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12 Orthodox holidays list. Easter and Twelfth Feasts

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

Orthodox calendar: what is it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What holidays are there in Christianity?

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

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

Main holidays in Orthodox Christianity

Easter, Resurrection of Christ

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

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

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

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

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

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

Nativity

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

This is the most important thing after the Resurrection Christ's holiday 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 John the Baptist.

Icon of the Baptism of the Lord

Presentation of the Lord

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

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

And so it became.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

When is it celebrated: the nearest Sunday before Easter

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

Ascension of the Lord

When is it celebrated: 40th day after Easter

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

Day of the Holy Trinity

When is it celebrated: 50th day after Easter

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

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

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

Transfiguration

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

Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Dormition of the Virgin Mary

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

Icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Next come twelve holidays, called great or twelve. The twelfth holidays are divided into non-transitionable and transferable. The first of them are celebrated on the same day every year. The dates of the latter are associated with the movement of the date of Easter.

Also read: Orthodox calendar for 2018

Impermanent Twelfth Holidays

Christmas 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 new era in the life of humanity.

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

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

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

Ascension of the Lord - dates by year

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.

Trinity Day (Pentecost) dates by year

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

Every day the church honors the memory of a saint or celebrates some event. Any church celebration carries a deep meaning - this is what distinguishes such celebrations from secular ones: they are always edifying, educate people, encourage them to do good deeds and set them in the right mood.

To better understand what the twelve holidays are, you should look for similar ones in the secular calendar. For example, could there be a similar analogue of Of course not - this is fun, albeit with a reason, but without a reason. Or New Year? This is a celebration, loved by everyone, but empty - to sit at a set table, make some noise at night, and in the morning to collect fragments of dishes broken by guests from the floor - that’s the whole point! The only event, perhaps, that is somewhat reminiscent of the twelfth holiday is Victory Day. This celebration inspires, gives life guidelines, and instructs. The same thing happens in the soul of a believer during church celebrations.

Orientation of folk traditions

Twelve's Orthodox holidays - special days, which are dedicated to the main events worldly life Christ and his mother the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are twelve such celebrations in total, which is why they are called the twelve. A thousand years ago, a tradition of celebrating them arose, and now they are celebrated all over the world not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by convinced atheists. This interest is not accidental - it is church holidays (twelfths) that expressively and excellently reflect the customs and national culture of society. On Slavic soil they established themselves step by step, sweeping aside demonic rituals and dark prejudices and filling themselves with elements of ancient Slavic traditions. Their formation was long and difficult. It is only thanks to this that most of these celebrations have been preserved. It was she, reviled, banned and persecuted for more than 8 decades of the 20th century, who took Christian faith under protection and preserved the folk Orthodox heritage.

What do the twelve holidays mean for people?

These days for believers are the peaks of rejoicing in the year, days of approaching Jesus, days of salvation. They rejoice that the Lord turned his attention to people, that the Mother of God, being a human being, just like all of us, became in the Kingdom of Heaven, and everyone can turn to her with the words: “Save us.” Believers celebrate the fact that already here on earth, a person can unite with God. Such celebrations give people hope, strengthen faith, and awaken love in their hearts.

General concepts

The twelfth holidays are distinguished depending on:

contents - Lord's (Lord's), Theotokos, saints' days;
solemnities of the church service: small, medium, great;
celebration time: stationary, mobile

Eight days were established for the glorification of Jesus Christ, and four for the veneration of the Virgin Mary, which is why some are called the Lord's, and others - the Theotokos. Easter does not belong to such celebrations - this is the most important and wonderful celebration. If the twelve days are like stars, delighting people with their twinkling, then Holy Easter is like the sun, without which life on Earth is impossible, and before whose brilliance any stars fade.

September 21 - Nativity of the Virgin Mary

This date is the birthday of Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary. Little is known about the worldly life of the woman who gave salvation to the whole world. According to legend, the pious Anna and Joachim did not have children for a long time. One day, during prayer, they made a vow that if a child was born, they would dedicate it to serve God. After this, at the same time, both of them dreamed of an angel, he announced that an extraordinary child would soon appear, and his glory would sound throughout the great land. As the subsequent events known to everyone testify, this prophecy came true.

September 14 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This twelfth holiday is dedicated to the worship of the Cross, on which the Savior accepted torment and death. This Cross, as well as the burial place of Christ, were found on the holy land by Queen Helena three hundred years later.

November 21 - Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When the Virgin Mary turned three years old, the righteous parents decided that the time had come to fulfill the vow given to the Lord. For dedication to God, they left their only daughter in the temple, where she, immaculate and sinless, began to intensively prepare for the Mother of God.

January 7 - Christmas

This is one of the most important Christian holidays. It is officially declared the birthday of Jesus. The Gospel tells that Mary and Joseph - the parents of Christ - were forced to spend the whole night in a cave, where the baby was born. After his birth, the cave was illuminated with light, and the brightest star suddenly shone in the sky.

January 19 - Epiphany, or Epiphany

In the year 30 AD, in the city of Bethavara, on the banks of the Jordan, on this very day the baptism of the sinless thirty-year-old Jesus took place. He did not need to repent; he came to bless the water and give it to us for holy Baptism. Then the Savior went into the desert for 40 days in search of divine enlightenment.

February 15 - Presentation of the Lord

This twelfth holiday is dedicated to the meeting, that is, the meeting of the God-receiver Simeon, who was eagerly awaiting the Savior of the world, with Jesus, the 40-day-old baby, whom his parents first brought to the temple to be dedicated to God.

April 7 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary)

Apparently, in the history of the human race there are two primary events: the birth and resurrection of Christ. From Archangel Gabriel on March 25 (old calendar), the Virgin Mary received the good news that she was destined to give birth to the Savior of the world. Hence the name - Annunciation.

On the eve of Easter, on Sunday - Palm Sunday

After spending forty days in the desert, Jesus entered Jerusalem. On this date, believers are sad, realizing what torment and suffering lay ahead of Christ in the following days. Holy Week begins.

40 days after Easter, on Thursday - Ascension of the Lord

The Twelfth Feast commemorates the day Jesus ascended into heaven but promised to return. Note that the number 40 is not accidental. In sacred history, this is the period when all exploits end. In the case of Jesus, this is the completion of his earthly ministry: on the 40th day after the Resurrection, he was supposed to enter the Temple of his Father.

On the 50th day after Easter, Sunday - Holy Trinity

Sometimes the Trinity is called Pentecost. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and made them prophets. In this phenomenon the mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed.

August 19 - Transfiguration of the Lord (Savior)

A short time before the Crucifixion, Christ, together with his disciples John, Peter and James, ascended to pray. While Jesus was praying, the disciples fell asleep, and when they woke up, they saw that He was speaking with God the Father. At this moment, Christ was completely transformed: His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became snow-white.

August 28 - Dormition of the Mother of God (Blessed Virgin Mary)

This is the symbolic day (it is not indicated in the canonical texts) of the death of the Virgin Mary. The Mother of God lived a rather long life - seventy-two years by the standards of the first century of the new era.

Iconography

All twelve holidays have their own symbolic images. The icon of any celebration in honor of which the temple was consecrated can be placed on the iconostasis in the second row from the bottom or in the local row. In churches where there is a full iconostasis, icons of the twelve feasts, as a rule, are placed between the Deesis and local rows.

IN Orthodox Church Every day is marked by a memorable event. Surely everyone baptized person Once in my life I heard the phrase “twelfth holidays.” What does it mean? To which church dates does this name apply? And what is this strange word - “twelfth”?

What is the twelfth holiday?

This name arose from the Slavic “twelve” - that is, “twelve”. In the church classification, these holidays are the most significant after Easter, and they are celebrated with special celebration. All twelve holidays are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Typikon ( statutory document Churches that regulate the rules and order of worship) are marked with a red cross in a full circle, which also emphasizes their significance.

There are dates relating to the twelve holidays, such as pre-celebrations, post-celebrations and giving. In the first case, believers prepare for a great event and begin to celebrate in advance. In secular tradition, by the way, there is an unspoken sign that it is impossible to celebrate the holiday in advance, as well as to congratulate it. In Orthodoxy, the forefeast day prepares a person for celebration, reminds him of events, and helps him tune himself into a spiritual wave that he may have lost due to being busy with everyday affairs.

Afterfeast- This is a continuation of the holiday, which usually happens a few days later. A giving, as you guessed, is a “farewell” to the holiday until its next onset. The spread of celebrations over time, even if a person cannot always attend the service, thanks to the presence of a calendar, helps one to remember and, together with the entire Church, live through the events of the holiday, think about one’s soul, the meaning of life, and mentally compare oneself with the “heroes” of memorable dates. This allows the believer to engage in spiritual self-development, because comparison with a saint will certainly show his own imperfection.

What Orthodox holidays belong to the twelfths?

Here they are, many of them are probably familiar to you:

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
Nativity
Epiphany
Presentation of the Lord
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
Ascension of the Lord
Day of the Holy Trinity
Transfiguration
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Why is Easter not one of the twelve holidays?

But you are probably wondering: why is everyone’s favorite Easter, the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, not among these holidays? The greatness and significance of the events of Easter for Orthodox Christians is so great that this date, the day on which the Crucified Jesus Christ rose from the dead, rose from the grave after painful death, it is customary to place it above the twelve holidays. The Resurrection of Christ, as it were, crowns these important memorable dates. By the way, on the icon of the twelve holidays, the fragment dedicated to Easter is traditionally depicted in the middle, while the events of the twelve holidays are placed around the perimeter of the icon.

Icon depicting the twelve feasts

Moving and non-moving holidays

The basis for the worship of the Orthodox Church is the annual calendar. It is he who determines the dates of celebrations and the order of service. The twelfth holidays are movable (that is, their date always changes depending on the indications of the calendar) and immovable (that is, they have a strictly fixed date).

Moving holidays include:

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). Celebrated a week before Easter, and always celebrated on different numbers, since Easter is also a moving calendar date.
The Church remembers the Ascension of the Lord on the 40th day after the Holy Day Christ's Resurrection, and, as we see, also completely depends on this date.
Trinity Day falls on the 50th day after Easter.

Permanent holidays make up the majority among the twelve (dates in brackets according to the new, modern style):

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - September 8 (21);
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14 (27);
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple - November 21 (December 4);
Christmas - December 25 (January 7);
Epiphany - January 6 (19)
Presentation of the Lord - February 2 (15);
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - March 25 (April 7);
Transfiguration of the Lord - August 6 (19);
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15 (28).

Lord's and Mother of God holidays

Another classification of the twelve holidays concerns their content. It has already been said above that the holidays are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, another division of them was called the Lord's and the Theotokos.

Lord's holidays:

Exaltation of the Holy Cross;
Nativity;
Epiphany;
Transfiguration;
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem;
Ascension of the Lord;
Day of the Holy Trinity.

Mother of God holidays:

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple;
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Meeting of the Lord.

How are the twelve holidays different, besides who are they dedicated to? Features of the service when it falls on a particular date, day of the week, or a coincidence in date with each other. The Lord's holidays, as well as Sunday - Little Easter - will always take priority over the Feast of the Theotokos in the rite of worship.

The meaning and significance of the twelve holidays

Speaking about the twelve holidays, their name, dedication and classification, we must not forget about their meaning. This is how it will become clear why these 12 events have special veneration among Orthodox Christians.

1. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

An important mission was assigned to save fallen humanity from slavery to sin. It was through the immaculate Virgin, born of righteous parents, Joachim and Anna, that Jesus Christ was to come into the world. And so it happened. Old Testament prophecies warned about the birth of the Mother of God and Her appearance was predetermined. She became the Gate through which God came to people, becoming outwardly similar to them.

2. Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In 326 in Palestine, during excavations by the Empress Catherine of Constantinople and the Bishop of Jerusalem Macarius, three crosses were discovered, the same ones on which Jesus Christ and two thieves were crucified. According to legend, when one of the crosses was placed on a sick woman, she received healing. This is how a significant Christian shrine was defined. Cross in ancient world was considered an instrument of shameful execution, and thanks to the Lord it became a symbol of the salvation of the soul, showing that spiritual self-development, the desire for godlikeness will not be simple, but associated with incessant work and even suffering. The name “Exaltation” is due to the fact that during the service, dedicated to the holiday, The cross rises for all those praying to see. This tradition dates back to the time when the shrine was found.

3. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple

When Saint Mary was 3 years old, her parents fulfilled the vow given at birth: to dedicate the child to God. When the Girl was brought to the temple and placed on the first step, She suddenly overcame them on her own, which caused considerable surprise. And the high priest Zechariah intensified this surprise: he brought the little Mother of God into the very Holy place Jerusalem Temple, the Holy of Holies, where only he could enter and only once a year. From then on, Saint Mary lived in the innermost temple room until she was 12 years old, when she was married off. This event also shows the role of the Mother of Christ in the fate of all humanity.

4. Christmas

The Christmas holiday is familiar to many, and everyone understands perfectly well that January 7 is considered the date of birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. That’s right, on this day we remember the coming of the Savior to human civilization, who was supposed to show with His life how a person mired in sin, infected with the terrible disease of death, could be healed and become like God. Righteous Joseph, the husband of the Mother of God, was supposed to come to the city of Bethlehem for the population census announced by the Roman emperor. The family did not have the opportunity to stay at a hotel, so they spent the night in a cave. There the Baby Jesus was born to Mary. First the local shepherds came to worship, and then the wise men with gifts. The Jewish king Herod learned about the birth of Christ. Fearing that the event was a real attack on his power, he sent soldiers to kill all the babies in Bethlehem. Miraculously, righteous Joseph, Mary and Jesus were warned and fled to Egypt.

5. Baptism of the Lord

When people in Russia talk about the Feast of Epiphany, also called the Epiphany in the Church, ice holes in reservoirs are invariably remembered. Epiphany water and swimming in the freezing cold. In fact, on January 19, we remember the events of antiquity, when in the waters of the Jordan River, John the Baptist, better known as the Baptist, performed the baptism ceremony over Jesus Christ. On that day, by the way, it was established as a sacrament and now all Orthodox Christians resort to it in order to become members of the Church. According to legend, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven on Christ in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard from heaven proclaiming: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

6. Presentation of the Lord

The unknown word “sretenie” is literally translated from Slavic as “meeting”. Who met whom? As already mentioned, Jewish tradition prescribed that one should bring one’s first-born children to the temple to dedicate the latter to God. As in the case of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the parents did the same. Simeon, a respected theologian-translator who, according to legend, lived for more than 300 years, met righteous Joseph and Mary together with the Infant Christ. Simeon took Jesus in his arms, blessed him and said the words that later became the famous prayer “Now you let go...”. The meeting of the Infant God with an old representative of the Old Testament Church symbolizes the meeting of humanity with God.

7. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Annunciation tells us about the events associated with the “good news.” Archangel Gabriel appeared and said that it was She who would become the Gate through which the Savior would come to human civilization. The angel said that the Son would need to be called Jesus, and Holy Mary expressed agreement with the high mission ahead of Her.

8. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

People usually call this day Palm Sunday, and the branches of the tree are taken to the temple, consecrated and then kept somewhere in the house all day... In Israel there was no willow, but there was a palm tree, and it was the branches of this tree that were originally symbols of the holiday. A week before your death on the cross Jesus Christ, already glorified by His preaching, miracles and good deeds, was heading to Jerusalem. He rode into the city on a donkey’s colt (although He could have done this riding on a beautiful horse and as part of a whole column), thereby giving people an example of modesty. The inhabitants of the city greeted Jesus as a king: the road along his route was strewn with palm branches and glorified with the most enthusiastic words. In the Jerusalem Temple, Christ dispersed the merchants who had turned the House of God into a real bazaar, healed sick people and retired to the city of Bethany. It can be said that events Palm Sunday became a kind of pre-celebration of Easter.

9. Ascension of the Lord

Ascension refers to holidays celebrated after the Resurrection of Christ. The resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days and spoke about Heavenly Kingdom. At the end of this period, he rose to heaven, telling the surprised apostles the famous life-affirming words: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). This holiday speaks of deification and shows what fate a person who lives according to the commandments of God will receive.

10. Trinity Day

This holiday can be considered the birthday of the Orthodox Church. Already on the 50th day after Easter, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven on the apostles, disciples of Christ, supernaturally making them able to preach the faith, speak other languages, and teach people.

11. Transfiguration of the Lord

In Russia folk tradition dubbed the holiday " Apple Spas" Jesus Christ climbed Mount Tabor, where he called the apostles Peter, James and John with him to prayer. During prayer, the face of Christ suddenly shone with a bright light, and his clothes also became light. The prophets Moses and Elijah appeared before the apostles and began to talk with the Lord! After these events, Jesus forbade the apostles to talk about what they saw until His resurrection. But this incident showed the divinity of Christ’s origin, although until the very end of His earthly life those close to him could only guess about it.

It is known that even in the early stages of the formation of liturgical charters, the church fathers made attempts to distinguish from total number holidays are those that had special significance due to the importance of the events of sacred history to which they were dedicated. Their pious intentions were eventually embodied in the establishment of twelve Orthodox holidays dedicated to the most significant New Testament episodes associated with the names of Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother.

Special categories of holidays

After Easter, the holidays we are considering are the most important events in terms of their status. church year and, due to a number of their features, are divided into certain categories. First of all, they are usually divided into Lord’s - established in memory of the most bright events earthly life of the Savior, and the Mother of God - related to His Most Pure Mother, with the first group having a higher status.

In addition, the division of the twelve holidays into movable and non-movable has been established. The first category includes those whose date changes annually due to the fact that in their content they are associated with Easter, the day of celebration of which is calculated according to lunar calendar and constantly "floats". There are three of them. The second category includes nine holidays, the date of which remains the same from year to year.

Permanent holidays of September

According to established tradition, the Christian church year begins on September 1 (14) (new style dates are given in brackets). In accordance with this, we will open the review of the immovable twelve feasts with the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, since it is the first in chronology.

On September 8 (21), almost all churches included in the circle of world Orthodoxy remember one of the most important events in sacred history - the birth of the future Mother of our Savior - the Virgin Mary. Her birth from previously childless parents - Joachim and Anna - was not an accident, since it was part of the Divine plan for the salvation of mankind.

In the same month, namely September 14 (27), another an important event in the life of the church - a holiday called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The reason for it was the events that occurred almost seventeen centuries ago, when Queen Helena, then canonized among the Equal-to-the-Apostles, went to Jerusalem and there she found the Cross on which the Savior was crucified, and a number of other relics associated with His earthly life.

Entry of the Virgin Mary onto the path of serving God

November 21 (December 4) is celebrated in Orthodox calendars as the twelfth feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was installed in memory of how, fulfilling the vow they had made, Saint Anna and her husband Joachim brought their daughter Mary, who was barely three years old, to the temple to dedicate Her to the service of God. By inspiration from above, the priest allowed the child into the innermost part of the sanctuary, where the entrance ordinary people was ordered. The Virgin Mary stayed in the temple until she was twelve years old, after which, according to the custom of that time, she had to get married. By God's will, the choice fell on the widower Joseph, who became Her betrothed, that is, a person who was only formally considered a spouse.

The Nativity of Jesus Christ and His Baptism

Next on the list of twelve holidays is the Nativity of Christ, celebrated on December 25 (January 7). As you know, this celebration was established in memory of the greatest event in the history of mankind - the incarnation from the earthly Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit of the Son of God Jesus Christ, who appeared into the world to atone with His sacrificial blood for original sin, which doomed all the descendants of Adam and Eve to eternal death. The significance of what happened was so great that from that day humanity began counting down a new era of its existence, and all historical events began to be divided into those that happened before the Nativity of Christ (R.C.) and after it.

Also important among the twelve holidays is the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6 (19). On this day all the devotees Orthodox faith they remember how, upon embarking on His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River by His Forerunner, Saint John. The Gospel says that at that moment the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father, sounded from heaven, confirmed that Jesus was His beloved Son. This holiday is also called Epiphany.

Meeting of the Lord and Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

February 2 (15) is the turn of another twelve church holiday- Presentation of the Lord. We know about him that, according to tradition, after the period of symbolic purification of the mother (it is 40 days), the Mother of God Mary and St. Joseph revealed the Baby Jesus in the temple to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Almighty. There He met with the pious elder Simeon, who, in fulfillment of the prophecy given to him, could not die before being worthy to see the Savior with his own eyes. This event became a symbolic meeting (in Slavic “meeting”) of a person with God.

Every year on March 25 (April 7) comes the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is also a highly revered twelfth holiday. It is a kind of echo of how God’s messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, appeared before the Virgin Mary and told Her the good news that in the future the Son of God would be born from Her flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit and sent into the world to save people from eternal death, prepared for them by the fall of Adam and Eve.

Transfiguration of the Lord and Dormition of His Mother the Virgin Mary

The next twelfth holiday is the Transfiguration of the Lord. Everyone who is familiar with the text of the Gospel undoubtedly remembers the story of how Jesus Christ, having ascended Mount Tabor with His disciples Peter, John and James, was transformed before them and appeared in the radiance of eternal glory. He strengthened their faith by revealing the divine nature in human nature. The holiday dedicated to this event occurs on August 6 (19). People often call it Apple Savior.

And the last chronologically permanent holiday is the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on August 15 (28). A celebration was established in memory of how, after completing Her earthly journey, the pure and immaculate soul of the Virgin Mary was ascended by Her Son Jesus Christ into the Kingdom of Heaven. This completes the list of immovable twelve feasts of the Orthodox Church.

On the eve of Holy Week

Let us now briefly mention those events of the church year that are chronologically connected with Easter and therefore do not have a fixed date for their celebration. First of all, this is the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The holiday precedes Holy Week. As is clear from the pages of the New Testament, seven days before Easter, Jesus Christ rode into the Holy City riding a donkey, which in itself is a symbol of peace (riding on a horse is a symbol of war). Thus He entered the last stage of His earthly ministry, which ended with the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection from the dead.

Two more moving celebrations

The Ascension of the Lord is the name of the holiday celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. The New Testament says that, having fulfilled His destiny and accomplished everything for which He was sent by the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, in front of the amazed eyes of the astonished apostles, ascended above the earth and disappeared into the cloud that enveloped Him. Previously, He commanded them not to disperse from Jerusalem and, holding together, await the sending of the Holy Spirit on them, which was exactly fulfilled at the time He specified.

Completes the list moving holidays Day of the Holy Trinity. It is also often referred to as Pentecost because it is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Jesus Christ rose from the dead. According to the promise given to the disciples, upon returning to the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father, Jesus sent them the Holy Spirit. This happened in the Zion upper room, where the apostles, together with the Virgin Mary, were awaiting the fulfillment of His words. From time immemorial, this holiday is celebrated with special solemnity, since it is considered a birthday Christian Church, the first primates of which were the holy apostles.

Conclusion

It is important to note that, contrary to a number of individual characteristics, the above holidays have many common features, defining the specifics of the services performed in their honor, as well as the hymnography and iconography related to them. A striking example is the troparia of the twelve holidays, which are complete religious and poetic works, reflecting not only the spiritual mood evoked by the memory of a specific event in Sacred History, but also leading to the heights of communion with God. Many of them are the heritage of Byzantine Orthodoxy and were translated from Greek shortly after the baptism of Rus'.

The same can be said with regard to the icons of the twelve holidays, which are an integral part of Russian Orthodox churches, but in which motifs drawn from the works of Byzantine masters can often be traced. This applies equally to subjects associated with the feasts of the Mother of God, and those that we call “the Lord’s.”

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