Church calendar
Discover what the Church celebrates, why these days matter and how they connect with Scripture.
Today · November 4, 2026
Sources: Patriarchia
Days of remembrance
The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
November 21 on the Julian ecclesiastical calendar; December 4 on the civil calendar.
December 4, 2026
The Nativity of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
December 25 (Julian calendar) — January 7
January 7, 2027
The Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
January 1 on the Julian calendar; January 14 on the civil calendar.
January 14, 2027
The Theophany of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
January 6 (Julian calendar); January 19
January 19, 2027
Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
January 30 on the Julian calendar / February 12 on the civil calendar
February 12, 2027
Dates follow the calendar tradition used by this project. Parishes using the new calendar celebrate fixed feasts on different civil dates.
All entries
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
September 8 on the Julian calendar; September 21 on the civil calendar.
This feast celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary, whom the Church confesses as the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a feast of shared joy, pointing toward God’s saving purpose fulfilled in the coming of Christ.
The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
September 14 (Julian calendar) / September 27
The Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is a great feast dedicated to the Cross of Christ. It brings together the Church’s remembrance of the discovery of the Cross in Jerusalem and its return from Persia.
The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
November 21 on the Julian ecclesiastical calendar; December 4 on the civil calendar.
The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple commemorates the bringing of the three-year-old Virgin Mary to the Jerusalem Temple by her parents, the Righteous Joachim and Anna. The account belongs to the Church’s Holy Tradition and points to the beginning of Mary’s unique service in the mystery of salvation.
The Nativity of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
December 25 (Julian calendar) — January 7
The Nativity of Christ is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. On this day, the Church joyfully remembers the birth in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
The Theophany of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
January 6 (Julian calendar); January 19
Theophany, also called the Baptism of the Lord, celebrates Christ’s Baptism by Saint John the Forerunner. The feast proclaims the revelation of the Holy Trinity and invites the faithful to remember the grace of their own Baptism.
The Meeting of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple
February 2, Julian ecclesiastical calendar / February 15, civil calendar
The Meeting of the Lord commemorates the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple and His encounter with the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna. It is observed on February 2 in the Julian ecclesiastical calendar, corresponding to February 15 in the civil calendar from 1901 through 2099.
The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos
March 25 (Julian calendar) / April 7
The Annunciation celebrates the good news brought by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth. The feast proclaims the Incarnation of the Son of God and Mary’s free, humble acceptance of God’s call.
The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ
August 6 on the Julian calendar; August 19 on the civil calendar in 1901–2099.
The Transfiguration commemorates the Gospel revelation of Christ’s glory to His disciples on the mountain. The feast invites the Church to confess Jesus Christ as the beloved Son of the Father and to seek a life illumined by God.
The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
August 15, Julian calendar / August 28, civil calendar
The Dormition of the Theotokos is one of the great feasts of the Orthodox Church. It is kept on August 15 in the Julian calendar, corresponding to August 28 on the civil calendar in 1901–2099.
The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
October 1, Julian calendar / October 14, civil calendar
The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is a feast of the Mother of God’s intercession for those who pray. In the Russian Church it is kept on October 1 according to the Julian calendar, which corresponds to October 14 on the civil calendar in 1901–2099.
The Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
January 1 on the Julian calendar; January 14 on the civil calendar.
The Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord is observed on the eighth day after the Nativity of Christ. It commemorates Christ’s fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and the giving of the name Jesus.
Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
January 30 on the Julian calendar / February 12 on the civil calendar
This feast joins the commemoration of three great hierarchs of the Church: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. It invites Christians to receive their distinct gifts not as grounds for rivalry, but as a shared witness to faith and unity.
Holy Pascha — The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
The date changes each year; in 2026, Pascha falls on April 12 (civil date).
Holy Pascha is the central feast of the Christian faith, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its services proclaim Christ’s victory over death and invite the faithful into joy, forgiveness, and communion with God.
The Raising of Lazarus (Lazarus Saturday)
Movable feast; in 2026 it falls on April 4.
Lazarus Saturday is observed on the day before Palm Sunday. The Church remembers Christ’s raising of Lazarus in the Gospel and contemplates this event as a confirmation of the universal resurrection.
The Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
The date changes each year; in 2026 it falls on April 5.
Palm Sunday commemorates Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem before His Passion. The feast holds together the joy of welcoming the King and the sober awareness that His path leads through suffering and death to the Resurrection.
Great and Holy Thursday
Movable feast; in 2026 it falls on April 9.
Great and Holy Thursday commemorates Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples and the betrayal of Judas. Its worship holds together the joy of Christ’s self-giving love and the sorrow of human betrayal.
Great and Holy Friday
The date changes each year. In 2026, it falls on April 10.
Great and Holy Friday commemorates the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. It is the most solemn day of Holy Week: the Church grieves before the Cross while keeping watch in hope for Christ’s Resurrection.
Great and Holy Saturday
Movable feast; in 2026 it falls on April 11.
Great and Holy Saturday is the day of Christ’s repose in the tomb, called the Blessed Sabbath by the Church. Its stillness holds together the sorrow of Holy Friday and the approaching joy of Pascha.
Antipascha: Saint Thomas Sunday
Movable feast; in 2026, April 19
Antipascha, also called Saint Thomas Sunday, is observed on the first Sunday after Pascha. Its date changes each year; in 2026 it falls on April 19. The feast recalls Thomas’s certainty in the risen Lord and shows why every Sunday is connected with the Resurrection.
The Ascension of Our Lord
The date changes each year; in 2026 it is celebrated on May 21.
The Ascension of Our Lord proclaims the risen Christ’s ascent to the Father. Celebrated forty days after Pascha, the feast also directs the Church toward Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit to His disciples.
Holy Pentecost
The date changes each year; in 2026 it falls on May 31.
Holy Pentecost celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s disciples and the beginning of the Church’s life in grace. It completes the Paschal season while opening a new way of daily life: receiving in faith the gifts given in Christ, with love, repentance, and hope.
Synaxis of All Saints
The date changes each year; in 2026 it is observed on June 7.
The Sunday after Pentecost is dedicated to all the saints: those known to the Church and those known only to God. The feast celebrates the many ways people have borne witness to Christ through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Sunday of Cheesefare: Expulsion of Adam from Paradise
Movable feast: February 22 in 2026
Sunday of Cheesefare completes the Church’s preparation for Great Lent by recalling the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. In 2026, it falls on February 22. The day invites Christians to begin the fast not merely by changing their food, but by seeking repentance, reconciliation, and renewed communion with God.
The Beginning of Great Lent
Movable observance: in 2026, February 23
Great Lent begins on the Monday after Forgiveness Sunday. It is a time of preparation for Pascha through prayer, repentance, restraint and care for other people.
Third Sunday of Great Lent: Veneration of the Cross
Movable feast: the date changes each year. In 2026, it is observed on March 15.
On the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Church venerates the Cross of Christ. Set in the center of the church during the middle of Lent, the Cross keeps before the faithful Christ’s redemption and the purpose of their Lenten effort.
Saturday of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos
The date changes each year; in 2026 it falls on March 28.
The fifth Saturday of Great Lent is dedicated to the Laudation of the Most Holy Theotokos and to the icon known by that name. The Church gives thanks to God and honors the Mother of the Lord, singing of hope, intercession, and God’s mercy.