December 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Dec. 25 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - Dec. 27

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 8 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.[note 1]

For December 26th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 13.

Feasts

Saints

Pre-schism Western saints

Post-schism Orthodox saints

New martyrs and confessors

Other commemorations

Icons

Icon gallery

Notes

  1. ↑ The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian Calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
    The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
  2. ↑ On the day after the Nativity of Christ we celebrate the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos, and come together to give her glory and praise. This is the second day of the three day Winter Pascha.[2]
  3. ↑ The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos: On the second day of the feast, the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated. Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the Incarnation was made possible. His humanity—concretely and historically—is the humanity He received from Mary. His body is, first of all, her body. His life is her life. This feast, the assembly in honor of the Theotokos, is probably the most ancient feast of Mary in the Christian tradition, the very beginning of her veneration by the Church.[4]
  4. ↑ "In Mesopotamia, St. Archelaus, a bishop celebrated for learning and sanctity."[7]
  5. ↑ "At Majuma, St. Zeno, bishop."[7]
  6. ↑ St Euthymius is also commemorated on March 8.[11] In certain Synaxaria his memory is also celebrated on October 11.[10]
  7. ↑ A priest chosen as Pope of Rome in 259, he restored the Roman Church after the persecution of Valerian, opposed Sabellius and condemned Paul of Samosata.
  8. ↑ "At Rome, St. Marinus, senator. In the time of the emperor Numerian and the prefect Marcian, he was arrested for the Christian religion, racked and torn with iron hooks like a slave, then thrown into a burning pan; but being delivered because the fire became like dew, he was exposed to the beasts without being injured by them, and finally being led again to the altar, the idols of which toppled over at his prayer, he was struck with the sword, and thus obtained the triumph of martyrs.[7]
  9. ↑ A hermit who settled in Glamorgan in Wales where he founded a monastery called St Athan's.[15]
  10. ↑ "TATHAI, sometimes called TATHAR, and in Latin ATHEUS, was a native of Ireland, who came to Britain in order to leave all he had in the world, and lead a solitary life. It appears that he first lived as a hermit in the mountains of Wales, but afterwards established a monastery at Llantathan. From thence he was invited by Caradoc, King of Gwent, to make his abode at Caergwent, or Chepstow, in which place he is said to have founded a school and college. It is doubtful in which of these places he closed his holy life, but his memory was held in great veneration in England as well as in Wales."[16]
  11. ↑ At Rome, St. Theodore, sacristan of St. Peter's church, who is mentioned by Pope Gregory.[7]
  12. ↑ The Moscow Patriarchate authorized local veneration of the Optina Elders on June 13, 1996, glorifying them for universal veneration on August 7, 2000.[19]
  13. ↑ "The Three Joys" is possibly of western origin, since it depicts the Mother of God, Christ, and St Joseph together. Normally, St Joseph is not depicted in close proximity with the Virgin and Child, since he was not Christ's earthly father. In the icon of the Nativity, for example, St Joseph is not part of the scene within the cave.[22]
  14. ↑ The Icon of the Mother of God, named the "Merciful" ("Kykkiotisa", "Milostivaya"): This icon was written, according to tradition, by the holy Evangelist Luke. It received its name "Kykkiotisa" from Mount Kykkos, on the Island of Cyprus. Here it was situated in an imperial monastery, in a church named after it.
  15. ↑ There are at least four distinct types of the "Blessed Womb" Icon. The Barlov Icon is a variant of the Hodigitria Icon. It appeared on December 26, 1392, and it is in the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow.[25]
  16. ↑ The BAYBUZSKAYA icon of the Mother of God - is commemorated on December 26, commemorating the transfer of the miraculous image of Baybuz Kiev province, Chigirinsky county, in place of its appearance, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where the image is located to this day. (Russian): БАЙБУЗСКАЯ икона Божией Матери - празднование ее 26-го декабря, в память перенесения чудотворного образа из Байбуз Киевской губ., Чигиринского уезда, на место ее явления, в Киево-Печерскую лавру, где образ находится и доныне.[26]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 December 26/January 8. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Second Day of the Nativity of our Lord. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  3. ↑ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Σύναξις Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  5. ↑ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Ἡ Φυγὴ Στὴν Αἴγυπτο τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 January 8 / December 26. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. pp.397–398.
  8. ↑ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Εὐάρεστος. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  9. ↑ Venerable Evarestus of the Studion Monastery. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Εὐθύμιος ὁ Ὁμολογητής. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Hieromartyr Euthymius the Bishop of Sardis. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 12.10 (Russian) 26 декабря (ст.ст.) 8 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).
  13. ↑ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  14. ↑ Venerable Constantine of Synnada. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 December 26. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
  16. ↑ Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. p.608.
  17. ↑ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Κωνστάντιος ὁ Νέος Ἱερομάρτυρας ὁ Ρῶσος. 26 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). pp.2–3.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Venerable Isaac II of Optina. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  20. ↑ Icon of the Mother of God of "Vilna". OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  21. ↑ "Vilen-Ostrabramsk" Icon of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Icon of the Mother of God "the Three Joys". OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  23. ↑ "The Three Joys" Icon of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
  24. ↑ "Merciful" Icon of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Icon of the Mother of God "the Blessed Womb". OCA - Feasts and Saints.
  26. ↑ (Russian) Байбузская - Православная энциклопедия.

Sources

Greek Sources

Russian Sources