Celebrating the Feasts of Faith
Every day of the year the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the great events of Salvation History or of the great men, women, and children who have given witness to their love for God and their Faith. Among these celebrations the 12 Great Feast Days have the highest precedence. On these days we celebrate the Divine Liturgy and come together as a community to become participants in these events of our salvation. It is important as Orthodox Christians to know about these Feasts and to celebrate them with our Parish Families and our own families.
The 12 Great Feasts
Among all these celebrations, 12 have been designated by the Church as "Great Feasts". These Celebrations make us participants in the life of our Lord and his Mother. Naturally the Feast of the Resurrection, Holy Pascha, is the Queen of Feasts and stands above all others. The following is a chart of the 12 Great Feasts:
| Feasts of the Theotokos | Feasts of Christ |
|---|---|
| September 8--Birth of the Theotokos | September 14--Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross |
| November 21--Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple | December 25--Birth of our Lord |
| March 25--Annunciation of the Theotokos | January 6--Theophany (Baptism) |
| August 15--Dormiton of the Theotokos | February 2--The Meeting of our Lord with Symeon in the Temple |
| Palm Sunday--The Entrance into Jerusalem | |
| Holy and Great Friday | |
| 40 Days after Pascha--The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven | |
| August 6--The Transfiguration |
A General Introduction