The Nativity Fast is a special time for us, set apart, to help us to slow down and prepare our hearts to receive Christ. For Orthodox Christians, Nativity fast begins November 15th and marks the 40 days leading up to the Nativity of our Lord (December 25th). In this guide, I want to share the various resources available to help you mark this season in your homes so that it is a fruitful season for you. Each household will take on their own unique traditions and practices. In my experience, the key to a fruitful Nativity fast is to pair everything down; do ONE thing, do it well, and build from there! God willing we will have many more years to build on foundation we are laying in our homes.

November in the Orthodox Church is a busy and joyful time! We begin the Nativity Fast - fasting from November 15th-Dec 24th! This is one of the 4 great fasting seasons in the Church. We are fasting, increasing services/prayer, and finding new opportunities to give alms. We also have many special feast day traditions including the beloved St Martin Day (Nov 12th) which is a cherished tradition just before the Nativity fast begins! It is also a very busy cultural time in our world - with the “Holiday” season. It takes intention to live the Christian life, and this time of year is no exception. Find ways to slow down this season and prepare your heart to receive our Lord!

November Liturgical Printable

$4.99

That’s why I created a one page monthly printable! My hope with these monthly printables is to pair it down for you. Let’s make a goal to learn about ONE saint this month, and do ONE activity this month related to a featured saint. Throughout the month, learn ONE hymn by singing it together every day, or as often as you can. And lastly, intentionally carve out time to create a strong family culture in your home (in the Family Corner section). According to Saint John Chrysostom, the home is a “little church.” By bringing these small experiences of the Church into the home, we more fully recognize and appreciate what it means to be the Church when we gather during the Liturgy. Our lives at home should be a reflection of our life in the Church. I’ve also included a few reminders of common traditions associated with the feast days each month.

For this download, you will receive October, November, December:

The Printable Includes :

Important dates in the Orthodox Church Calendar and a few reminders of common traditions associated so you know what's coming up and plan accordingly
Saint focus for the month - details about their life in a simple understandable way for children.
Family Corner - building family culture takes intention, so we've included a simple ideas for the whole family to engage in summertime activities as a family.
Activity - one of the best ways to help kids engage in the Liturgical Calendar is by bringing the stories to life! Making those connections outside of church can be really helpful so when they are in church for the services they can make those connections in the Liturgy, icons, and hymnography. And don't worry, you don't have to be a “crafty” parent to do these activities. They are very simple and fun!
Song - let's learn one song a month, shall we? By singing the hymn weekly, you'll begin to familiarize yourself with it so by the time you hear it sung in church, you'll already have it written in your heart ❤️ the Liturgical Hymns hold the meaning behind each Feasts, so learning them will be a great joy
BONUS: included some extra information and QR code links to go further into living liturgically!