The rhythm of Orthodox life
The Liturgical Calendar
A year of feasts, fasts, and prayer: walking with Christ through the seasons of the Church.
The Church year begins on September 1, with Pascha—the Resurrection of Christ—at its heart. The calendar brings the events of salvation into our worship, year after year.
The feast of feasts
Everything leads to Pascha
Pascha is the Orthodox celebration of Easter. It stands above the Twelve Great Feasts. Its date changes each year, and the seasons around it move with it.
Preparation & Great Lent
The pre-Lenten Sundays lead into Great Lent, a season of repentance and renewed prayer.
Holy Week
After Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, we follow Christ through His Passion, burial, and victory over death.
Pascha & Bright Week
The Church proclaims the Resurrection with joy. Bright Week is the week immediately following Pascha.
Ascension & Pentecost
Ascension is celebrated on the fortieth day of Pascha; Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, on the fiftieth.
Fixed feasts return on the same calendar dates; movable feasts follow Pascha. These two cycles meet throughout the year.
Through the church year
The Twelve Great Feasts
These celebrations commemorate Christ and His Mother, the Theotokos (a title meaning “Mother of God”). The movable feasts appear here in their usual place within the year; their dates vary.
- September 8Nativity of the Theotokos
- The birth of Mary, the Mother of God.
- September 14Exaltation of the Holy Cross
- The Cross of Christ, through which life comes to the world.
- November 21Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
- Mary’s dedication to God.
- December 25Nativity of Christ
- The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- January 6Theophany
- Christ’s baptism in the Jordan and the revelation of the Trinity.
- February 2Meeting of the Lord
- Christ is brought to the Temple and received by Simeon and Anna.
- March 25Annunciation
- Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God.
- Sunday before PaschaPalm Sunday
- Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
- Fortieth day of PaschaAscension
- The risen Christ ascends into heaven.
- Fiftieth day of PaschaPentecost
- The Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples.
- August 6Transfiguration
- Christ reveals His glory on Mount Tabor.
- August 15Dormition of the Theotokos
- The falling asleep of the Mother of God.
Dates are shown in the New Calendar reckoning. Orthodox communities using the Old Calendar observe fixed feasts on different civil dates. For local service dates and times, check the parish calendar.
Making room for God
Seasons of fasting
Fasting accompanies prayer, repentance, and generosity. The four principal fasting seasons are:
- Nativity Fast: November 15–December 24, preparing for Christ’s birth.
- Great Lent: the forty-day preparation for Pascha, followed by the distinct observances of Holy Week.
- Apostles’ Fast: from the Monday after All Saints Sunday through June 28. Its length depends on Pascha; in some New Calendar years there is no fasting interval.
- Dormition Fast: August 1–14, before the Dormition of the Theotokos.
Most Wednesdays and Fridays are also fasting days, with exceptions for fast-free periods such as Bright Week. Ask Fr. David for guidance on how to begin and how to keep the fast in your circumstances.
Week by week
Living the church year
Every Sunday celebrates Christ’s Resurrection. The cycle of eight musical tones, daily Scripture readings, and commemorations of saints gives each week its particular character.
You can begin simply: come to Sunday worship, read the day’s Scripture passages, and join a feast-day service. If the names and seasons are unfamiliar, our clergy are happy to help.