Holidays Around The World � coptic cross

Orthodox New Year Celebrated by Orthodox Christians

Noel — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:30 +0000

Orthodox New Year: January 14

Orthodox New Year is a religious observance for Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Orthodox New Year is also known as Old New Year. The New Year falls on January 1 on the old Julian calendar, corresponding to January 14 on the modern Gregorian calendar, and it will remain as such until 2100. Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar that was the effective calendar before the appearance of the Gregorian calendar edited by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.

History of Orthodox New Year

Julius Cesar introduced the Julian calendar as a reform to the Roman calendar in 46 BC. This was the widely accepted calendar until the twentieth century, when it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Some countries (mostly Roman Catholic countries) immediately adopted the new calendar, while others took some time to adopt it. Orthodox Churches nowadays use a revised Julian calendar to calculate the dates of their main celebrations.

Celebrations of New Year by the Orthodox countries are mainly marked by religious services dedicated to the circumcision of Jesus Christ, while on the more secular side, people celebrate New Year in the same fashion as everywhere else in the world. The Orthodox Church always tries to set a tone of moderation to New Year celebrations since these celebrations still fall under the days of Christmas season.

Orthodox New Year Traditions, Customs and Activities

As in many other countries, even though the date changes, the spirit of New Year is the same. It is a time when Orthodox countries look back on the year that ended and look with hope to the New Year that is about to start. It is a day that is spent among family and friends. Religious services are attended to celebrate the feast of the circumcision of Jesus. Orthodox churches organize parties and dinners for the entire congregation. Some churches use these dinners to promote charity events and gather funds for projects to start during the New Year.

In the ex-Russian republics, it is believed that on this day all their problems from the previous year will leave them with success arriving at their door during the New Year. In Orthodox Greece and Russia, the secular New Year date follows the Gregorian calendar, and the date of January 14 is mainly for religious celebrations. Even so, there are fireworks on this date as well as gatherings of family and friends around the table to enjoy a peaceful meal.

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The Building of the Cross Observed by Orthodox Coptic Christians

Noel — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:00:14 +0000

Building of the Cross Date: September 27

Building of the Cross is a religious observance for Orthodox Coptic Christians all over the world.

The Feast of the Building of the Cross is celebrated on September 27. On the Coptic calendar it falls on the seventeenth day of the month of Tout, and it commemorates the dedication of the Church of the Holy Cross built by the mother of Emperor Constantine, Queen Helen.

History of Building of the Cross

This feast has its origins in Jerusalem and is connected with both the finding of the cross where Jesus died and the building of the Church of the Holy Cross to guard the relics of the wood of the cross. After the death of Jesus, Jerusalem was a troubled city, and all the sacred places where Jesus had passed and suffered his Passion had been desecrated by the Roman armies and the many wars that were fought over Jerusalem.

When the Roman Empire became Christian under the rule of Constantine, he ordered, under the influence of his mother Helen, that the sites where Jesus had passed should be found. Excavations began in Jerusalem and around the city. During these excavations the location of the Calvary and also the cross on which Jesus had died were discovered. A church was promptly built to keep the relic, and the mother of Constantine, Queen Helen, became a devout of the Holy Cross. The Feast of the Building of the Holy Cross was instituted and later, as with many feasts, it was passed on to all Christians in Constantinople and Rome.

Building of the Cross Traditions, Customs and Activities

During the Feast of the Building of the Holy Cross, the Coptic Orthodox Church organizes processions with the sign of the Cross in the streets of the cities that the churches serve. Chanting known as Shannon-Hosanna echoes through the streets as the faithful accompany the cross and the clergy, announcing the joy of the cross of Christ and joy of heart, the inner Jerusalem, as it receives the graces of Jesus. It isn’t one of the major feasts of the Orthodox Coptic Church, and it is the equivalent of the daily Feasts of the Saints. It is a day to be spent with family and friends as everyone gathers to join the processions and eat together after the religious celebrations.

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Mary’s Announcement Observed by Orthodox Christians

Noel — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:21 +0000

Mary’s Announcement Date: May 7

Mary’s Announcement is a religious observance for Coptic Orthodox Christians all over the world.

For Orthodox Churches the feast of Mary’s Announcement does not move in any way even if it falls on the same date as any other more important feast. It is to be celebrated nine months before Christmas. It remembers the moment when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a child and he would be called Jesus. It is the moment that starts the Incarnation of Christ.

History of Mary’s Announcement

Mary is known by Orthodox Christians as the Theotokos, Greek for “Mother of God”. According to the New Testament, an angel named Gabriel visited Mary at the time when her cousin Isabel was six months pregnant with John, later to be known as John the Baptist. Mary, still a virgin and engaged to Joseph was surprised and asked the angel how that could be. And the angel told her what would happen since she had found favor with God. It was in that moment that the Incarnation of Jesus began, through Mary in her womb.

This feast was celebrated as early as the sixth century. Some scholars believe that the date set for the celebration of Mary’s Announcement is in direct correlation with the date set for Christmas since it happened nine months before the birth of Jesus.

For Western Christians if the date falls within the period of Easter, it may be moved so that it does not overlap with Easter, a celebration that has major importance in the liturgical year. For Eastern Orthodox Christians this is not allowed, and if in any year the date of the feast falls during the period of Easter, there are special liturgical celebrations that are followed so that the date is not moved.

Mary’s Announcement Traditions, Customs and Activities

All Orthodox Christians on the Feast of Mary’s Announcement attend religious services that are specially made for the day. It is a day during which it is common to organize pilgrimages to temples where icons of Theotokos, Mother of God, are displayed.

The biggest of these pilgrimages is organized in Greece to the island of Tinos (Island of the Winds) where thousands of pilgrims gather around the Church of Evangelistria (Our Lady of Good Tidings). This church has an icon of Mary that is known to be miraculous. On the Feast of Mary’s Announcement the icon is carried in a procession for adoration of all the pilgrims that are on the island. Pilgrims traditionally crawl down a street known as Leoforos Megalochares (Street of Great Joy) that goes from the island port to the sanctuary.

For Orthodox Christians, Mary holds a special place of adoration since it was on the moment of the Annunciation that Mary in her doubts and fears said “yes” to the plan of God for her life. In this same way Orthodox prayers ask from Mary her faithfulness and readiness to serve God.

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Orthodox Christians Celebrate Orthodox Clean Monday

Noel — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:00:44 +0000

Orthodox Clean Monday: February 15

Orthodox Clean Monday is a religious observance for Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Clean Monday is the first day of the Great Lent that precedes Easter in Orthodox Christian Churches. It is like Ash Wednesday for Western Churches. The name gives away the intentions of the day: to leave all sinful behavior behind and enter the Great Lent period with a clean heart, ready to celebrate Easter.

History of Orthodox Clean Monday

As early as the first century, Easter was celebrated and Lent was observed as a period of preparation for the great celebrations of Easter. Clean Monday became a natural celebration on its own by all Christians. Considering the time ahead of Lent and all the sacrifices to be undertaken during the following weeks, the day of Clean Monday became a day to kick start all that was about to come. It was a day of preparation for Lent and for everyone to gradually enter into the spirit of the season.

Fasting was observed and no meat was to be eaten, leading to traditional dishes based on fish or shellfish. The path wasn’t easy, and soon the church recommended harsh means to attain the correct way to reach Easter with a soul ready to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus: fasting, almsgiving, self denial, penitence and simplicity. Clean Monday took on all of these facets and became the first stepping stone to start the Great Lent period.

Orthodox Clean Monday Traditions, Customs and Activities

Clean Monday is a public holiday in many Orthodox Christian countries. In Greece it is a day to celebrate with the family and go to the beach or prepare picnics. Kite flying is very common on this day and marks the beginning of spring. Greek children make Kyra Sarakosti (Lady Lent), a paper doll with seven legs that stands for the seven weeks of Lent. One leg will be cut for each week that passes until Easter.

Also in Greece, in Galaxidi, people throw at each other colored flour in the streets of the city. In the end, everything is less than clean, giving new meaning to Clean Monday. This festival is known as the Aleuromountzouromata. In Tyrnavos the Lent season is turned upside down with a festival called Dirty Monday, with roots to another festival dedicated to Dionysius. During the festival it is common to drink wine from phallic shaped cups, and everyone tells sexual jokes.

Aside from the enthusiastic Greek Orthodox celebrations, all over the world Orthodox Christians celebrate this day in a more moderate way and begin to observe fasting and simpler ways to celebrate Lent.

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Coptic Epiphany Observed by Coptic Orthodox Christians

Noel — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:00:36 +0000

Orthodox Epiphany Date: January 19

Coptic Epiphany is a religious observance for Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Epiphany is one of the seven major feasts of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The epiphany signifies the appearance or manifestation of God to man through Jesus Christ. For Orthodox churches it is the celebration of the baptism of Jesus; for Western Christians it is the Feast of the Magi.

History of Coptic Epiphany

The Coptic Orthodox Church refers to mainly the Orthodox Egyptian Christians following the teachings of the school of Alexandria. It is primarily the same as the Western and Orthodox churches with differences only to what is the true nature of Christ. The feast of the Epiphany is celebrated by the Coptic Orthodox Church as the moment when in the baptism of Jesus the skies opened and God himself revealed to all as father of Jesus and all mankind. It is then a moment of revelation of epiphany.

This celebration started to include all the processes of incarnation of Jesus, from his birth on Christmas until his baptism in the river Jordan. Most of this time period isn’t told in the Bible and remains as the hidden life of Jesus. Even so, there are moments of revelation like the birth and the visit of the Magi as well as childhood events like when Jesus became lost in the temple by the parents.

The baptism of Jesus exists as the most important of these moments since it is the moment when not only God reveals himself as father, but also Jesus is revealed as the son. A dove appears as a revelation of the Holy Spirit, so the holy Trinity are for the first time revealed in a single moment that is the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. For the Coptic Orthodox Church it is also a moment in which the path of Jesus to the Cross begins. Therefore, in many celebrations there are certain similarities with the celebrations of Holy Friday during the time of Easter.

Coptic Epiphany Traditions, Customs and Activities

Since the Epiphany is one of the seven great feasts of the Coptic Orthodox Church, it is a day of strict fasting, and several religious celebrations are held on this day. The day is related to the blessing of waters that are used all throughout the year in the church celebrations, and it is a privileged day to celebrate baptisms. It is also a day in which many houses are blessed with water. It may take several days for the local priest to bless all the houses of the parishioners that ask for it, and so the blessing of the houses may go into the afterfeasts of the Epiphany celebrations. However, it must be done before the beginning of Lent.

It is a day also that in many Coptic communities there are organized processions with the Holy Tabot, a replica of the tablets of law that had the commandments written by God and given to Moses. Aside from religious celebrations, it is also a day that is spent with family and friends, following the strict rules of fasting and moderation appropriate of the season but also in a joyous environment, rejoicing the small daily revelations of God.

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Jesus’ Circumcision Celebrated by Orthodox Christians

Noel — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:00:20 +0000

Jesus’ Circumcision Date: January 14

Jesus’ Circumcision is a religious observance for Coptic Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate the circumcision of Jesus on the first day of the Julian calendar, which corresponds with January 14 on the Gregorian calendar until 2100. The date is chosen because it is the eighth day after the birth of Jesus, a date which is considered to be when the new born baby was circumcised and received the name Jesus, according to Jewish tradition.

History of Jesus’ Circumcision

According to the Law of Moses, all male children were to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth. Mary and Joseph followed the Law and took their baby son to be circumcised. During the ceremony, their baby son received his name, Jesus, which means Savior.

To be circumcised is to be marked in the flesh as a son of Abraham. The ritual is called the Brit Milah, and a Jewish Rabbi will remove the baby’s foreskin with a small knife in the presence of all his family as witnesses of his entrance into the Jewish community. Its importance comes from the fact that on this day Jesus received his name, and therefore also his mission as savior. It also marks the first time that his blood was shed and salvation begun. It is not by coincidence that the two points occur together.

Jesus name was given to Joseph by angels that commanded him to name the child Jesus, and so Joseph did, the name a hint to all the wonders and what God had prepared for him, with the ultimate goal of salvation of humanity through his blood on the Cross. The fact that on this day his blood was shed for the first time was also a hint of how the salvation was to come to all of us through him, through his blood. For Eastern Orthodox Christians this day has more significance than for Western Christians who on the first day of the year, following the Gregorian calendar, do not celebrate the circumcision of Jesus and celebrate the feast of Mary, mother of Jesus.

Jesus’ Circumcision Traditions, Customs and Activities

The celebrations of this day are mostly intertwined with the celebrations of New Year for all Coptic Orthodox Christians that follow the Julian calendar. Most of the religious celebrations and customs related to the circumcision of Jesus are focused in the liturgy of the feast of the circumcision of Jesus. This liturgy is observed with a night-long vigil that aggregates three canonical hours of Vespers, Matins, and First Hour. Besides this, Coptic Orthodox Christians hold community meals with family and friends and set off fireworks in commemoration of the New Year. It is common in Coptic Orthodox Churches to display icons depicting the moment of the circumcision of Jesus with Mary and Joseph accompanying him.

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Coptic Christmas Celebrated by Coptic Orthodox Christians

Noel — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:00:28 +0000

Coptic Christmas Date: January 7, 2011

Coptic Christmas is a religious observance for Coptic Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Orthodox Coptic Christmas isn’t celebrated on December 25 as in most of the Western world because Coptic Christians follow the Julian calendar which has a 14-day difference from the Gregorian calendar used by Western Christians. Calendars differences aside, it is the same holiday in which the birth of Jesus is celebrated. On the Coptic calendar it falls on the month of Kiyahk. (A kiyahk is a vase used in ancient Egyptian funeral rituals.)

History of Coptic Orthodox Christmas

Coptic refers to the Christian Church in Egypt that follows the traditions and teachings from the Alexandria school. Before even Jesus was born, there were celebrations on this day since it was the darkest of days in winter after which the days become longer and there was more daylight. In ancient Rome there was a pagan feast called Saturnalia dedicated to Saturn, god of Agriculture. Eating and drinking were the rules of this feast. Other feasts were also celebrated on this time; the feast of Juvenalia for children and the celebration of the birth of Mithra, the god of Sun, on December 25.

We do not know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, but we know the story from the Bible. In Nazareth, 2010 years ago, a young woman by the name of Mary gave birth to a baby that would be named Jesus by Joseph to whom Mary was engaged. Many years after, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Church officials decided that something needed to be done about the pagan feasts of winter. So it was decided by the Catholic Church to place the celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25, not only because of the meaning of light and life, but also to put an end to all the pagan celebrations.

By this time the Julian calendar was still the official calendar that marked all the celebrations. But it was not an accurate calendar since it followed the phases of the moon and not the sun. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a more accurate calendar to help determine the exact dates of Easter and Christmas. But Protestants and Orthodox Churches did not follow the Catholic calendar and created a gap between the celebrations of Catholic Christians on December 25 and Orthodox Christians on January 7. So today there is the celebration of Christmas and the celebration of Old Christmas.

Coptic Christmas Traditions, Customs and Activities

Coptic Orthodox Christmas begins a week before the celebrations of New Year. The houses are cleaned and decorated for Christmas. There are special cookies called kahl el ‘aid made for the season. But a strict fasting is observed for Christmas, and only vegetarian food is allowed during the Christmas season. Before Christmas all the families buy new clothes. If a family cannot go shopping then clothes are offered by other families or by the church. The churches are decorated with colorful lights and nativity scenes.

On Christmas Eve there is a special Holy Mass that starts at 9 p.m. until 12 a.m., an occasion when everybody can wear their new clothes. In the morning there are greetings of “Merry Christmas” and everybody eats the kahl el ‘aid cookies. Children receive the el ‘aidia, money to buy sweets, toys, sugar cane juice. Fireworks are lit on the streets, children play with their new toys, and improvised football or volleyball matches occur in public parks. It is a day in which families come out from a 45-day fasting period of preparation for Christmas, so it is with great joy that people meet with family and friends to enjoy a full meal with chicken, vegetables, and ice cream.

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