Orthodox Liturgical Calendar

The holy days of the Greek Orthodox Church are divided into the major or great feast days that commemorate events in the lives of Christ and the Theotokos; and holy days that commemorate the various events in the lives of the saints.

We learn from the Gospels that the time of the death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was during the time of the celebration of the Jewish feast of Passover, which is calculated according to the Old Testament lunar calendar. The Church fathers used the same calculations to produce the Paschal cycle, so the feasts connected with Pascha are movable. All others are celebrated on a specific date and are called immovable feasts.

The immovable great feasts are the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8), the Elevation of the Cross (September 14), the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple (November 21), the (December 25), Theophany (Jannuary 6), the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (February 2), the Annunciation (March 25), the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6), and the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15).

The movable great feasts are the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem, the Ascension of our Lord, Pentecost, and Pascha.

Holy feast days are not just to remember the past. By participating in these feasts each believer draws closer to the experience of the Holy Church, and follows its leadership. Each Christian soul relives the great events of the Gospels and of Church history, and in this way goes through a school of spiritual growth.