray and ask God to reveal His will. An angel appeared to the high priest Zarakhriy with instructions to take unmarried husbands from the house of David and ask them to bring their rods, to which of them the Lord will show a sign, he will become a husband for the Virgin Mary.

When the High Priest gathered the wands, he began to pray that the Lord would reveal his will. At night, the rods were left in the temple, and the next day, Joseph's rod blossomed. Joseph was a relative of the Virgin Mary, led a righteous life, he was already over 80 years old, he lived as a widow and had adult children. The Virgin Mary moved from the temple to Nazareth, but remained to live in solitude and silence, preserving her virginity. The Most Pure Virgin continued to live for God, to do household chores. While God sent the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary knew the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and about the Blessed Virgin who would become His mother. She prayed to minister to this woman, but this woman turned out to be herself.

“Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You in wives, ”the Virgin Mary heard these words from the archangel who appeared to her. These words confused her, and she remained silent. But the archangel Gabriel comforted her with the words that the Lord would give the Son the throne of David. The Virgin Mary did not know a husband, but the power of the Most High overshadowed her, and she conceived when the light of the Spirit of God overshadowed her. The sacrament of the incarnation of the Son of God has come to pass. Chosen from all generations, the Virgin Mary contained within herself the treasure of grace and gave man the opportunity to hope for salvation.

Meeting of the Lord (February 2/15)

The church holiday of the Presentation of the Lord is based on an amazing miraculous event that took place in Jerusalem in the 1st century AD. According to tradition, on the fortieth day after birth, all Jews had to bring their first sons to the temple for consecration to God. In gratitude, it was customary to bring a sacrifice to God - a ram, an ox, doves. Important role played what the family could afford.

This law was established in memory of the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. Then the Lord saved Israel's firstborn from destruction.

Parents brought Jesus Christ to the Jerusalem temple, as required by the law, as soon as He was forty days old, to present before God. Joseph and Mary could not afford to make a costly sacrifice, as they did not live well. They sacrificed only two baby pigeons. At that time, a pious elder, Simeon the God-bearer, lived in Jerusalem. At the suggestion of the Spirit of God and the prophetess Anna, he came to the temple, as the Holy Spirit promised Righteous Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. He was already 360 years old. According to the Tradition of the Church, he was one of those who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Ancient Greek. He knew the Scriptures well and waited with faith for Christ the Savior. Although, at first he doubted the possibility of fulfilling the prophecy that the Savior would be born into the world from an earthly woman. He even wanted to blot out these prophecies in Scripture, but the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and held him back, confirming the truth of these words - “Believe what is written!”.

Seeing the baby Jesus at the door of the temple, he exclaimed with great joy: “This is God, Concurrent with the Father, this is the Eternal Light and the Lord Savior!” As promised by the Lord, the Divine Infant appeared to him with the Blessed Virgin and righteous Joseph. Simeon's heart trembled, he praised the Lord in prayer. The elder saw the One Who was promised by the Lord to people, the fullness of times came. He could leave this world, for the prophecy was fulfilled.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15/28)

This holiday seems paradoxical to those who are not familiar with Orthodox church holidays. Why do we celebrate death? But we know the words “Do we live, we live for the Lord; If we die, we die for the Lord.” Even the Apostle Paul said: “For me, life is Christ and death is gain.”

The last thing we know about the earthly path of the Virgin Mary from the Gospel is the words that the Lord addresses to the Mother from the cross. Words about His beloved disciple, John the Theologian: “ Geno! behold, thy son“. These words, of course, applied to all mankind.

The beloved disciple of Christ took the Virgin Mary to him. Holy Scripture does not convey to us information about the Assumption of the Mother of God, but Church Tradition stores for us information about the life of the Mother of God after the Resurrection of Christ.

So, the Mother of God lived in the house of John the Theologian. She often retired to pray to her Divine Son. On one of these days, the archangel Gabriel again appeared to her to announce that in three days the Blessed Virgin would depart to the Lord. The Mother of God accepted these words with great joy in anticipation of a meeting with God. The only thing she asked was to give her the opportunity to say goodbye to the apostles, the disciples of Christ, who brought the message of Salvation to the world. Miraculously, the apostles, who were far from Jerusalem, were transferred there to say goodbye to their Heavenly Mother. The Mother of God consoled the apostles in their grief and said goodbye to each of them.

But the Dormition of the Mother of God was not an ordinary parting of the soul with the body. At the hour of her death, the heavens opened up and those present saw Christ with the angels and the reposed righteous. The Blessed Virgin was as if immersed in a dream, therefore her repose is called the Dormition, that is, sleep. And behind this dream, glory and awakening in the Kingdom of Heaven were expected. The soul of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by angelic singing, ascended to Heaven.

During the burial of the body of the Virgin, one Jewish priest was filled with anger towards the Mother of Jesus Christ and decided to overturn the body of the Virgin Mary on the ground. But as soon as he touched the bed of the Blessed Virgin, the Angel of the Lord appeared with a sword and cut off his hands. The priest prayed to the apostles for help. The Apostle Peter replied that the Lord, through prayers to His Mother, could grant him healing. Priest Athos put his hands to the place of cutting off, offering prayers to the Mother of God. His prayer was heard, and he followed the bed of the Virgin Mary, glorifying the Lord and the Mother of God.

The Apostle Thomas did not have time to see the burial of the Mother of God and was very sad, wanting to say goodbye to her. When on the third day the apostles opened the tomb for him, the body of the Mother of God was not in it, but she herself appeared to them in Heavenly Glory, surrounded by many angels with the words: “Rejoice, for I am with you all the days.”

The Orthodox Church has its own calendar. It differs from ours - for example, the year starts in September, not January. The Church calendar has its own - Church - holidays. What are the main holidays in Orthodoxy? How many holidays are there in Christianity? What are the Twelve Feasts? Let's talk about the most important things you need to know.

Orthodox calendar: what is it?

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

Every day in the Church is a memory of some event or saint. For example, on January 7, we remember (more correctly, celebrate) Christmas. And in this way, the Church “lives through” all the main events of its history, the earthly life of Christ, the Mother of God, the Apostles, and also remembers all its saints - not only the most revered (for example), but in general all. Each saint has his own day of remembrance and every day of the year is a memory - a holiday - of one or another saint, and most often, not one, but several saints are remembered in a day.

(For example, take March 13 - this is the day of memory of ten saints: St. John Cassian the Roman, St. Basil the Confessor, Hieromartyr Arseny Metropolitan of Rostov, Hieromartyr Nestor Bishop of Magiddia, Rev. Wives Marina and Kira, Hieromartyr Proterius Patriarch of Alexandria, St. The Damascus Hermit of Nitria, the Monk Martyr Theoktirist Abbot of Pelikit, Blessed Nicholas Sallos Christ for the Holy Fool of Pskov)

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

This is a reflection of the whole essence of Christian life, when rejoicing in the Lord and His saints takes place not on some separate days of the week or year, but constantly. Jokingly or not, a proverb was even born among the people: "For the Orthodox, every day is a holiday." Actually, that's exactly what it is. Although, there are exceptions: some days of Great Lent, which require special concentration.

Icon "for every day of the year" - an image, if possible, of all the saints and the main Church Holidays

What are the holidays in Christianity?

Speaking in very general terms, the holidays in the Orthodox Church can be divided into the following "categories":

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

Major holidays in Orthodox Christianity

Easter, Resurrection of Christ

When is Easter celebrated? on the first Sunday after the full moon, not earlier than the day of the vernal equinox on March 21

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

In all Orthodox churches, the Easter holiday is celebrated with night services and a solemn procession of the cross.

Read more about Easter on Wikipedia

Easter dates 2018-2027

• In 2018: April 8
• In 2019: April 28
• In 2020: April 19
• In 2021: May 2
• In 2022: 24 April
• In 2023: April 16
• In 2024: May 5
• In 2025: April 20
• In 2026: April 12
• In 2027: May 2

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The annual cycle in Orthodoxy does not begin on January 1, as in the "secular" world, but on September 1, so the Nativity of the Virgin is the first Twelfth holiday in church year. During it, as on all the feasts of the Mother of God, the clergy wear blue.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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

Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Another Mother of God holiday from among the Twelve in Orthodoxy. Established in memory of the day when the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos - the holy righteous Joachim and Anna - brought her to the Jerusalem temple, in the holy of holies of which she lived until her betrothal to Joseph. All these years she was nourished by food from heaven, which was brought to her by the archangel Gabriel.

Icon of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos

Nativity

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

This is the most important after the Resurrection feast of christ in Orthodoxy.

Epiphany

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

Icon of the Baptism of the Lord

Meeting of the Lord

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

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

And so it became.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

When is celebrated: the Sunday before Easter

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

Ascension of the Lord

When is celebrated: 40th day after Easter

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

Day of the Holy Trinity

When is celebrated: 50th day after Easter

This is a memory of the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues and “all were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” From the moment the Holy Spirit descended, the Apostles could speak any language with any people - to carry the Word of God to all corners of the world.

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

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow. The day of the Holy Trinity is the patronal holiday for this temple.

Transfiguration

Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. On this day, the Church celebrates the moment, which, like most other Twelfth Feasts, is described in the Gospel. The manifestation of the Divine majesty of the Savior in front of the three closest disciples during prayer on the mountain. “His face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.”

Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Assumption of the Virgin

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

Icon of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Read this and other posts in our group in

Easter, or bright resurrection Christ's is the first and most important feast of the entire New Testament Orthodox Church. It occupies a leading place among the twelve movable holidays. This day is a remembrance of the gospel events that became the basis of all Christian teaching.

The Resurrection of the Savior for any Christian is the victory of human nature over the permanent laws of death.

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

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

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

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

The day of the Holy Trinity is also called Pentecost.

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

Nativity

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

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Baptism

It is perhaps the most important Christian holiday. This holiday has been held since January 18. Since that time, the Orthodox have been celebrating Epiphany Christmas Eve, which means adhering to a strict fast and preparing for another holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord.

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

On Epiphany Christmas Eve, after the service, solemn processions are made to the holes in the reservoirs, they are consecrated, and those who wish can swim. As a rule, bathing is a three-time immersion in water with your head. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"

Great Orthodox holidays: a list with dates, explanations and traditions.

Except Easter as the dominant Christian holiday, in our culture there are 12 more great Orthodox holidays, called the Twelfth. What are these holidays and how are they traditionally celebrated? You will learn about this from this article.

Hierarchy of holidays in orthodox Christianity

Easter - a sign of the eternal victory of life over death - is one step above the rest in this hierarchy of holidays. This is the most important holiday Christian tradition. Further along the hierarchy are the non-twelfth great and twelfth Orthodox holidays. In total, 17 holidays fall into the category of great holidays. The non-twelfth great dates include the following:

1. The Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos is a holiday that falls on October 14 in the orthodox world. Associated with the vision of St. Andrew the Fool of Constantinople. At the hour when Constantinople was under siege, the Mother of God appeared to Andrew, stretching a veil over the city from her head, the city was saved.
2. Circumcision of the Lord - while on January 14 we celebrate the last new year holidays, in the church there is a service in memory of this event, as well as in honor of Basil the Great, one of the so-called Fathers of the Church.
3. The Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist (Baptist) on July 7 - this is the day that we know as Ivan Kupala. It is associated with the miraculous birth of John the Baptist six months before Jesus.
4. The day of the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul, which is popularly known simply as Peter's Day, is celebrated on July 12. Officially, on the Day of Peter and Paul, the memory of the acceptance of martyrdom by the apostles is honored, and for the common people this day symbolizes the full transition to summer.
5. The beheading of John the Baptist in Russian tradition is celebrated on September 11th. On this day, they remember the martyrdom of John the Baptist, and also commemorate the soldiers who fell in the battle for the fatherland.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In orthodox tradition, the birth of the Virgin Mother is celebrated on September 21st. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, have already come to terms with the idea of ​​not leaving offspring - it is believed that both were already over 70 when Maria was born. Her birth is associated with Joachim's stay in the desert, where he retired to ask the Lord for procreation. In a dream, an angel appeared to him and announced that he would soon have a daughter. And the truth is - returning to the city, Joachim met Anna, hurrying to meet him with good news.

This holiday is called to glorify the Mother of God as the protector and intercessor of all people before God. AT folk calendar it is associated with the arrival of autumn, harvesting and the end of all summer work.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This holiday is associated with one of the main Christian symbols - with the cross on which the Son of God passed the test of death. And its appearance was facilitated by the Byzantine Empress Elena in the middle of the 4th century. Already at a rather advanced age (according to historians, she was about 80 years old), the mother of Emperor Constantine decides to go to Jerusalem in search of lost Christian relics. As a result of excavations on Mount Golgotha, they found not only a cross, but also a cave in which Christ was buried.

The date of the celebration was set in September 335 - after the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated in Jerusalem. The Orthodox world celebrates on September 27th by observing a strict fast and not doing hard work. People also believe that it is from this day that birds begin to fly south, and snakes crawl into burrows for the winter.

Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Orthodox Feast of the Entry into the Temple is celebrated on December 4th. It is dedicated to an episode from the life of the Virgin Mary - in three years old pious parents brought her to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill God's covenant - to dedicate her daughter's life to God. In all interpretations of this story, they say that little Mary entered the temple with unusual confidence, as if she already knew that she would play a great role in this religion. Maria did not return home to her parents - she lived in the temple until the age of 12, until the angel Gabriel brought her news of the extraordinary fate that was bestowed on her.

AT folk tradition this holiday is called Introduction. It was associated with the arrival of winter - it was from this day that winter festivities and sleigh rides began. It was also worth forgetting about field work until spring - the peasants believed that it was better not to disturb the land after the Introduction.

Nativity

Of all the twelve great Orthodox holidays, Christmas is considered the most significant. In the Western tradition, it is customary to celebrate it on December 25, and in our country it is on January 7.

The birth of Jesus took place in the city of Bethlehem, hometown Joseph. He arrived here with the pregnant Maria, but there was no room for them in the hotel. The travelers had to settle down in a cave. When Mary felt the approach of childbirth, Joseph hurried in search of a midwife. He managed to find a woman named Salome, together they went back to the cave. The first thing they saw in the cave was a bright light flooding the entire space. Gradually, the light faded away - and Mary appeared with a baby sitting in her arms. At this time, a star of extraordinary brightness rose over Bethlehem, announcing the world about the arrival of the Son of God.

It is believed that every great Orthodox holiday gives birth to kindness in the heart, but especially Christmas. On Christmas Eve, it is customary for the whole family to gather for festive table- in folk tradition, it should have twelve dishes.

Historians believe that it is not known for certain what time of year Jesus was born. It is believed that the date of the great Orthodox holiday of Christmas is associated with more ancient holidays dedicated to winter solstice(December 21 or 22). This holiday is preceded by a forty-day fast, starting on November 27th.

Epiphany

The second most important holiday of the Orthodox Church after Christmas is the Baptism of the Lord. It is celebrated on January 19 - we all know about the folk tradition of swimming in the hole on this day. However, the church and historians unanimously argue that this tradition is not as ancient and primordial as it seems, and only acquired a mass character in the 80s - as a symbol of the country's return to religion.

This feast is associated with an episode in the life of Christ, which is traditionally considered the beginning of his ministry. At the age of 30, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. The person who baptized the Son of God was John the Baptist. When Christ came ashore, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the guise of a dove, and from heaven came the voice of God the Father, announcing the appearance of God the Son. Thus, the Lord manifested himself in his trinity. Therefore, Baptism among the great holidays of the Orthodox Church is also known as the Epiphany. In the Catholic tradition, the Epiphany is associated with Christmas and the offering of the Magi.

Meeting of the Lord

From the Old Slavonic language, the Meeting can be interpreted as the word “meeting” - the church believes that it was on this day that mankind met with Jesus Christ. This great Orthodox holiday is celebrated on February 15 - forty days after Christmas. On this day, Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple for the first time, where he was received by St. Simeon the God-bearer. There is a separate legend about Simeon - he was one of the seventy scholars who translated Holy Scripture from Hebrew into Greek. The entry about the Virgin, who should conceive and give birth to a son, embarrassed Simeon, he decided to correct the mistake of an unknown scribe: it was the Wife who should give birth, and not the Virgin. But at that moment, an angel appeared in the room and said that this would indeed happen one day. The Lord will not let the old man die until he sees this miracle with his own eyes. When the day finally came to meet the baby Jesus, Simeon was already about 360 years old - all his life the righteous old man was waiting for a meeting with the human incarnation of God.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Annunciation is a symbol of hope and expectation. On this day, April 7, they celebrate the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel by Mary, who brought her good news with the words: “Rejoice, Blessed One! The Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women, ”this line subsequently entered many prayers dedicated to the Mother of God. As a moving feast, the Annunciation is often included in the number of Orthodox holidays during Lent. In this case, those who fast are incredibly lucky - in honor of the holiday, a slight indulgence in the form of animal food is allowed (only not meat, but fish).

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

There is still a week left until Easter, and the world is already beginning to celebrate and honor the memory of the deeds of Christ in this week. This date is popularly known as Palm Sunday - a great Orthodox holiday. On this day, Jesus solemnly entered Jerusalem, choosing a donkey as a riding animal - as a sign that he had arrived in peace. The people met him as the Messiah, laying palm branches on the road - later they became the main symbol of this holiday. Since palm trees do not grow in our latitudes, the branches were replaced with willow ones.

Many folk traditions are associated with this day. It was customary to sanctify willow branches in the church, and then keep them in the house all year long so that good luck and prosperity would not leave it. They also lightly hit each other with a willow, saying: “I don’t beat - the willow beats.” Since this Orthodox holiday is celebrated modestly during Great Lent, the main meal of the feast could be fish, but not meat.

Ascension of the Lord

When Easter is over and another forty days have passed, Orthodox Christians celebrate Ascension. This day is one of the great twelfth holidays of the Orthodox Church. The image of Christ ascended to heaven recalls the predominance of the ideal divine nature over the imperfect human. Until this day, you can congratulate all the Orthodox on the holiday Great Easter with the words "Christ is Risen!", but after the end of the Feast of the Ascension, the church already forbids to be christened.

Having resurrected, Jesus Christ preached for another forty days, and then gathered his apostle disciples and ascended to heaven, bequeathing that he would appear a second time (this is considered a promise of the second coming) and that the Holy Spirit would also descend on the apostles - this happened ten days later.

Day of the Holy Trinity

Another ten days pass after Ascension and fifty after Easter, when the orthodox world celebrates the next great Orthodox holiday. In a simple way, it is also called the Trinity, Pentecost. The event that led to the appearance of this holiday is the indulgence of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. When all twelve were assembled, a gust of wind suddenly came up and enveloped the apostles in flames. The Holy Spirit spoke so brightly. From that day on, the disciples of Jesus gained the ability to understand hitherto unknown languages ​​and dialects, and most importantly, to speak them. This blessing was given to them in order to spread the word of God throughout the world, so the apostles went to preach in the countries.

In folk tradition, the Trinity completed the series spring holidays- after it the summer season has already begun. They prepared thoroughly for this holiday - a few days before it, the housewives cleaned the house, trying to get rid of unnecessary things, and the garden and vegetable garden were cleared of weeds. They tried to decorate their homes with bunches of herbs and flowers, as well as tree branches - it was believed that this would bring good luck and prosperity to all its inhabitants. In the morning we went to the church for the service, and in the evening the festivities began. Young people were ordered to be careful these days - after all, mermaids and mavkas came out of the forests and fields to lure guys into their networks.

Transfiguration

The Feast of the Transfiguration is associated with a small episode in the life of Christ. Taking with him three disciples - James, John and Peter - Jesus ascended Mount Tabor for the sake of conversations and prayers. But as soon as they reached the top, a miracle happened - Jesus ascended above the earth, his clothes became white, and his face shone like the sun. Next to him appeared the images of the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah, and from heaven came the voice of God, announcing the son.

The Transfiguration is celebrated on August 19. This great Orthodox holiday in folk tradition is called Apple Spas(second after Honey). It was believed that from this day autumn begins to come into its own. Many of the customs of this day are associated with the harvest of apples and fruits in general - before the Savior, the fruits were considered immature. Ideally, the harvest should have been blessed in a church. Then apples could be consumed without restrictions.

Assumption of the Virgin

The feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is associated with the end of the earthly life of the Virgin Mary and the ascension of her soul and body to heaven. The word “assumption” can be interpreted more as “sleep” than “death” - in this regard, the name of the holiday reflects the attitude of Christianity to death as a transition to another world and testifies to the divine nature of Mary herself.

This great Orthodox holiday is celebrated on August 28, although it is not known exactly in which year and on which day the Virgin Mary passed away. In folk tradition, this day is called Obzhinki - it is associated with the end of the harvest.