What Orthodox holiday does the Church celebrate today, August 12? What kind of church holiday is it today that is widely celebrated among the people and has a long history, rich traditions and signs? We will answer all these questions for you in this article.
What church holiday is today: August 12 (July 30, old style), the Orthodox Church celebrates:
- Day of Remembrance of the Apostles from the 70th: Silas, Silouan, Criscentus, Epenetus and Andronikos;
- Memorial Day of the Martyr John the Warrior;
- Memorial Day of St. Anatoly II of Optina, the Younger;
- Discovery of the relics of St. Herman of Solovetsky;
- Day of Remembrance of the Hieromartyrs Polychronius, Bishop of Babylon, Parmenius, Elymas and Chrysotel, presbyters, Luke and Muko, deacons, martyrs Abdon and Sennis, princes of Persia, and martyrs Olympius and Maximus;
- Day of Remembrance of the Hieromartyr Valentine (Walentinus) of Interam (Italy), bishop, and three disciples of his martyrs Proculus, Ephibus and Apollonius and the righteous Abundius;
- Memory of the Council of Samara Saints;
- Memorial Day of Hieromartyr John Plotnikov, deacon;
- Okonskaya - icon of the Mother of God.
WhichChurch holiday today August 12, 2017:App. from 70 Silas, Silouan, Criskent, Epenetus and Andronicus(I) .
The holy apostles from 70: Silas, Silouan, Crescent, Epenet and Andronicus - disciples of the Savior.
The Apostle of the 70, Saint Silas, was a respected man in the original Jerusalem Church, “a ruler among the brethren” (Acts 15:22). After the Council of the Apostles held in Jerusalem in 51 on the issue of the need to observe the Mosaic Law by pagan Christians, the apostles sent a message to the Antioch Christians through the apostles Paul and Barnabas, in which they reported that by the decision of the Council, pagan Christians were exempted from observing the requirements of the Mosaic Law. It was decreed for them to abstain from eating things sacrificed to idols, from fornication, from strangulation and blood, and not to do to others what they do not wish for themselves (Acts 15:20-29). Together with the apostles Paul and Barnabas, the Council sent members of the Jerusalem Church, Saints Silas and Judas, to Antioch to explain the message verbally, which they both accomplished with the assistance of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then Saint Jude was released to Jerusalem, and Saint Silas remained in Antioch and zealously helped the Apostle of Languages in his missionary travels with the Gospel preaching. The apostles visited Syria, Cilicia, and Macedonia.
In the city of Philippi they were accused of disturbing the people, for which the holy apostles were seized, beaten with sticks, and then thrown into prison. At midnight, when the holy apostles Paul and Silas were praying, a strong earthquake suddenly occurred, the shackles fell from them and the doors of the prison opened. The prison guard, frightened that the prisoners had escaped, wanted to commit suicide, but was restrained by the Apostle Paul. Then, falling with trepidation at the feet of the apostles, he with faith accepted the gospel of Christ from them, led them out of prison, brought them to his home, washed their wounds and was baptized with all his household.
From Philippi, the apostles Paul and Silas went to the cities of Amphipolis, Apollonia and Thessaloniki, acquiring new disciples of Christ in each city and establishing the Church.
In Corinth, the holy Apostle Silas was ordained bishop; there, having performed many signs and wonders, he ended his life.
The Holy Apostle Silouan preached the Word of God together with the Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul. In the 1st Council Epistle, the holy Apostle Peter mentions him: “I wrote this briefly to you through Silvanus, who, as I think, is your faithful brother” (1 Peter 5:12). Saint Silouan was installed as a bishop in Thessaloniki and died there as a martyr, having endured many sorrows and misfortunes for the sake of the Lord.
The holy Apostle Paul mentions the holy Apostle Criscent in his 2nd Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:10), saying that Criscent went to Galatia to preach. There he was installed as a bishop, and then preached the Word of God in Gaul. In the city of Vienna, the Apostle Crescent installed his disciple Zacharias as bishop. Returning to Galatia, he died a martyr under King Trajan (98-117).
The holy Apostle Epenetus was installed as bishop in Carthage. In his letter to the Romans (Rom. 16:5), the holy Apostle Paul writes: “Greet my beloved Epenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia for Christ.” In the same letter, the Apostle Paul also remembers the Apostle Andronicus: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and prisoners with me, who were glorified among the apostles and who believed in Christ before me” (Rom. 16:7). The holy Apostle Andronicus was a bishop in Panonia (memory of Saints Andronicus and Junia on May 17).
August 12, 2017, what Orthodox holiday is today? church calendar:
Mch. John the Warrior(IV) .
The Holy Martyr John the Warrior served in the imperial army of Julian the Apostate (361-363). Along with other warriors, he was sent to persecute and kill Christians. While remaining in appearance as if he were a persecutor, Saint John in fact provided great help to persecuted Christians: he freed those who were captured, warned others of the danger that threatened them, and facilitated their escape. Saint John showed mercy not only to Christians, but also to all those in need and in need of help: he visited the sick, comforted the mourning. When Julian the Apostate learned about the actions of the saint, he imprisoned him.
In 363, the persecutor was killed in a war with the Persians. Saint John was released and devoted his life to serving his neighbors, living in holiness and purity. He died at a ripe old age.
The year of his death is not known exactly; the burial place of St. John the Warrior was gradually forgotten. He appeared to one pious woman and indicated his resting place. It became famous in this area. His relics found were placed in the Church of the Apostle John the Theologian in Constantinople. The Lord gave the holy relics of John the Warrior the grace-filled power of healing. Through the prayers of Saint John, the offended and mourning receive consolation.
In the Russian Church, John the Warrior is sacredly revered as a great helper in sorrows and circumstances.
What holiday is today according to the church calendar, August 12, 2017:Finding the relics of St. Herman Solovetsky (1484).
The discovery of the relics of St. Herman of Solovetsky took place in 1484. Saint Herman lived as a hermit on the Vyga River, near a chapel. Around 1429, the Monk Savvaty, a monk at the Valaam monastery, found him here, looking for a secluded place for his exploits. Herman told Savvaty about Solovetsky Island, and both saints, having crossed the sea, settled on Solovki. They built themselves a cell under Sekirnaya Mountain, in which they lived for six years. After the death of Savvaty († September 27, 1435), the Monk Herman continued his desert exploits on the island with another hermit, the Monk Zosima (April 17). Herman lived on the island for more than fifty years.
Being illiterate, but enlightened by God's Providence and wanting to preserve the memory of the exploits of the Monk Savvaty for the edification of many, he ordered the clergy to write down their memories of the Monks Savvaty and Zosima, about the events that occurred during their lives. The Monk Herman loved to listen to edifying readings and bequeathed to his disciples to collect books for the monastery. For the economic and other needs of the monastery, the monk, until a very old age, made dangerous voyages and long journeys to the mainland. On one of these trips to Novgorod in 1479, he died in the Anthony Monastery. His body was taken to the Solovetsky monastery, but because of the muddy roads they were forced to bury it near the chapel in the village of Khavronyina on the Svir River. In 1484, when it was decided to move the coffin to the site of the saint’s exploits, his relics were found incorrupt.
August 12, 2017: what church holiday is today? Okonskaya Icon of the Mother of God.
Okon Icon of the Mother of God, according to legend, was received by the Georgian king Vakhtang IV from Jerusalem and was originally located in the Gaenat monastery in Georgia. Georgian Tsarevich Georgy Alexandrovich transferred the holy icon to the cathedral church of the village of Lyskova, Nizhny Novgorod diocese.
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Read more about the holiday in the article:
Kalinnik
Our ancestors considered viburnum a symbol of pure and immaculate beauty... (Photo: Africa Studio, Shutterstock)
Old style date: July 29
The original name of the holiday, which is celebrated on this day, is associated with the name of one of the holy martyrs - Callinicus of Cilicia, who lived in the 3rd-4th centuries. His preaching about Christ in the city of Ancyra aroused the anger of the pagans. Kallinikos was captured and brought before Hegemon Sakerdon for trial. He sentenced the saint to a terrible punishment: he was put in iron boots with nails sticking out inside, and so he was taken to the place of execution, where he was burned alive. However, the body of the martyr remained unharmed, and Christians subsequently buried him.
Since the name of the preacher is very similar to the name of a well-known berry in Rus', which also ripens by this time, Kalinnik also became a holiday of viburnum. Our ancestors considered this plant a symbol of pure and immaculate beauty, and the bitter taste of the berries symbolized the bitter fate of a girl given in marriage without love.
Peasant women made jelly and compotes from viburnum, crushed it with honey, and made marmalade by mixing it with applesauce. Kalinniki in Rus' called pies with viburnum. This is how Vladimir Dal describes their preparation: “The hostess will wrap a pinch of viburnum in rye dough like a pie, spread it out, swaddle it with a dry cabbage leaf - and on a baking sheet, in the oven, to the free spirit, let it simmer and roast. And when he smells the bread, when he smells the delicacy, open the damper and take out the ready-made viburnums. The cabbage leaf shakes - and there it is, a pie with kalinka, with a forest scent!.
Also called Kalinniki were morning frosts, which had already occurred at this time and had a detrimental effect on the grain left in the fields. In the northern provinces they prayed:“Bring me, Lord, with darkness, not with frost” . Darkness, or fog, on this day foreshadowed a good harvest of barley and oats.“If there is fog in Kalinnik, save your braids for oats and barley”
, - the peasants noted. But if ripe oats turn green again, it means that autumn will be stormy.
Name day on this day
Alexander, Alexey, Anatoly, Veniamin, Konstantin, Kuzma, Mikhail, Nikolay, Roman, Serafima
Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker On August 11, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Bishop of Myra in Lycia
. This is one of the most revered saints in Rus'.
Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in 258 in the city of Patara, not far from Lycia, on the southern coast of the Asia Minor peninsula. His parents Theophanes and Nonna were pious and righteous Christians, but for a long time they were childless, about which they grieved very much and constantly prayed to God to send them a child. The Lord heard them and sent them a son, and they made a vow to devote their only child to the service of God.
From the day of his birth, the baby Nicholas showed people the light of his future glory as a great wonderworker. He showed his first miracle at his very birth, healing his mother from a serious illness. In addition, the newborn baby, while still in the baptismal font, stood on his feet for three hours, unsupported by anyone, thus giving honor to the Most Holy Trinity.
Already from infancy, Saint Nicholas began a life of fasting, taking his mother’s milk on Wednesdays and Fridays, only once, after evening prayers parents. As he grew a little older, he succeeded in studying the Divine Scripture, spending whole days in the temple, and at night he prayed and read books. Constantly in labor and prayer, Nicholas showed great mercy to those around him, came to the aid of the suffering and distributed all his property to the poor. He himself led a simple and very ascetic lifestyle and became famous as a great saint of God.
During his lifetime, Saint Nicholas performed many miracles - more than once he saved those drowning in the sea, brought them out of captivity and imprisonment in dungeons, healed people from illnesses and even resurrected them, fought for the truth and demanded the restoration of justice from those in power, taught with his life love and compassion . He lived a worthy life and, having reached a ripe old age, died peacefully.
Therefore, it is not surprising that this saint was revered at all times and among many peoples. However, the exact time when the celebration of the Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was established is unknown. Most likely, this holiday was originally local in the Lycian Worlds of Asia Minor, where the Saint served as Archbishop, and in the homeland of his parents - in Patara. Then, at the time of the Crusades, this holiday could spread throughout the Nicene Empire and from there penetrate to Rus', where this saint had been revered since ancient times.
In addition, since the 9th century, Nicholas the Wonderworker was revered in Rus' as heavenly patron sovereign power - it was believed that he especially patronized the Orthodox kings. It is also known that in the 13th century the tradition of celebrating his Nativity in the Russian Orthodox Church already existed, and in Veliky Novgorod there was even a monastery dedicated to the Nativity of St. Nicholas. There is also information that one of the surviving church services dedicated to this holiday was compiled during the Patriarchate of Nikon in 1657. However, during the reign of Catherine the Great, the church-wide celebration of the Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Russia was abolished.
And so, several centuries later, the celebration was resumed, and in honor of the feast of the Nativity of St. Nicholas, a troparion and kontakion were compiled, known from ancient times in liturgical life Russian Orthodox Church.
National Identity Day in Armenia (Navasard)
The progenitor of the Armenians Hayk
Every year on August 11, an important holiday is celebrated in Armenia - National Identity Day (Nawasard), established as a state one in 2009 by the Parliament of Armenia. This legislative initiative was put forward by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction, and the bill was presented by deputy Artsvik Minasyan.
On August 11, according to ancient Armenian chronicles, in 2492 BC, the ancestor of the Armenians Hayk defeated Bel, opening the opportunity for his descendants to freely exist and develop.
According to legend, Hayk Akhehnavor (Hayk the Archer), who went down in history as Hayk Nahapet (patriarch-ancestor of the Armenian people, founder of the royal dynasty of Haykazuni), defeated the Assyrian troops in the battle of Dutsaznamart (southeast of Lake Van, middle reaches of the Hayots Dzor River) tyrant Bel and laid the foundation for the future Armenian state.
In ancient times, festivities in honor of Navasard lasted several days. By the way, it was called Navasard New Year's celebration and the first month of the year according to the ancient Armenian calendar, which was used in the country before the adoption of Christianity.
On one of these holidays people drank sweet drinks and light wines. On the day of Navasard there were practically no drunken people, as an ancient Armenian proverb says: “The gods leave the most chaff in the drunkard’s field.” At these holidays, even food was moderate.
Due to the different climatic conditions of Armenia, different dishes were served on the festive table in different regions. In these dishes, the first place was occupied by round wheat, which grew only in Armenia. The Armenians put bread baked from this wheat on the table so that the pagan gods of the Armenians would make New Year fertile. Probably one of the ancient Armenian sayings - in Navasard you cannot borrow bread- is the result of these traditions. And therefore, they always tried to include bread baked from wheat grown with their own hands for the holiday.
There is another ancient saying: “Without wine the new year will come, without ngatsahika it will be late”. In ancient times ngatsahik was the most famous seasoning. This appetizing flower grew on the slopes of Masis (Ararat). It was collected and dried by Armenians living in the regions of Masyatsotna and Tzhakatka, and then distributed throughout Armenia. And no matter what region an Armenian lived in, he always had a ngatsahik on Navasard. This tradition (using dried ngatsakhik in New Year's dishes) was a symbol of the national unity of the Armenians. Ngatzahik connected all Armenians with Masis - the heart of the Motherland.
Since 2008, a wider celebration of Navasard began, already at the state level. And so, in 2009, parliament decided to official holiday- National Identity Day, which is celebrated on the day of the glorious victory of the ancestor of the Armenians Hayk.
At the end of summer, according to the church calendar for 2017, there will be many Orthodox holidays. In particular, in four days - from August 14 - the Assumption Fast 2017 will begin. It received its name in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God - Holy Mother of God.
August begins with the summer meat-eater, and ends with the beginning of the autumn meat-eater. In the middle of the month a fast is appointed in honor of the upcoming feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Christians celebrate the Savior for three days in August - three Saviors - Honey, Apple, Nut.
Believers are very sensitive to church holidays, fasts, prohibitions. Every true believer of the Orthodox faith must strive to observe the physical and spiritual fasts established by the Holy Orthodox Church. There is plenty of time for this in August.
The first Savior - August 14 - is called the Honey Savior. It was believed that after this day the bees no longer made honey. And the beekeepers were just starting to collect honey. The honey of the new harvest was taken to church for blessing and only after that was tasted.
During the upcoming Orthodox fasting It is necessary to give up meat and dairy products and eggs. Relaxation is allowed only for children, pregnant women and sick people.
On this day, according to Holy Scripture, two descended to those praying on a mountain in Galilee to Jesus Christ, Peter, John and James Old Testament prophet who proclaimed Jesus the Son of God. In honor of this holiday, the Assumption Fast is relaxed. The second one saved was Yablochny. By this time, apples in almost all regions of our country have ripened. The new harvest must be blessed in the church, after which it can be eaten.
Previously, before the second Savior - August 19 - it was not allowed to eat fruit. But on the holiday they were carried to church for consecration, and only after that it was possible to eat the collected fruits. That’s why the holiday got its name “Apple Savior”.
This day is revered with special reverence among true believers. According to legend, after the death of Jesus Christ, his Most Pure Mother became the Mother of all Christ’s disciples. She often prayed that Jesus Christ would quickly take her to himself. Archangel Gabriel brought Her the good news that in three days Her life would end. earthly life and the Lord will take Her to Himself. At the hour of her death, an extraordinary light illuminated the room where the Mother of God lay - the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, surrounded by Angels, appeared and received Her most pure soul.
Dormition means “falling asleep.” After all Mother of God as if she had not died, but simply fallen asleep. Her body remained in the coffin for only three days. Three days later, the soul of the mother of Jesus Christ went to Heaven. That is why the holiday is called the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is also called canvas or walnut. This holiday was not particularly revered by our ancestors, and therefore did not gain the publicity that the first two Saviors gained. From this date, active trade in fabrics and canvases began. However, on this day the church celebrates a more honorable event - the transfer not made by hands. image of the Savior from Edessa to Constantinople in 944.
Multi-day fast in August 2017 - Dormition Fast. The start of abstinence begins on August 14 and continues until August 27, 2017 - . Strict fasting which begins with celebration Honey Spas and continues until happy holiday Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Nutrition calendar The Dormition Fast 2017 by day of the week is as follows:
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday - raw food. These days food is cooked without oil. You are also allowed to eat raw vegetables and fruits, dry bread, nuts, dried fruits, and honey. You can only drink water.
On Tuesday and Thursday, hot food without adding oil is allowed. These days you can prepare vegetarian soups from vegetables, sorrel, nettles and mushrooms. Drinks allowed are teas, compotes, coffee and decoctions.
On Saturdays and Sundays it is allowed to eat hot dishes with vegetable oil. You can drink all of the above drinks, as well as wine.
Directly on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19, 2017) it is allowed to eat fish.
