There are 12 twelfth holidays

in the church calendar

.

All of them are divided according to their content into the Lord's (that is, those that glorify Jesus Christ) and the Virgin (those that glorify the Virgin Mary).

Three of them are transitional — that is, their dates change from year to year, depending on when believers celebrate Easter.

The other nine are called intransitive, they always remain in the number.

Orthodox calendar for 2023: transitional and non-transitional twelfth holidays

Transitional Orthodox twelfth holidays of 2023

will be:

  • Palm Sunday

    or the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem - April 9;

  • Ascension of the Lord

    - May 25;

  • The Day of the Holy Trinity

    (Green Holidays, Pentecost) — June 4.

Non-transitional twelfth holidays of 2023

:

  • Christmas

    - January 7 (December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar);

  • Epiphany

    or Baptism of the Lord - January 19;

  • Meeting of the Lord

    - February 15;

  • Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

    - April 7;

  • Transfiguration of the Lord

    - August 19;

  • Assumption of the Virgin Mary

    - August 28;

  • Nativity of the Mother of God

    - September 21;

  • Exaltation of the Lord's Cross

    - September 27;

  • Entry into the Church of the Holy Mother of God

    - December 4.

Church calendar of 2023: major Orthodox holidays

Orthodox calendar 2023 / Photo: pixabay.com

In addition to the twelfth holidays, there are other major events in the Orthodox calendar.

In particular, in 2023, believers will celebrate:

  • Circumcision of the Lord

    - January 14;

  • Christmas of John the Baptist

    - July 7;

  • Saints Peter and Paul

    - July 12;

  • Beheading of John the Baptist

    - September 11;

  • Intercession of the Holy Mother of God

    - October 14.

What fasts and when are waiting for believers in 2023

In 2023, the faithful are waiting for multi-day, one-day fasts, as well as so-called solid weeks (when there is no fast at all, even on Wednesday and Friday).

Multi-day fasts

of 2023:

  • Great Lent

    - from February 27 to April 15;

  • Peter's fast

    - from June 12 to July 11;

  • Assumption fast

    - from August 14 to 27;

  • Christmas Lent 2023-2024

    - from November 28, 2023 to January 6, 2024.

One-day fasts

of 2023:

  • Epiphany Eve

    — January 18;

  • Beheading of John the Baptist

    - September 11;

  • Exaltation of the Holy Cross

    - September 27.

Also Wednesdays and Fridays, except for solid weeks and major holidays.

Solid weeks

when there is no fasting:

  • Holidays

    - from January 7 to 17;

  • Publican and Pharisee week

    - from February 6 to 12;

  • Shrovetide

    (Cheese Week) - from February 20 to 26;

  • Easter

    (Holy Week) - from April 17 to 23;

  • Trinity week

    - from June 5 to 11.

Commemorative days of 2023: calendar

Church calendar: memorial days / Photo: pixabay.com

  • Ecumenical Father's Saturday

    (meat-free) — February 18;

  • Saturday of the second week of Great Lent

    — March 11;

  • Saturday of the third week of Great Lent

    - March 18;

  • Saturday of the fourth week of Great Lent

    - March 25;

  • Radonytsia

    — April 25;

  • Commemoration of dead soldiers

    - May 9;

  • Trinity Father's Saturday

    - June 3;

  • Dimitrov Father's Saturday

    — October 28.

Orthodox calendar for 2023: church holidays for each month

January

  • January 6 – Christmas Eve.

    The end of the Christmas fast;

  • January 7 - Christmas.

    The beginning of the Holidays;

  • January 8 – Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God;

  • January 14, 2023 - Circumcision of the Lord.

    Saint Basil's Day;

  • January 17 – the last day of the Holidays;

  • January 18 – Epiphany Eve.

    Fast day;

  • January 19 – Holy Epiphany.

    Baptism of the Lord;

  • January 29 - Zacchaeus Week.

February

  • February 5 - Week about the tax collector and the Pharisee;

  • February 6 - The beginning of the solid week of the tax collector and the Pharisee;

  • February 12 - the Week of the prodigal son, the last day of the whole week of the tax collector and the Pharisee;

  • February 15 - the meeting of the Lord;

  • February 18 - World meat-free Saturday;

  • February 19 - Last Judgment Week;

  • February 20 - the first day of Shrove Tuesday (Cheese Week).

  • February 26 – the last day of Shrovetide (Cheese Week), the memory of Adam's exile, Forgiven Sunday;

  • February 27 - the beginning of Great Lent.

March

  • March 5 – Solemnity of Orthodoxy;

  • March 11 – Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent;

  • March 12 – Week of the 2nd Great Lent, Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki;

  • March 18 – Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent;

  • March 19 – Week of the 3rd Lent;

  • March 25 – Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent;

  • March 26 – Week of the 4th Great Lent.

April

  • April 2 - Week 5 of the Great Lent;

  • April 7 – Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God;

  • April 8 – Lazarus Saturday;

  • April 9 – The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday);

  • April 10 – Great Monday;

  • April 11 – Great Tuesday;

  • April 12 - Holy Wednesday;

  • April 13 - Maundy Thursday.

    The Last Supper;

  • April 14 – Good Friday.

    Crucifixion of Christ;

  • April 15 - Great Saturday.

    The last day of Lent;

  • April 16 - Easter - Bright Resurrection of Christ;

  • April 17 – the first day of Easter week;

  • April 23 – the last day of Easter week;

  • April 25 - Radonytsia;

  • April 30 – Week 3 after Easter.

May

  • May 7 – the 4th week after Easter;

  • May 14 – Week 5 after Easter;

  • May 21 – Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, 6th week after Easter;

  • May 22 – St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myr Lykia, miracle worker;

  • May 25 – Ascension of the Lord;

  • May 28 – Week 7 after Easter.

June

  • June 3 – Trinity Saturday;

  • June 4 – Holy Trinity Day, Pentecost;

  • June 5 – the Day of the Holy Spirit, the first day of Trinity week;

  • June 11 – the 1st week after Pentecost, the last day of the Trinity week;

  • June 12 - the beginning of Peter's fast;

  • June 18 – Week 2 after Pentecost.

July

  • July 7 – Nativity of John the Baptist;

  • July 11 – the last day of Peter's fast;

  • July 12 – Apostles Peter and Paul (Peter and Paul Day).

August

  • August 14 – the first day of Assumption Lent;

  • August 19 – Transfiguration of the Lord (Apple Savior);

  • August 27 – the last day of the Dormition fast;

  • August 28 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

September

  • September 11 – Beheading of John the Baptist, Fast Day;

  • September 21 – Nativity of the Holy Mother of God;

  • September 27 – Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

    Fast day.

October

  • October 7 – Intercession Saturday;

  • October 9 – Apostle and evangelist John the Theologian;

  • October 14 – Intercession of the Holy Mother of God.

November

  • November 4 – Dmitriv memorial Saturday;

  • November 18 – St. Michael's Saturday;

  • November 28 - the beginning of the Christmas fast.

December

  • December 4 – Introduction to the Church of the Holy Mother of God;

  • December 19 is the Day of St. Nicholas, Archbishop Myr of Lycia, miracle worker.