The Twelve Days of Christmas, known in Greek as Dodekaemeron (“Twelve Day”), are a festive period linking together two Great Feasts of the Lord: the Nativity and Theophany. During this period one celebration leads into another. The Nativity of Christ is a seven-day celebration: the formal title of the first day is “The Nativity[…]

  On December 20, the Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch. According to the Tradition of the Church, Our Lord Jesus Christ placed Ignatius – then a young boy – on his lap when he said: “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest[…]

  December 18, 2024, The Holy Martyr Sebastian was born in the city of Narbonum in Gaul (modern France), and he received his education at Mediolanum (now Milan). Under the co-reigning emperors Diocletian and Maximian (284-305) he occupied the position of head of the imperial guards. Saint Sebastian was respected for his authority, and was[…]

  December 23, 2025, The Holy Martyrs of Crete – Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus – were from different towns and villages scattered across the Greek island. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius, a fierce persecutor of Christians, they suffered brutal torture and died as martyrs for[…]