Celebrate the Feast Days
Celebrate the Feasts
One of the distinctive features of Orthodox Christianity is its emphasis on celebrating the feast days of the Church during the liturgical year. Orthodox Christians know that the feasts are timeless and significant to our personal growth in the faith. On this page you will find several resources with their and ordering information. We have also prepared “standup centerpieces” for each feast. These can be printed on ordinary paper, or on heavier paper for better quality.
Table of Contents for Celebrate the Feasts
The Liturgical Year
Dates for the Feasts and Fasts
Centerpiece Stand-ups
Resources
Additional resources for feastdays can be found on page 14 of Phyllis Onest’s Yellow Pages. www.phyllisonest.com then tab “Resources.”
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Click the links below to download age appropriate pages in PDF format:
K-1 Where is the Cross of Jesus
Grades 2-3 Searching for the Cross of Jesus
Grades 4-5 Finding the True Cross
MS and HS Exalting the True Cross
Click here to get Adobe Acrobat Reader
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The Liturgical Year
The Liturgical Year
The total of all our common tasks during a year in the Church is called the “liturgical year." The church year formally begins September 1. While monasteries can celebrate all services, most parishes follow a weekly cycle that includes Vespers, Matins or Orthros, and the Divine Liturgy. The Church year offers festive times for celebration and also quiet times for fasting and reflection. These special fasting and feasting periods are part of our life in the Church over the course of a year. There are twelve major feast days of the Church which are universally celebrated.
Dates for Feasts and Fasts
Dates for the Feasts and Fasts
Feasts (excerpted from Hopko, Worship): September 8 The Nativity of Mary the Theotokos September 14 The Exaltation of the Cross November 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple December 25 The Nativity of Christ January 6 Theophany: The Baptism of Christ February 2 The Meeting of Christ in the Temple March 25 The Annunciation August 6 The Transfiguration of Christ August 15 The Dormition of the Theotokos
The feasts whose dates are movable are from the paschal cycle: · The feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem · The feast of the Lord’s Ascension · The feast of Pentecost Pascha is not counted among the twelve major feasts of the Church since it is considered by itself as “the feast of feasts.” Fasts In addition to the ascetic fasts every Wednesday and Friday, the Church sets apart four periods of fasting. The fasting periods of preparation, which have come down to us from the ancient Church, reveal the feast days that were of great importance from the beginning of our Church: the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, who were, respectively, the Apostles to the Jews and the Gentiles; the Nativity of Our Lord; Pascha; and the Dormition of the Theotokos. · Nativity Fast: Begins: November 14; Ends: December 25 · The Great Fast: Begins: Forty days before Holy Week; Ends: Holy Week · Saints Peter and Paul: Begins: One week after Pentecost; Ends: June 29 · Dormition Fast: Begins: Aug. 1; Ends: Aug. 14
Centerpiece Stand-ups
Feast Day “Stand-up Centerpieces”
For Orthodox Christians, commemorating a feast means being present to the event, as it is happening “today.” The feasts are invitations to reflect on our own faith, for example, the acclamation of Christ as king recalled at the feast of the Entrance of our Lord into
Jerusalem, calls us to reflect on whether He is indeed our king and our God. Church services will be scheduled for each feast. To supplement the services, you may choose to download a centerpiece, below, and recite the troparion for the feast as part of prayers before meals, or in the morning and evening. In addition, the centerpieces have a line-art icon and explanation of the feast.
Follow the instructions on each page.
The Nativity of Mary the Theotokos
The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple
Theophany: The Baptism of Christ
The Meeting of Christ in the Temple
The Dormition of the Theotokos
The feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem
The feast of the Lord’s Ascension
Resources
Resources
The Twelve Great Feasts for Children
The Twelve Great Feasts for Children is a series of books written by Sister Elayne and illustrated by Bonnie Gillis. Each book explains the feast day in rhyming verse that will both entertain and educate. The first page of each book contains the troparion of the feast day and the date on which it is celebrated. These five-by-seven-inch paperback books are small enough to fit into a purse or tote bag to keep young children occupied in church. The full-color illustrations will familiarize the child with the imagery and themes associated with each feast. The older child will enjoy reading the simple, psalm-like poems.
Reviewed by Rosemary Shumski,
Administrative Assistant
Department of Christian Education
To order the Twelve Great Feasts for Children
When on site, tab:
- Books
- Books for Children (right side)
Come Bless the Lord Icon Packet
Forty glossy colored icons are printed on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and come with an explanation of the event or person depicted. The major feastdays are included. These are useful for framing when the feastdays are celebrated, and are a valuable supplement to any educational effort. The packet is available through the Archdiocesan Bookstore (201) 871-1355, for $15.
Included in the eighty 8 x 10 inch full-color pictures are several in the category, “Feast Days and Services.” The text and activities printed on the reverse side provide an explanation of the picture, and encourage further study. The three other categories are: Sacraments, Great Lent and Pascha, and the Divine Liturgy. Available from the Archdiocesan Bookstore (201) 871-1355, for $35 plus shipping and handling.
A Way of Life: Introducing Your Child to the Orthodox Faith
The coloring book is an educational resource for preschool and higher grades as it offers line art of 25 icons, and explanations of each. Available for $6. from the Antiochian Bookstore (201) 871-1355. Celebrations: Feasts and Holy Days
In this text for high school students, the liturgical year is presented with description and background for the feasts. The teacher manual offers cooperative learning options. Pupil text, $8.75, teacher, $10. The text is black and white, so it is recommended that the Come Bless the Lord Icon Packet (see above) supplement the presentation. Available from the Antiochian Bookstore (201) 871-1355.