Bright Tuesday

The Third Day Of Easter.

Bright Monday

The Second Day Of Easter.

Christ Is Risen!

Indeed He's Risen!

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and bestowing life on those in the graves.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

Great And Holy Saturday - The Harrowing Of Hell

The Descent Into Hell.

Troparion - Tone 2

When You did descend to death, O Life Immortal, You did slay hell with the splendor of Your Godhead, and when from the depths You did raise the dead, all the Powers of Heaven cried out, O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!

Kontakion - Tone 6

He who shut in the depths is beheld dead, wrapped in fine linen and spices. The Immortal One is laid in a tomb as a mortal man. The women have come to anoint Him with myrrh, weeping bitterly and crying: "This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ has fallen asleep to rise on the third day!"

Great And Holy Friday - The Funeral Of Our Lord

The Crucifixion Of Our Lord.

Troparion - Tone 2

The Noble Joseph, when he had taken down Your most pure Body from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen, and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb.

The Mourning Of Our Lady.

Troparion - Tone 2

The angel came to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb and said: Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.

The Taking Down From The Cross.

Kontakion - Tone 8

Come, let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us, for Mary said when she beheld Him upon the tree: Though You do endure the cross, You are my Son and my God!

The Funeral Of Our Lord.

The First Stanza Of The First State Of The Lord's Requiem.

In the Grave, Oh Life,
You've been laid down, Oh Christ,
And the Angelic Hosts of Heaven were terrified,
Your great and humble condescension glorifying.

Great And Holy Thursday - The Twelve Gospels

The Last Supper.

Troparion - Tone 6

Of Your Mystical Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant. For I will not speak of Your mysteries to Your enemies, neither like Judas will I give You a kiss, but like the thief will I confess You: Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom!

The Mystical Supper.

Troparion - Tone 4

By Your precious blood, You have redeemed us from the curse of the law. By being nailed to the cross and pierced by a spear, You have poured forth immortality for man. O our Savior, glory to You!

Kontakion - Tone 8

Come, let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us, for Mary said when she beheld Him upon the tree: Though You do endure the cross, You are my Son and my God!

The Bridegroom.

Troparion - Tone 8

Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, and again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom. But rouse yourself crying: Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, O our God! Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!

Great And Holy Wednesday - The Betrayal Of Jude

The Betrayal Of Judas.

Troparion - Tone 8

When the glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of their feet before the supper, then the impious Judas was darkened, ailing with avarice and to the lawless judges he betrays You, the righteous Judge. Behold, O lover of money, this man who because of money hanged himself. Flee from the greedy soul which dared such things against the Master. O Lord, who is good towards all men, glory to You!

Kontakion - Tone 2

With his hands the betrayer receives the Bread. With his hands he secretly receives the silver, the price of Him who fashioned man with His hands; so the servant and deceiver Judas remains depraved.

The Great And Holy Martyr George

The Great And Holy Martyr George,

The Victorybearer.

Troparion - Tone 4

You were bound for good deeds, O martyr of Christ: George; by faith you conquered the torturer's godlessness. You were offered as a sacrifice pleasing to God; thus you received the crown of victory. Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.

Kontakion - Tone 4

God raised you as his own gardener, O George, for you have gathered for yourself the sheaves of virtue. Having sown in tears, you now reap with joy; you shed your blood in combat and won Christ as your crown. Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.

Palm Sunday - The Floweries

The Entry Of Our Lord Into Jerusalem.

Troparion - Tone 4

When we were buried with You in Baptism, O Christ God, we were made worthy of eternal life by Your Resurrection! Now we praise You and sing: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

Kontakion - Tone 6

Sitting on Your throne in heaven, carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God! Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing: Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!

Lazarus Saturday

The Raising Of Lazarus From The Dead.

Troparion - Tone 1

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion, You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death; Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

Kontakion - Tone 2

Christ the Joy, the Truth and the Light of all, The Life of the World and the Resurrection Has appeared in His goodness, to those on earth. He has become the Image of our Resurrection, Granting divine forgiveness to all!

April Fools

Of Our Father Amongst The Saints

John Damascene

The Dogmatic or An Exact Exposition Of The Orthodox Faith

Further, they say that there are in the heaven twelve signs made by the stars, and that these move in an opposite direction to the sun and moon, and the other five planets, and that the seven planets pass across these twelve signs. Further, the sun makes a complete month in each sign and traverses the twelve signs in the same number of months. These, then, are the names of the twelve signs and their respective months:—

The Ram, which receives the sun on the 21st of March.
The Bull, on the 23rd of April.
The Twins, on the 24th of May.
The Crab, on the 24th of June.
The Lion, on the 25th of July.

The Virgin, on the 25th of August.
The Scales, on the 25th of September.
The Scorpion, on the 25th of October.
The Archer, on the 25th of November.
Capricorn, on the 25th of December.
Aquarius, on the 25th of January.
The Fish, on the 24th of February.

But the moon traverses the twelve signs each month, since it occupies a lower position and travels through the signs at a quicker rate. For if you draw one circle within another, the inner one will be found to be the lesser: and so it is that owing to the moon occupying a lower position its course is shorter and is sooner completed.

Annunciation, on the 25th of March.
The Great and Holy Martyr George, on the 23rd of April.
The Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, on the 21st of May.
The Birth of Saint John the Baptist, on the 24th of June.
The Holy and Glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, on the 29th of June.
The Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah, on the 20th of July.
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, on the 29th of August.
The Conception of Saint John the Baptist, on the 23rd of September.
The Great and Holy Martyr Demetrius, on the 26th of October.
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, on the 30th of November.
Christmas, on the 25th of December.
The Three Holy Hierarchs, on the 30th of January.

Nevertheless, with the ancient Romans themselves not honoring or observing any of the aforementioned calendrical dates with any particular feasts or celebrations, we are simply left wondering, only to ask ourselves: whence the idea in the first place?