Twelfth feast of the Mother of God August 28, 1917 1918. Twelfth feasts of the Orthodox Church - list and iconography

There are quite a few Orthodox holidays in the year, and it is quite difficult for a person not too close to the church to understand them. Now we will talk about the twelve holidays, give their description and dates for the current and next year.

The Twelvers are called Orthodox holidays dedicated to the events of the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. There are twelve of them in total. All of them are considered great and are second in importance only to Easter.

Based on their theme, these holidays are divided into:

Lord's;
Mother of God.

There are also divisions according to the time of celebration:

transient or mobile;
intransient or immovable.

For believers who constantly go to church, the Twelve Feasts are very important. Their significance was predetermined by our ancestors, from the time of the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. In our time, religious, cultural and folk values are intertwined. And in 1920, church holidays were state holidays. The solemnity of these holidays has not been lost to this day.

The twelfth holidays of the Orthodox Church, the essence

The Twelve Festivals, as mentioned above, are twelve major religious events that are celebrated by Christians. Their essence is to remind us of the Virgin Mary of her repentance and sacrifice, of Jesus Christ. All of them are related to decisive moments their lives, from birth to the attainment of eternal peace and tranquility. These days remind us of good deeds in the name of people and goodness.

Twelfth holidays description, briefly

Let us consider all the twelve holidays according to their division into movable and non-movable. So, the non-transitionable ones include:

September 21st arrives. This is the birthday of the Virgin Mary, who was born to elderly but happy parents in Nazareth. She later became the mother of Jesus Christ.

Raising the Cross of the Lord celebrated on September 27. This holiday is dedicated to the cross as a symbol of heaven, eternal life. In addition, the sacrifice of Jesus is associated with the cross; with his act he atoned for the sins of all people on earth.

Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin Mary December 4. It was on this day that Mary first entered the temple as a three-year-old child.

Epiphany or as I also call it Epiphany on January 19th. It is on this day that the appearance of the faces of the Holy Trinity occurs. And the baby Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River under the blessing of God the Father.

Candlemas February, 15. The parents of the Divine Infant brought him to the temple on the fortieth day from his birth, as stated the law of Moses, established in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egyptian lands and liberation from slavery. Because Jesus was the firstborn of his parents, and they were not rich; he was brought to the temple for a rite of dedication to God. It was at this moment that Elder Simeon was in the temple, and his meeting with the baby Jesus Christ took place. Simeon was one of many scribes who translated the Bible from Hebrew back in the 3rd century BC. While working, he saw the lines “The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son.” He wanted to change "Virgo" (virgin) to "Woman". At that moment, an angel appeared to him and told him that Simeon would live until he himself saw the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Annunciation April 7. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit told Mary about the immaculate conception and her birth of the Child of God.

Transfiguration celebrated on August 19th. It was on this day that Christ appeared to his disciples in white shining robes, announcing that all suffering has an end and eternal life awaits everyone who believes in it.

Our Lady of the Assumption Holy Mother of God August 28. A sad and mournful day accompanied by funeral prayers as a consolation and edification to all Christians.

Moving holidays include:

Palm Sunday or Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. It is celebrated a week before Easter. It was on this day that Jesus was welcomed as the savior and image of God on earth. His path was covered with clothes, expecting blessings and salvation from suffering.

Ascension of the Lord celebrated 40 days after Easter. The holiday is dedicated to the end of Christ's earthly life and his ascension to heaven to God.

The Holy Trinity celebrated on the Sunday after 50 days from Easter. It is believed that God has three faces:

God is the father;
God is a son;
Holy Spirit.

Even in prayers all three hypostases of God are mentioned. The essence of this holiday is to express gratitude to God for the revival and maintenance of life, for giving strength to all people. On the day of the Holy Trinity, people go to church and pray to cleanse their souls of all bad things and find peace and love. In addition, they made amulets and placed them at home. Before the Trinity follows Parents' Saturday when it is customary to remember deceased relatives and loved ones.

Since the date of Easter changes every year, therefore the last three holidays are called moving (the dates are different every year).

Twelfth holidays calendar 2018

Dates of the twelve holidays for the current year. First, let's recall the dates of non-transitionable holidays, and after them we will indicate the transferable ones. So, holidays whose dates do not change:

Christmas Christ's Jan. 7;
Baptism(Epiphany) January 19;
Candlemas February, 15;
Annunciation April 7
Preofermentation Lord August 19;
DormitionHoly Mother of God August 28;
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 21;
Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 27;
Introduction to the TempleMother of God December 4.

Moving holidays this year will be:

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem April 1;
Ascension Our Lord's May 17;
Trinity May 27.

Now you know exact dates holidays.

Twelfth holidays calendar 2019

Next year 2019, the moving holidays will fall on the following dates:

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem April 21;
Ascension of the Lord June 6;
Trinity June 16.

Fixed holidays do not change their dates, so we will not repeat them. They can be viewed in the previous paragraph.

Icons of the Twelfth Holidays

Each Orthodox holiday has its own icon. Now let's present these icons with a brief description of each.

Icon of the Nativity of Christ. It depicts the born baby Jesus with his mother the Virgin Mary. Three kings (Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar) present gifts to the baby, and the angel holds a guiding book in his hands. Star of Bethlehem. The icon is very beautiful and peaceful.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

Icon of the Annunciation. It is dedicated to the meeting of the Virgin Mary with Archangel Gabriel, who brought her good news about the birth of her son, the Most High. And they will call him Jesus.

Ascension of the Lord

Icon of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The icon tells about the miraculous birth of Mary to her parents Joachim and Anna. Anna was barren and this upset her husband. But God's provision helped them find a daughter.

Icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. It depicts the moment of the departure of the Mother of God from earthly life to eternal life.

Icon of the Holy Trinity. One of famous icons, on which you can see God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room of Zion. According to legend, Abraham saw three travelers on the road. In one of them he recognized God and honored them. He sat them down in the shade of an oak tree, fed and watered them.

IconTransfiguration. The icon depicts Jesus in rays of light and his disciples, whom the Almighty called to pray on Mount Tabor. It is in the environment of Peter, John and James that the appearance of the face takes place

Icon of the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary. The icon depicts three-year-old Mary coming to the temple for the first time with her parents. This event is important stage her life, which will smoothly lead her to the birth of the Infant God.

Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. It depicts the moment when the Mother of God and the disciples of Christ gathered to celebrate the holiday of Pentecost. this event dedicated to the receipt of the Pentateuch of Moses by the Jewish people at Sinai. Everyone present was praying when suddenly fire flew into the room and wind was heard. The fire entered everyone and filled them with the Holy Spirit. After this event, Christ's disciples gained an understanding of his faith and the gift of preaching it.

Icon of the Baptism of the Lord. It depicts the moment of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River and the moment of the appearance of God.

Icon of the Exaltation of the Cross. It depicts the Patriarch with a raised cross, supported by Deacons. By right side From the Patriarch are depicted Tsar Constantine and his mother Elena. It was during the reign of Constantine that the cross was found. Elena led the search for the lost cross.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord. On it is written the incident when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple for the first time. The moment of Simeon's meeting with God is captured. Meeting is a good event, symbolizing the meeting of all people in the form of an old man with God.

What Orthodox Christians can and cannot do on the Twelve Feasts

Orthodox people should observe certain rules on church holidays. And this is precisely what concerns all kinds of prohibitions. This is due to the establishment of Christianity in Rus', when peasants had to be lured to the temple. They were afraid of God's punishment.

Since then, on Orthodox holidays it is prohibited:

swear;
cleaning and doing handicrafts;
wash and wash;
work in the garden.

The current church does not prohibit working on Sunday or an Orthodox holiday, because now there are many professions that do not allow interruption of work on such days. Therefore, the holiday should be spent with prayer, kindness and good deeds.

This article talks about the Twelve Feasts. Is given them short description, the dates of holidays for the current year and for 2019 are given. After reading the information presented, you will learn about the holiday, its history and the icon corresponding to it. In addition, you will know what you can and cannot do on Christian holidays. Love and goodness to you.

4 What is the twelfth holiday?

5 What holidays are the twelve?

6 What holidays are called great?

7 How to celebrate church holidays?

8 What does the “pre-celebration” and “giving away” of the holiday mean?

9 Is it possible for Orthodox Christians to celebrate Valentine's Day?

10 Do believers celebrate their birthday?

11 What does the “holiday” of March 8 mean?

Why are church holidays established?

Holidays are established to remember the benefits of God and to give thanks to God for them. Taking one away from the bustle of everyday affairs and paying attention to the spiritual, holidays revive and deepen faith, cultivate the spirit of piety, and strengthen one in life by faith.

What is the biggest church holiday?

Easter - the Resurrection of Christ - “holidays, Feast and Triumph of celebrations.” “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14).

What does the word "Easter" mean?

The word “Passover” translated from Hebrew means “transition, deliverance.” Celebrating the Old Testament Passover, Jews remembered the liberation of their ancestors from Egyptian slavery and the transition to the Promised Land. Celebrating New Testament Easter, Christians celebrate the deliverance of all mankind from slavery to sin and the granting of eternal life and bliss through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What is the twelfth holiday?

These are twelve (“twelve” in Slavic) great (big) holidays dedicated to the memory of events associated with earthly life Lord Jesus Christ and Mother of God, and having a fateful significance in the history of mankind.

What holidays are the Twelfth?

These are eight holidays dedicated to the Lord and four holidays dedicated to the Mother of God (dates are given according to the old/new style):

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8/21),
Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (September 14/27),
Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (November 21/December 4), Nativity of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ (December 25/January 07),
Epiphany (Epiphany) (06/19 January),
Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ (02/15 February),
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25/April 7),
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) (7 days before Easter),
Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ (on the 40th day after Easter),
Trinity Day (Pentecost) (on the 50th day after Easter),
Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ (06/19 August),
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15/28).

What holidays are called great?

Great holidays:

Circumcision of the Lord (01/14 January),
Nativity of the Honest Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John (June 24/July 7),
Glorious and all-validated Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29/July 12),
Beheading of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John (August 29/September 11),
Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (October 01/14).

How to celebrate church holidays?

On church holidays, you need to reduce all external affairs to a minimum in order to devote yourself to prayer and spiritual experience of the sacred event being celebrated.

These days should be dedicated to God: if possible, attend church services (preferably confession and communion), after church pray at home, read Holy Bible and the works of the holy fathers, do works of mercy (for example, visit the lonely, sick, prisoners, feed the poor).

You cannot work on holidays unless absolutely necessary. The holiday should be cherished and honored.

What does “pre-celebration” and “giving away” of the holiday mean?

In the church celebration of great holidays, one should distinguish between the day of the holiday itself and the days of the pre-celebration, post-celebration and giving away of the holiday.

During the days of the forefeast, the Church prepares believers for a worthy celebration of the holiday with prayers and chants in honor of the upcoming holiday.

The days of after-feast constitute a continuation of the holiday. These days, the Church remembers and glorifies the event of the former holiday.

The last day of the post-feast is called the day of the celebration of the holiday and differs from the days of the post-feast in the greater solemnity of the divine service, because it contains most prayers and chants of the holiday itself.

Can Orthodox Christians celebrate Valentine's Day?

The transfer of this holiday to Orthodox soil is not harmless, as it is often used as a reason for promoting debauchery. Orthodox Christians have their own holidays and days of remembrance of saints glorified by the Orthodox Church. The name Valentin means strong in Latin. The Orthodox Church has glorified as saints several ascetics of faith, piety and martyrs who gave their lives for Christ, bearing this name. The days of their memory are indicated in Orthodox church calendar.

Do believers celebrate their birthday?

Yes, they do. Life is God's great gift. Earthly life is given to man to prepare for eternal life. Orthodox believers turn to God on their birthday prayers of thanksgiving for the past years and try on this day to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Covered and festive table for treating family, friends and relatives.

What does the “holiday” of March 8th mean?

An outrage against the religious feelings of believers, since usually on this day there is already Lent and celebration " women's day“almost always falls on the evening service on the eve of the first and second finding of the head of John the Baptist, when the Church again remembers the martyrdom of the Baptist of Christ, the cause of which was female licentiousness, vindictiveness and deceit.

The anti-Christian orientation of “International Women’s Day March 8” was obvious at the time of its inception. This later human desire for comfort and homely joys gave him attractive features. And initially this day was conceived by Clara Zetkin precisely as a holiday of militant atheists, comrades in the revolutionary struggle, “liberated” women - freed from the duty of wife and mother, from chastity and modesty, from gentleness and kindness.

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 generally 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 the Church calendar consists entirely of holidays, since every day one or another event is remembered and the memory of one or another saint is celebrated.

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

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

What holidays are there in Christianity?

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

Easter(Resurrection of Christ) is the main holiday.
Twelfth holidays- 12 holidays that remind of the main events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Some of them are reflected in the texts of the New Testament (the Gospel or the Acts of the Apostles), and some (the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord) are taken from Church Tradition. Most of them have a specific date of celebration, but some depend on the date of Easter. We tell you more about each Twelfth holiday below.
Five Great Non-Twelfth Holidays. Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great; Christmas of St. John the Baptist; Memory of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Any Sunday of the year- as a direct reminder of the Resurrection of Christ.
Middle Holidays: Days of remembrance of each of the Twelve Apostles; Finding the honest head of John the Baptist; Days of remembrance of Saints John Chrysostom and Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste. Memory of the Vladimir and Kazan icons of the Mother of God. In addition, the average holiday for each temple is its Patronal 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 vernal equinox on March 21

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 - holy righteous Joachim and Anna - brought her to the Jerusalem Temple, in the Holy of Holies of which she lived until her betrothal to Joseph. All these years she was fed with food from heaven, which was brought to her by the Archangel Gabriel.

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

Nativity

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

This is the most important holiday in Orthodoxy after the Resurrection of Christ.

Epiphany

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

Icon of the Baptism of the Lord

Presentation of the Lord

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

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

And so it became.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday

When is it celebrated: the nearest Sunday before Easter

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

Ascension of the Lord

When is it celebrated: 40th day after Easter

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

Day of the Holy Trinity

When is it celebrated: 50th day after Easter

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

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

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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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 that we had special meaning 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, by their status, the most important events of the church year and, due to a number of their features, are divided into certain categories. First of all, they are usually divided into the Lord's - established in memory of the most striking events of the Savior's earthly life, and the Theotokos - 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 important event in the life of the church is celebrated - 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 greatest event in the history of mankind - incarnations from earthly Virgo 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 this day humanity began counting down new era of your existence, and that's all historical events began to be divided into those that occurred before the Nativity of Christ (R.H.) and after it.

Also important place Among the twelve holidays is the Epiphany of the Lord, 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

On February 2 (15) comes the turn of another twelfth church holiday - the 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 with His disciples Peter, John and James to Mount Tabor, was transformed before them and appeared in radiance eternal glory. He strengthened their faith by revealing human nature divine 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). So He entered final stage 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.

The list of moving holidays ends with Trinity Day. 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 that determine the specifics of the services performed in their honor, as well as the hymnography and iconography related to them. A striking example The troparia of the twelve holidays can serve as 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.”

In Orthodoxy, there are twelve most significant holidays - these are a dozen especially important events of the church calendar, in addition to the main holiday - the great event of Easter. Find out which holidays are called twelve and are most solemnly celebrated by believers.

Twelfth Moving Holidays

There are fickle holiday numbers in the church calendar, which turn out to be different every year, just like the date of Easter. It is with this that the transition of an important event to another date is associated.

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

Day of the Holy Trinity. Falls on the 50th day after the end Great Easter. 50 days after the resurrection of the Savior, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles.

Twelfth Feasts

Some especially important days in the church calendar remain fixed and are celebrated at the same time every year. Regardless of Easter, these celebrations always fall on the same date.

Birth of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The holiday is celebrated on September 21 and is dedicated to the birth of the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. The Church is convinced that the birth of the Mother of God was not an accident. She was initially assigned a special mission to save human souls. The parents of the Heavenly Queen, Anna and Joachim, who could not conceive a child for a long time, were sent by providence from Heaven, where the angels themselves blessed them to conceive.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of the Virgin Mary's ascension into heaven on August 28th. The Assumption Fast, which ends on the 28th, is timed to coincide with this event. Until her death, the Mother of God spent her time in constant prayer and observed the strictest abstinence.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Christians celebrate this event associated with the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross on September 27. In the 4th century, the Palestinian queen Helen went in search of the Cross. Three crosses were dug up near the Holy Sepulcher. They truly identified the one on which the Savior was crucified, with the help of a sick woman who found healing from one of them.
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple, celebrated on December 4. It was at this time that her parents made a vow to dedicate their child to God, so that when their daughter was three years old, they would take her to the Jerusalem Temple, where she stayed until her reunion with Joseph.
Nativity . Orthodox Christians celebrate this godly event on January 7th. The day is associated with the earthly birth of the Savior in the flesh, from his mother the Virgin Mary.

Epiphany. The event falls on January 19 every year. On that very day, John the Baptist washed the Savior in the waters of the Jordan and pointed out the special mission that was destined for him. For which the righteous man subsequently paid with his head. The holiday is otherwise called Epiphany.
Meeting of the Lord. The holiday takes place on February 15th. Then the parents of the future Savior brought the divine baby to the Jerusalem Temple. The child was received from the hands of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph by the righteous Semeon the God-Receiver. Co Old Slavonic language the word “meeting” is translated as “meeting.”
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated on April 7 and dedicated to the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. It was he who announced to her the imminent birth of a son who would perform a great deed.
Transfiguration of the Lord. The day falls on August 19th. Jesus Christ read a prayer on Mount Tabor together with his closest disciples: Peter, Paul and James. At that moment, two prophets Elijah and Moses appeared to them and informed the Savior that he would have to accept martyrdom, but he will resurrect three days later. And they heard the voice of God, which indicated that Jesus had been chosen for a great work. This twelfth Orthodox holiday is associated with such an event.

Each of the 12 holidays is important event in Christian history and is especially revered among believers. These days it is worth turning to God and visiting church. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and don't forget to press the buttons and

15.09.2015 00:30

Orthodox Trinity - great holiday Christian. This holiday is as important as Christmas and Easter. ...