January Liturgical Guide Blogpost
If you’re like me, perhaps you appreciate an overview of what is coming up for the next several weeks in order to mentally prepare for it! It is easy to feel “behind” as various feast days rolls around, not realizing what’s ahead. Before I was putting together feast day guides, I was feeling the same way! So when a friend shared with me a month-by-month break down of how her family celebrates various Feast Days, I had an epiphany! What if I created a simple guide for families each month with an activity and book recommendation for Major Feasts and popular saints?! Thus, an idea was born! So, I present for the very first time, a monthly Feast Day Guide for families!
Check out this one page January Liturgical Printable
Start off the new year right with an intentional plan to incorporate the liturgical life into your home, with a few simple additions. Living our faith in a modern world is not easy, so my hope is to provide a simple one page guide to guide you through some “bite sized” ideas, so you can spend less time figuring out what to do, and spend more living liturgically.
January 1st - St. Basil the Great / Circumcision of Christ
St. Basil the Great - Saint Basil was born in 330 A.D. in Caesarea, Cappadocia, into a wealthy and pious family. As a young man, he received the best education of his time, in areas such as philosophy, history, rhetoric, astronomy, medicine, and geometry. Upon completion of his studies, he returned to Caesarea, where he initially pursued a career as a rhetoric. Soon, under the influence of his older sister Macrina, he decided to give up his career and live as a monastic in voluntary poverty. He lead an ascetic life together with his friend Saint Gregory the Theologian, building monasteries and establishing guidelines for cenobitic monasticism.
In 370, he became Bishop of Caesarea, where he ministered to his flock with great love and selflessness. He established hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes for the elderly. Saint Basil fought fervently against heresies (false teachings), and wrote extensively on how to live and worship in the Orthodox way. He is considered the author of the Divine Liturgy bearing his name, which is celebrated ten times during the year.
Source: https://orthodoxpebbles.com/saints/saint-basil-the-great/
Circumcision of our Lord - On January 1st, on the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised in accordance with the Old Testament Law. All male infants underwent circumcision as a sign of God’s Covenant with the holy Forefather Abraham and his descendants [Genesis 17:10-14, Leviticus 12:3]. The Holy Fathers of the Church explain that the Lord, the Creator of the Law, underwent circumcision in order to give people an example of how faithfully the divine ordinances ought to be fulfilled. The Lord was circumcised so that later no one would doubt that He had truly assumed human flesh, and that His Incarnation was not merely an illusion.
Activity Ideas :
See my St Basil Day Guide for more ways to participate in this feast day with your family, including baking Vasilopita (St Basil’s Day Cake with a coin baked inside)
Book Recommendations:
The Story of the Vasilopita (Paterikon for Kids) by Potamitis Publishing
The Lucky Cake by Anna Prokos (available on amazon)
Friends of Christ - January By Newrome Press (see page 8)
January 2nd - St Seraphim of Sarov
Our venerable and God-bearing father Seraphim of Sarov was a Russian ascetic who lived at the Sarov Monastery in the 18th century. After St Seraphim was ordained as a hieromonk, he began to withdraw into his "farther hermitage"—the forest wilderness about five kilometers from the Sarov Monastery. Wild animals—bears, rabbits, wolves, foxes and others—came to the hut of the ascetic. Soon the news of this special monk spread. Many thousands of people from all walks of life and conditions began to visit the elder, who enriched them from his spiritual treasures, which he had acquired by many years of asceticism. Everyone saw St. Seraphim as meek, joyful, and sincere. He greeted all with the words: "My joy! Christ is risen!" To many he advised: "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved." No matter who came to him, he would bow to the ground before all, and kissed their hands in blessing. He did not need the visitors to tell about themselves, as he could see what each had on their mind. He also said, "Cheerfulness is not a sin. It drives away weariness, for from weariness there is sometimes dejection, and there is nothing worse than that."
Source: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Seraphim_of_Sarov
"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved."
Activity Ideas :
Set up a forest sensory table with a bear and other animals
Make bird feeders
Make Russian food for dinner (i.e piroshki, potato pancakes, bilini, borsht, beet-boiled eggs, etc)
For the adults: Make White Russians Alcoholic drinks for the adults!
Book Recommendations :
St Seraphim's Beatitudes by Priest Paul Drozdowski (available on Amazon)
Alyosha's Apple by Alvin Alexsi Currier (also available on Amazon)
St Seraphim a Comic Strip Series by Gabriel Wilson (online printable)
The Monk that Grew Prayer by Claire Brandenburg (note: not specifically about St Seraphim, but illustrates the life of a monk living alone in the forest)
January 6th - Theophany / Epiphany
This is one of the 12 Great Feasts in the Orthodox Church in which we commemorate Jesus’s baptism by St John the Baptist. Theophany means “The manifestation of God”. On that day, when the Lord came out of the water, the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit decended upon Jesus. The voice of God the Father was heard from the clouds saying “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” God appeared in His fullness, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - The Holy Trinity.
Be sure to find out when your parish is serving Liturgy for Theophany. If you’ve not been to this special Feast Day service, you’ll see the Priest blessing the waters which are used throughout the entire year! He takes the newly blessed waters, and splash those in attendance with it, giving a blessing to all who attend. It is always full of so much joy!! The Holy water is bottled up in small containers and handed out for use at home.
Photo by : Jill Wojslaw IG : @Jill.wojslaw https://www.instagram.com/jill.wojslaw/
Activity Ideas:
Orthodox Pebbles has a great guide and lesson plan for this feast day including activities and information behind the service for this feast day which you can find through this link HERE
In some western traditions, Theophany marks the arrival of the Wise Men (Epiphany), so one idea is to put together a sensory bin with gold, frankincense (essential oil), and myrrh
Book Recommendations:
Twelve Great Feasts for Children by Exaltation Press (see page 16)
Theophany of our Lord by Mother Melania
The Gift of the Magi by Paterikon for Kids
Old Bafana by Tomie dePaolo (Check your local library)
January 7 - Synaxis of St John the Baptist
In the Orthodox Church, St. John holds a special position of honor among the Saints second to that of the Theotokos alone. Did you know in every Orthodox Church, you will find an icon of St John to the right of Jesus on the Iconostasis (Icon wall in the front of the Church)? He’s a pretty important guy! St John has 6 feast days throughout the year, so I wanted to share a fun and EASY way to celebrate the Feast of St John the Baptist with your kids!
We know from the Bible that St. John lived in the wilderness, preaching repentance, preparing the people’s hearts to receive Him and paving the way for our Lord’s ministry. Did you know what he ate while in the wilderness…. ? Locust and honey! For his feast day, we made some yummy crescent rolls to look like locust, and topped them with honey!
You can find the recipe, book recommendations and songs through this St John the Baptist blogpost here.
January 17th - St Anthony the Great
St Anthony was a Christmas monk who lived in the 3rd Century in Egypt. Upon hearing the reading of Matthew 19:21, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me" St. Anthony felt that passage was spoken directly to him. He sold everything he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, and left the city behind to live as a monastic (hermit) in the desert. He is most known for his victory over many great temptations in the desert, his defense of Orthodoxy against Arianism, and he is known as the Father of Monastics.
Activity Ideas:
Make St. Anthony of the Desert soup from From a Monastery Kitchen by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette (Recipe Book Available at Barnes & Noble)
Saint Anthony of the Desert Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil of choice
1 cup barley
1 carrot, finely grated
2 leeks, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
salt to taste
7 cups water
Optional:
1 vegetable bouillon cube, if desired
Chopped mushrooms, if desired
Heat the oil in a soup pot and add barley, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Immediately add the carrot, leeks, bay, leaf, parsley, salt and 7 cups of water.
Cook the soup over low to medium heat, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes, until the barley is tender. Add more water if needed. For extra flavor, add the bouillon and mushrooms during the last 20 minutes of simmering. Remove the bay leaf. Serve hot.
Book Recommendations :
Saint Anthony the Great by John Chryssavgis (Available on Amazon)
Stories of the Saints : Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace and Courage by Carey Wallace (See Page 46, and be sure to check your local library)
January 30th - Three Holy Hierarchs
The Holy Three Hierarchs lived in the mid-4th through 5th century AD. Even during their lifetime, they were greatly beloved by the faithful; their reverence only continued stronger through the centuries. At the end of the 11th c. AD, a dispute arose among the educated faithful as to which of the three hierarchs would be the greatest among them. ‘Zealots’ supporting each Saint even formed different parties, each bearing the name of their beloved Hierarch: the Basilians, the Gregorians, and the Johnites.
The dispute among the three parties became so fierce that, on many occasions, heated arguments turned into real battles. Then, one saintly bishop, John of Efchaita, saw the Three Hierarchs in a dream, first one by one and later all together, telling him to order the quarreling parties to stop because, as they said, in Paradise, we are all participants in God’s Light and Glory; there is no space for competition. They asked Saint John to set a feast date for their common celebration and to compose hymns and prayers for the feast. Saint John did as he was told, and the Feast of the Holy Three Hierarchs was established to be celebrated on January 30, 1084 AD – and every year after that.
On January 30, we celebrate the Synaxis of the Holy Three Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers: Basil the Great; Gregory the Theologian; and John Chrysostom. The three Hierarchs belong to the Great Fathers of the Church because they used their excellent education to explain the Holy Scriptures to the people, so everyone could live a life in Christ. They are the Patron Saints of all levels of education, of teachers, and of students. In Greece and Cyprus, on their feast day, the Greek Letters are also celebrated. Schools organize festivities that include poems, plays, folk dance shows and similar activities.
Activity Ideas :
Orthodox Pebbles has a great guide and lesson plan for this feast day including FREE printable activities, puzzles, an icon craft and additional facts about each saint which you can find through this link HERE . (*If you enjoy these materials, please consider making a donation in support of these hard working Orthodox moms behind these incredible materials by becoming a Patreon)
Listen to the Podcast Tending to the Garden of our Hearts on The Three Holy Hierarchs HERE. It’s a podcast for the whole family!
Color an Icon of the feast by The Meek Sparrow HERE. *You can also support this Orthodox artist by leaving a tip HERE
Final Thoughts
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed with the amount of feast days that are acknowledged and celebrated broadly in the Orthodox Church. My intention for sharing these guides is to offer resources, book recommendations and ideas on how to celebrate a particular feast with your family. Admittedly we do not celebrate all of these special Saint days, as many of them are new to us, and we have only been recently introduced to them. My hope with my own family is to create a rhythm in which we live liturgically - attending services regularly, praying together, and serving others - and when energy/time permits, we can add additional fun activities! We prioritize the 12 Major Feast days of the church. Beyond that, we have a handful of special Saints to our family that we celebrate year after year, including our own patron saints. If you find that you have a special connection to any of the above saints, perhaps find one activity this year to participate in to learn more about him/her! These resources are for YOU and I certainly do not want to give the impression that these ideas must and should be implemented. Far from it! My intention is to share ideas on how you can more easily engage with our liturgical life in our homes, and our little church.
Special Thanks - This guide was not a solo effort. Many hands make for light work! I wanted to give a special acknowledgement to Abigail Burke (@bandofburke) for helping me outline activities and book recommendations for these feast and many other feasts throughout the year. Her organization was the springboard to these monthly feast day guides I will be putting together. Another special thanks to Corinne Stuckey (@corinne.ashleyy), and Orthodox Pebbles (@orthodoxpebbles) for their input and photos which were used above.
What’s to Expect in the Future:
Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram or facebook for more Orthodox Feast Day resources in the coming year! Also, consider subscribing below to receive updates on future guides and resources.
Each month I create feast day printables for what feast days/liturgical events are happening that month so you can begin to think/plan/prepare for what’s ahead and simply start incorporating the life of the Church into our homes
I share real life examples of how our family lives the liturgical calendar. Spoiler alert, even clergy families cant do it all!
-Kh Destinie