Nativity of St John the Baptist
Feast Day Celebrated June 24th
The Nativity of St John the Baptist - is celebrated each year on June 24th, as the date is six months before the nativity of Christ, since John was six months older than the Lord, according to the Scriptures. Holy Tradition teaches us that St. John holds a position of honor among the Saints second to that of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) alone. In every Orthodox Church, you will find an icon of St John to the right of Our Lord on the iconostastic (icon wall in the front of the Church). He also has 6 feast days on the Liturgical Calendar! In this guide you’ll find simple and easy ideas to celebrate the Nativity of St John the baptist as a family - emphasis on easy! Activity suggestions, book recommendations, song links, and additional information so you can share his story and what this feast is all about!
Did you know? We know from the Scriptures that after the Nativity of Jesus and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. But did you know that according to Tradition, upon hearing about this, St Elizabeth, St John’s mother, fled into the wilderness with her son and hid in a cave. St Zachariah, John’s father, was in Jerusalem doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to find the whereabouts of his infant John and his mother. Zachariah answered he didn’t know their whereabouts, and he was killed right there in the Temple. Righteous Elizabeth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died in her old age. The child, John, was protected by an angel, and dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord. The scriptures tell us in Luke 1:80 “So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”
Scroll to learn more about St John the Baptist and find activity and reading suggestions to celebrate this feast with your family!
St John the Baptist according to the Gospels? - St. John was the son of the Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was the cousin of the Mary, the mother of Jesus (Theotokos). St. John is known as the “Forerunner” and “Baptist.” He is known as the Forerunner because he preceded Christ and taught repentance, which prepared men for Jesus’ teaching and His ministry. He even recognized Christ as the Messiah as early as when they were both still in their mothers’ wombs.
The story of St John’s miraculous birth is found in the first chapter of Luke: The scriptures tell us the story of the miraculous birth of St John the Baptist in Luke 1. His parents, St Elizabeth and Priest Zachariah, were described as righteous before God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were barren and childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. An angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah, and he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to drink wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:11-17)
Zechariah questions the angel doubting how this would be possible seeing as his wife was very old. The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” He returned home, unable to speak. Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth - It was in the 6th month of her pregnancy that we see that Mary is also visited by the same Archangel Gabriel with the news that she too will conceive a child. Mary visits Elizabeth and when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:39-45). According to Holy Tradition, the baby leaping in his mother’s womb is considered his first acknowledgment of Christ as Messiah.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Source: OCA
Activity Ideas to Celebrate Nativity of St John the Baptist
1. Make Locust and Honey Crescent Rolls
Did you know what the Scriptures tell us St John ate while in the wilderness? Locust and honey! I love any excuse for a themed feast day food, so for his feast day, try your hand at these simple and yummy crescent rolls to look like locust, and top them with honey! You can find the recipe and step by step instructions HERE.
2. Eat Honey and Locust Themed Foods
St John lived on locust and honey while living in the wilderness, so why not honor his memory by eating some honey themed desserts! Some ideas include:
Buy some store bought honey buns, honey sticks, or honey comb!
Try some Edible Insects - check out this bag of mixed edible bugs. Grasshoppers, Crickets, Silk Worms and Sago Worms - If you’re feeling brave, try these freeze-dried bugs, available on amazon HERE
3. Listen to the Song “Guess Who?” (St John the Baptist) By Gigi Baba
Check out this FREE song on Youtube. This song is a fun way for kids to learn more about St John the Baptist. It tells his story from his mission (preach repentance) to his martyrdom. We love Gigi Baba Shadid! She is an Orthodox Priest wife and she creates very catchy music for kids to help them learn about our faith. You can find all of her CDs available for purchase HERE would be a good one to start with. You can also find this song on Spotify.
Print the words for Guess Who? Right HERE! Having the words is great for readers to be able to sing along more easily. Special thanks to Gigi for sharing this with us!
Book Recommendations:
Biblical Stories, we love to read them directly from the Scriptures: Luke Chapter 1
From the Children’s Bible Reader:
Elizabeth and Zechariah (The Children's Bible Reader, Pages 162 - 163)
Mary Visits Elizabeth (The Children's Bible Reader, Pages 166)
The Birth of John (The Children's Bible Reader, Pages 167 -168)
2. Saint John the Forerunner: Prophet, Apostle, and Martyr by Newrome Press
This BRAND NEW publication from Newrome Press begins with an explanation of the prophets and their mission. It then tells the entire story of the wondrous life of the greatest man born of women, Saint John the Baptist. The book also includes a catalog of feast days dedicated to the Forerunner, and a short history of the Sacred Monastery of Mesa Potamou, Cyprus, who has as its patron Saint John. You can purchase it HERE.
3. 101 Orthodox Saints by Ancient Faith Publishing
If you don’t have this handy resource book, I highly recommend you add it to your wishlist! It has a variety of popular saints. You can read more about St John the Baptist on page 59. You can purchase it HERE.
4. Saint John the Forerunner and Christ Baptizer by Potamitis Press
This tiny pocket book is perfect to add to your collection and goes great slipped inside a Church bag. We love the Paterikon for Kids series and have this one in our personal collection specifically for his many feast days! You can purchase it HERE.
Sing the Festal Hymn of the Feast:
O Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ,
we honour thee lovingly but cannot extol thee worthily;
for by thy birth thy mother's barrenness and thy father's dumbness were unloosed;
and the Incarnation of the Son of God is proclaimed to the world.
For Older Kids:
Read Fr. Joseph Huneycutt's thoughts on the importance of the feast
Listen to Fr Thomas Hopko’s Lecture: The Greatest Born of Woman - St. John the Baptist - Part 1
Final Thoughts
When it comes to Feast Days, I always prioritize 2 things: (1) Attending the service and (2) telling my children about the feast day prior - or afterwards. Usually this is done by showing them the icon or reading the account from their Children’s Bible. If I can do those two things, I feel a great sense of success! My hope is that these feasts days imprint on their hearts during their childhood and they have a greater love for our Savior as they grow up because of them. Now, if you are able to do those two things, you’re a gold star! Bravo! If you are in a season where you want to go a little deeper and make those connections stronger, I will cheer you on and encourage you on that venture. Some seasons allow for more, especially as children grow older. But if you find yourself in a busy season with littles, rest assured, you have many many years ahead to be able to add more to your plate!