The Traditions of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church

Religious holidays are an incredibly crucial element of any believer’s life. During these days, people gather together with their families and loved ones to celebrate things that are the most important to them. Historically, religious feasts were a time of praising deities for their help and protection through rituals and asking for blessings in the future. The Orthodox Christian Church is no exception. For example, the Twelve Great Feasts are scattered throughout the entire year and celebrated by going to church, praying, and hosting social gatherings. These holy days are often depicted in Russian Orthodox icons: they are either dedicated to a specific Feast or feature all twelve in the border scenes. Let’s learn more about the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church and how they are celebrated.

The Traditions of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church

Apart from the Feast of the Resurrection (Pascha), there are also other 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, which are connected to the events that happened during the lives of Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother of God. These are the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, Christmas, the Baptism of Christ (Theophany), the Presentation of Christ, the Annunciation, Palm Sunday, the Ascension of Christ, Pentecost, the Transfiguration, and the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God. Some Orthodox holy days are movable, meaning they occur on different dates every year. The seven Feasts directly referencing the Savior are generally considered more important than the rest.

All Orthodox Christian holy days are celebrated by attending the service at the church. However, each Feast has its own traditions. For example, on Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem, people usually gather pussy willow (in Russia, it is a more available plant option than palm trees) and go to church to bless them. For Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Trinity, believers adorn their places of worship with birch tree branches and freshly gathered flowers.

There are plenty of Russian icons of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. Some are dedicated to specific holy days, while others feature all of them simultaneously, arranged in rows around the scene of the Resurrection in the centerpiece. Such icons were most commonly painted by the Palekh masters and were especially popular in the 19th century, often being placed in family altars and serving as agricultural calendars.