ORLAPUBS P. R104: RANKING OF FESTIVALS

Holy days are festivals, days of feasting, or fast days. ("Festival" is ancient Greek paneyýris [paniyýri in Modern Greek].) Aside from holy Great Pascha, the Festival of the Resurrection, there are twelve great festivals, none having to fall on a Lordsday except the Entry in Jerusalem (Palm Lordsday) and holy Pentecost; they begin with Vespers of the preceding day, whereas fasts run from midnight to either midnight or to the Vespers of a festival day. (Holy Great Friday requires no eating or drinking till the services are over. SEE HERE.) The Triodion begins on the Lordsday of the Publican & Pharisee (the tenth Lordsday before holy Pascha) and includes all of the Great Fast, concluding with holy Great Sabbath. Note that Clean Week (Clean Monday, etc.) is the first week of holy Great Lent; Renewal Week or Radiant Week (Radiant Monday, etc.) is the week immediately following holy glorious Pascha. Radiant (or Bright) Week is (especially in Greek: Diakainésimos "renewal"--an adjective) also called Renewal Week or the Week of the New Creation.

THE HOUR SERVICES (OFFICES)

The Night Office (around midnight)

1. Orthros (daybreak or Lauds)
2. First Hour (originally at 0600)
3. Third Hour (originally at 0900)
4. Sixth Hour (originally at noon)
5. Ninth Hour (originally at 1500, now often just after lunch)
6. Vespers (in the later afternoon, by sundown)
7. Compline (the bedtime office)

In practice, the night office is combined with the Orthros and called Mat(t)ins--to make a total of seven daily Hours. The Vigil of a greater festival (including all Lordsdays) combines Great Vespers, sometimes a special Litany and blessed Bread, Great Compline, and Mattins into a single long evening service. Days having a vigil begin with Vespers on the preceding evening. Daytime Hours (counted from six o'clock a.m. as the first Hour) are now often combined in various ways; e.g. the sixth and ninth Hours may be sung in immediate succession after lunch, with the third Hour (originally conceived of for nine o'clock in the morning ) immediately preceding lunch. Note that the sixth and sixth Hours mark the beginning and end of the time spent by our Savior on the Life-Giving Cross. Other offices are frequently sung in groups instead of at their original times; thus, one may hear the third hour just before lunch and the sixth and ninth hours right after lunch. These last two Hours embrace the time that OLGS Jesus Christ was suspended on the precious and life-giving Cross. During holy Great Week, the irrational practice of "anticipating" the services prevails: Vespers is sung in the morning and the next day's Orthros is sung in the evening.

The ecclesiastical year begins on Sept. 1, the Day of the Indiction. In temporal order, the twelve great festivals in addition to holy glorious Pascha are:

1. The Birthday of our all-holy Sovereign Lady Theotokos (Sep. 8)
2. The Elevation (or Exaltation) of the Venerable and Life-Giving
       Cross (Sep. 14)
3. The Presentation in the Temple of the all-holy Theotokos (Dec. 21)
4.  The Birthday (Incarnation) of OLGS Jesus Christ (Dec. 25)
5. The Theophany and Baptism of OLGS Jesus Christ (Jan. 6; except
       for its date, it is almost wholly unlike the Latin Epiphany)
6. The Meeting of OLGS Jesus Christ in the Temple (Feb. 2)
7. The Annunciation of the all-holy Sovereign Lady Theotokos (Apr. 25)
8.  The Entry of OLGS Jesus Christ in Jerusalem
        (The Lordsday preceding holy Great Week; Palm Lordsday)
9. The Ascension to Heaven of OLGS Jesus Christ (the 40th day of
        Pascha)
10.  Holy Pentecost or Trinity Lordsday (the 50th day of Pascha, which
       especially celebrates the all-holy Spirit)
11. The Transfiguration of OLGS Jesus Christ (Aug. 6)
12. The Repose (or Dormition or Falling Asleep) of the all-holy Theotokos
       (Aug. 15)

Four (or, in some jurisdictions, five) of the major Festivals are of the Theotokos; the remainder are festivals of the Savior, though Pentecost (the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples) Lordsday commemorates the all-holy Trinity (the Monday following comments the Paraclete Himself). The Elevation or Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross is less of a festival (feast) than a fast-day (SEE HERE). All festivals rank lower than holy glorious Pascha, the Festival of Festivals and Lordsday of Lordsdays. Lordsday (other than any of the preceding falling on a Lordsday) are all festivals of the the Resurrection and rank immediately below the foregoing Great Festivals. The are named for the subject of the Gospel; thus, the Lordsdays of the Publican and the Pharisee and of the Prodigal Son precede the Lordsday of the Last Judgment (Meatfare Lordsday) and Forgiveness Lordsday (Cheesefare Lordsday)--the day preceding Clean Monday (the first day of the Great Fast). Lordsdays during the Great Fast are dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas, St. John of the Ladder, and St. Mary of Egypt (the ex-harlot), as well as the Holy Cross. (The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete falls on the Thursday before the fifth Lordsday of the Great Fast.) The Myrrh-bearing Women as well as Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are commemorated on the third Lordsday of Paschaltide. Note that the Theophany is a festival of Christ and of the all-holy Trinity. The Birthday of Christ of course celebrates the Incarnation; but the indispensable rôle of the all-holy Theotokos in this awesome event is commemorated on the following day.   The Great Festivals have a varying number of forefestive and postfestive days, for which the reader is referred to the liturgical guides; during this time the anthems call attention to the festival in such days are grouped around. The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner & Baptist is, like the Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross, less of a festival than an oil-&-wine fast (SEE HERE). Note that the Synaxis of St. John the Forerunner (first day of the Post-Festival of the Theophany) is a fish-wine-and-oil day. Certain Sabbaths are Sabbaths of those fallen asleep, including St. Demetrios' Savath on Oct. 24).

The Major Festivals are preceded by forefeasts on which prayers alluding to the coming festival and followed by afterfeasts during which festival prayers continue; but these periods can be interrupted by Lordsdays and other occasions, and the afterfeast of the Annunciation may not occur when it falls in the Great Fast. The last day of an afterfeast is called its Apodosis and is emphasized a bit more than other afterfeast days. A potential forefeast can be preëmpted by various occasions. Thus, the day before the holy Theophany is a fast day--though Jan. 2-4 are forefeast days of that festival--; the day preceding Pentecost or Trinity Lordsday commemorates those fallen asleep--one of several days in the calendar on which such commemorations occur, the occasions varying slightly according to the jurisdiction--; and a potential forefeast of the Ascension is preëmpted by the preceding day's being the Apodosis of Great Pascha (the last day on which the familiar Paschal anthem is sung). Other forefeasts may, in a given year, be preëmpted by the afterfeast of another festival or by a Lordsday. Christ's Entry in Jerusalem (Palm Lordsday) has neither forefeast nor afterfeast, and of course Great Pascha has no forefeast. Except for the Annunciation, the afterfeast lasts four days (the Birthday of the Theotokos and her Presentation in the Temple), six days (the Birthday of Christ and holy Pentecost), seven days (the Meeting, the Transfiguration, and the Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross), or eight days (Theophany, the Ascension of Christ, and the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos). If a festival has a forefeast, it is usually one-day long; but the Annunciation has a two-day forefeast, the Theophany has a four-day forefeast, and the Birthday of Christ has a five-day forefeast. (See above on the four-minus-one-day forefeast of the holy Theophany.)

The four Lordsdays preceding Clean Monday (i.e. the first day of the Great Fast) are, in order, the Lordsdays of the Publican and Pharisee, of the Prodigal Son, of the Last Judgment (Meatfare Lordsday), and Forgiveness Lordsday (Cheesefare Lordsday). Following holy Pascha are Thomas's Lordsday (Anti-Pascha), the Lordsday of the Myrrh-bearing Women (Mary Magdalene, Mary [wife of Cleopas], Joanna, Salome, Susanna, and Mary and Martha [sisters to Lazaros], as well as Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemos), of the Paralytic (following which Mid-Pentecost Wednesday has its Lesser Blessing of Water and Blessing of the Fields), of the Samaritan Woman, of the Blind Man, and so on. On the day after the Birthday of our Savior, we observe the Synaxis of the all-holy Theotokos; on Dec. 27, we commemorate the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed of the Theotokos, King David, and St. James the Brother of our Lord [see also below]; on Dec. 28, the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia; and on Dec. 29, the 14,000 Holy Innocents slain by Herod at Bethlehem.
All days rank lower than holy Pascha. The oldest and highest-ranking festival after holy Pascha is holy Pentecost or Trinity Lordsday; the fifty days from Pascha to Pentecost are called "the Pentecost" or Paschaltide. The third-oldest and third-ranking festival is the holy Theophany--with its Great Blessing of the waters and the blessings of homes. Theophany originally celebrated the Birthday and other early events in the life of our Savior; later, the Birthday (with the Magi, etc.) was separated from the Theophany--becoming the festival of the Birthday of Christ. Our Savior's Baptism remained the focus of the Theophany, which celebrates the Holy Trinity as well as the incarnate Jesus Christ's Baptism in Jordan. In practice, the Birthday of Christ would appear to rank after Pentecost--whereas Theophany has a one-day fast preceding it, the Birthday of Christ has a forty-day fast. Some of the anthems sung on the Birthday and Theophany may be of interest (see below; for those on the Transfiguration, CLICK HERE).

     Second to the twelve Great Festivals (which have vigils, beginning on the preceding evening with Great Vespers and Great Compline) are:
     1. festivals with a Vigil: Lordsdays; the Circumcision of Christ and St. Basil the Great [Jan. 1]; SS. Peter & Paul; St. John the Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian--also his Repose; Birthday of St. John the Prophet, Forerunner, & Baptist; St. Anthony the Great; St. Makarios the Great; Synaxis of the Three Hierarchs [SS. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, and St. Gregory (of Nazianzos) the Theologian, who also have days of their own]; St. George the Great; Righteous John, Wonder-Worker of Kronstadt; St. Sabbas the Sanctified; St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker [of Myra].
     2. festivals of polyleos rank (the term refers to certain Psalm verses): e.g. St. Michael the Archangel and the other incorporeal or unembodied Powers; St. Mark the Evangelist; Apostle James [Brother to St. John the Theologian]; St. Jude; St. Matthias; St. Philip the Apostle; St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist; St. James [son of Alphæos]; holy and all-praised Andrew the First-Called; St. Luke; SS. Constantine and Helen; St. John Chrysostomos; St. Vasil the Great; S. Gregory [of Nazianzos] the Theologian; SS. Cyril & Methodios; the holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste; Repose of St. Sergios [Abbot of Radonezh]; holy and glorious Great-Martyr Demetrios.
     3. doxology services (with a sung doxology): e.g. holy Apostle James [Brother of our Savior]; Conception of the all-holy Theotokos; Synaxis of the holy, glorious, and all-praised 12 Apostles; the holy and righteous parents of the Theotokos--SS Joachim and Anna, commemorated the day after the Birthday of the Theotokos; Conception of St. John the Prophet, Forerunner, & Baptist.
    3. Six-stichera services: e.g. SS. Zacharias and Elizabeth [Parents to St. John the Forerunner]; Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen; St. Philip the Deacon; Veneration of the Chains of St. Peter; St. Clement of Rome; holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla; St. Ignatios of Antioch the God-filled Martyr; holy Great-Martyr Procopios; St. Eirenaios; St. Athanasios the Great; St. Efrem the Syrian; St. Cyril of Alexandria; SS. Cosmas & Damian; St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker; holy Great-Martyr & Healer Pandel[e]imon; St. Hilarion the Great; St. Spyridon the Wonder-Worker; St. Mark, Archbishop of Ephesos.
     4. Double services: e.g. Synaxis of the holy Archangels; holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene; St. Timothy; St. Titos; St. Gregory of Nyssa; St. Daniel & the 3 Holy Youths; St. John of Damaskos; St. Catharine [or Ekatherina] of Alexandria; St. Maximos the Confessor; St. Amphilochios; St. Andrew of Crete; St. Symeon Stylites [the Elder]; St. N[e]ilos the Faster of Sinai; St. Anastasios the Martyr, St. Theodoros the Confessor [Abbot of the Studion Monastery].
     5. Simple services (with or without exceptional additions): e.g. St. Symeon, Kinsman to our Savior; St. Longinus the Centurion [who stood at the foot of the Cross]; St. Silas; St. Philemon; St. Onesimos; St. Polycarp of Smyrna; St. Justin the Philosopher and Martyr; St. Cyril of Jerusalem; St. Ambrose of Milan; St. Nicephoros the Martyr; the holy 7 Youths of Ephesos; St. Eutychios [Disciple of St. John the Theologian]; St. Moses the Black of Skete; St. Gorgonia (sister to SS. Basil & Gregory of Nyssa); St. Poemen the Great; St. Pelagia the Penitent; St. Charalambos; St. Isaac of Nineveh; St. Photios; St. Symeon the Latter-day Theologian.
     It is necessary to have a proper calendar (CLICK HERE FOR CALENDAR) with details of the daily observances--especially Saints' days falling within the forefestive or postfestive days of a great festival. Certain miracles and other events, such as transfers of relics, foundings of temples--especially the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem--and famous victories, as well as lesser festivals of the Theotokos and other Saints, are observed. (Note that St. John the glorious Prophet, Forerunner, & Baptist has three days: 1-7, 6-24. 8-29.)   Lesser commemorations include "the Seventy" sent out by our Savior, the Old Testament Prophets, the Fathers of various Ecumenical Synods (some Lordsdays are named for such commemorations). The Patron Saint of the place or the event that a temple is named for are very high-ranking in the temples and dioceses in question. Many national Saints and latter-day Saints of Mt. Athos, numerous holy men and women of Russia and other countries, as well as early Keltic (cf. St. Patrick on Mar. 17, a simple festival) and Anglo-Saxon Saints, also have their days. St. Herman [Germanus] of Alaska, the first Martyrs of North America--SS. Juvenal and Peter the Aleut--and other very early North American Saints are commemorated on Dec. 12 as a six-stichera festival.
     A number of Saints have the epithet "Equal-to-the-Apostles," including St. Mary Magdalene, St. Thecla, SS. Cyril & Methodios, St. Constantine the Great and his mother--St. Helen. The parents of the all-holy Theotokos and others have the epithet "the Righteous."   St. Joseph is "the Betrothed." Some Saints are titled "Blessed." All in all, thousands of Saints are commemorated during the year.

THE GREAT FAST
[The divine Liturgy is not celebratef on ordinary days, except that the Liturgy of the Preconsecrated Gifts is served on the evenings of Wednesdays and Fridays. The
Prayer of St. Ephraim is said at the appropriate place near the end the Hours]

CLEAN WEEK begins with Forgiveness Lordsday: On Friday is sung
   the Canon of Intercession to the Holy and Great Martyr Theodore
WEEK 2 begins with the Lordsday of Orthodoxy (a procession of
   icons takes place on this day):
WEEK 3 begins with Lordsday 2 in the Great Fast celebrating St.
   Gregory PalamAs
WEEK 4 begins with Lordsday 3 and the Adoration of the precious and
   Life-giving Cross
WEEK 5 begins with Lordsday 4 celebrating the memory of our holy
   Father, St. John of the Ladder: On Wednesday evening at Vespers is
   the lengthy service of the Great Canon of Simeon the Translator; on
   the Sabbath at the end of this week is sung at Vespers the Akathist
   Hymn to the all-holy Theotokos.
WEEK 6 begins with Lordsday 5 celebrating St. Mary of Egypt: The
   Sabbath at the end of the week is the Sabbath of the holy and righteous
   Lazaros. On the preceding Friday evening,Vespers is followed by the
   Liturgy of the Pre-consecrated Gifts, and Compline includes the Great
   Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. In the morning, the divine Liturgy of St.
   John Chrysostom is served; in the evening, Great Vespers of Palm
   Lordsday is continued with the divine Liturgy of St. John
   Chrysostom.
HOLY GREAT WEEK begins with Palm Lordsday celebrating Christ's Entry to
Jerusalem (in climates where palms are not available, pussywillows are
blessed instead): The Orthros begins
   The day hours with Vespers are served on Monday, Tuesday, and
      Wednesday mornings; on Wednesday morning, Vespers is combined
      with the Liturgy of the Preconsecrated Gifts of St. Gregory the
      Dialogist. On each of these three evenings, the Nymphios service
      (the Orthros "of the Bridegroom") is served--on Great Wednesday
      with the Canon of St. Cosmas.
   Great Wednesday evening: The Mystery of Anointing (Unction).
   Great Thursday: The Orthros is sung about 0100 with its Twelve
      Gospels. Prior to mid-afternoon, Vespers is sung with the divine
      Liturgy of St. Vasil the Great.   In the evening is sung the Orthros
      of Great Friday with its twelve Gospels recounting Christ's Passion
      and the Praises.   Eggs to be used later are colored red on this day.
   Holy Great Friday is a day of total fasting from food and water, though
      after sunset a bit of liquid and bread is permitted for those who
      cannot hold out longer: The Royal Hours composed by St. Cyril of
      Alexandria--the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours and Typika are
      served in one long morning service. There is no divine Liturgy.
      About 1600, Vespers of the Apokathelosis ("Taking down from the
      Cross") begins. The icon of Jesus is actually taken off of the
      Crucifix along with various other ceremonies. In the evening is sung
      the Orthros of Great Sabbath with the Lamentations sung in
      procession.
Great Sabbath: After the divine Liturgy (it begins at ten a.m. with the
      Greeks; at four p.m. with the Russians), this day is a wine day--the
      only Sabbath that is not also an oil day (SEE HER). There is of
      course a complete fast of eight hours before receiving
      Communion after the midnight Paschal Orthros. In the morning, the
      day Hours (the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours) are read (not
      sung) in the narthex of the temple. Vespers takes place in the
      morning (with the reading of "Prophecies" from Genesis, (several
      of) Jonas, Daniel, and Azarias) with the Liturgy of St. Vasil the
      Great--with the Cherouvikón replaced by the beautiful Hymn, "Let
      all mortal flesh keep silence and in fear and trembling stand. . . .
      Allelouïa, Allelouïa, Allelouïa." After the divine Liturgy in older
      times, the faithful fed on the blessed bread, wine, and figs or dates;
      they remained in the temple till the Paschal Orthros at midnight while
      attending to the reading of the Acts of the Apostles.
The Paschal Orthros begins at midnight; it is followed by the divine
      Liturgy.   Agape Vespers is served in the late morning of Pascha
      Lordsday. Lamb is feasted on during holy Glorious Pascha.
RADIANT WEEK follows holy glorious Paschal; it is fast-free.

Your Birthday, Christ our God, dawned on the cosmos as the Light of Knowledge; for on it the star-worshipers where instructed by a star to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to recognize You as the Dayspring from on High.

By embracing, holy one, in your arms an Infant, the Ruler of all, Who had taken flesh from you, you were seen to be the Agent of gladness; for which reason the entire creation today joyfully hymns your awesome chldbirth; for you gave birth to the Font of Immortality for the cosmos.

When You were baptized in Jordan, Lord, the veneration of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You, calling You "Beloved Son"; and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the certainty of His words. You Who appeared as Christ our God and Light-Giver to the cosmos, glory to You!

When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He partitioned the peoples; but when he distributed the tongues of fire, He called us all to unity, and with one voice we glorify the all-holy Spirit.

An interesting note on the dates of the Conception of the All-Holy Theotokos (Dec. 9) and that of St. John the Forerunner (Sep. 23) has been provided online by Brother Maximos, quoting some authority whose name I've lost track of. While the Annunciation of the All-Holy Theotokos and Conception of OLGS Jesus Christ on Mar. 25 is nine months before His Birthday, the dates of the Conceptions of the Theotokos and of St. John the Forerunner are observed nine months and one day prior to their respective birthdays. The reason is that while the Theotokos has more perfections than other creatures, aside from our Savior, her perfections still fall short of God's; hence, her Conception is one day off. The same reason applies to St. John the Baptist, of whom our Lord said (Mat. 11:11) that no greater man has been born of woman.