The Paschal Feast.

— as being the day of the Resurrection of Our Lord, is the feast of feasts. Besides this feast there are twelve more, some fixed, some movable, which are distinguished by services of especial solemnity. They are called the Twelve Feasts. Of these, some are established in honor of the Lord, others of the Mother of God. The former are: The Nativity of Christ (Christmas), 25th of December; the Theophany (Epiphany) 6th of January; the Transfiguration, 6th of August; the Entry Into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday), the Sunday before Pascha; the Ascension, on Thursday, the fortieth day after Pascha; Pentecost, in commemoration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, on Sunday, the fiftieth day after Pascha; and the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in memory of the finding and setting up (“exalting”) for public adoration of the Cross on which Christ was crucified, 14th of September. The feasts celebrated in honor of the Virgin are: Her Nativity, 8th of September; her Entry Into the Temple, 21st of November; the Meeting of the Lord, 2nd of February; the Annunciation, 25th of March; and the Dormition of the Mother of God (Assumption), 15th of August.* There are days preceding and following each of the twelve feasts, during which the hymns belonging to the feast are sung at all services. Over and above this, the day following upon many of the Twelve Feasts is consecrated to the memory of the persons who took part in the event which the feast commemorates. Thus the day after that of the Nativity of Christ is called “the Synaxis of the Virgin,” i.e., the congregation meets to do honor to the Mother of God; the day after the Epiphany there is a service in honor of St. John the Baptist; the day after the Pentecost, in honor of the Holy Spirit; the day after the Nativity of the Virgin, in honor of her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anna; the day after the Annunciation is called “the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel”; the day after the Presentation of the Infant Jesus, “the Synaxis of St. Symeon and Anna the Prophetess.” The Church prepares for some of the feasts by fasts and special prayers for the dead.

The substance of the hymns for the various festivals is contained in the troparion — or verse — for the day. Troparion for the Nativity of the Virgin: “Thy Nativity, O Theotokos Virgin, hath proclaimed joy to all the world; for from thee hath dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, annulling the curse and bestowing the blessing, abolishing death and granting us life eternal.” — Troparion for the Entry of the Virgin into the Temple: “Today is the prelude of the God’s good will, and the heralding of the salvation of mankind. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and she proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her, then, with a great voice let us cry aloud: Let us then cry aloud to her: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.” — Troparion for the Meeting of the Lord: “Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness. Rejoice thou, also, O righteous Elder, as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who also granteth us the Resurrection.”