Orthodox fasts in 2020

Twelfth permanent Orthodox holidays 2020

January 7, 2020 — Christmas Day
January 19, 2020 — Epiphany
February 15, 2020 — Presentation of the Lord
April 7, 2020 — Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 19, 2020 — Transfiguration of the Lord
August 28, 2020 — Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 21, 2020 – Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 27, 2020 — Exaltation of the Holy Cross
December 4, 2020 — Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Why was the Nativity Fast established?

The Nativity Fast is a winter fast; it serves for us to consecrate the last part of the year with a mysterious renewal of spiritual unity with God and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

Leo the Great writes: “The very practice of abstinence is sealed in four times, so that throughout the year we may learn that we are in constant need of cleansing and that when life is scattered, we must always try by fasting and alms to destroy sin, which is multiplied by the frailty of the flesh and the impurity of desires.”

According to Leo the Great, the Nativity Fast is a sacrifice to God for the harvested fruits.

“Just as the Lord generously provided us with the fruits of the earth,” the saint writes, “so during this fast we should be generous to the poor.”

According to Simeon of Thessaloniki, “the fast of the Nativity Pentecost depicts the fast of Moses, who, having fasted for forty days and forty nights, received the words of God inscribed on stone tablets. And we, fasting for forty days, contemplate and accept the living word from the Virgin, not inscribed on stones, but incarnate and born, and we partake of His Divine flesh.”

The Nativity Fast was established so that on the day of the Nativity of Christ we purify ourselves with repentance, prayer and fasting, so that with a pure heart, soul and body we can reverently meet the Son of God who appeared in the world and so that, in addition to the usual gifts and sacrifices, we offer Him our pure heart and a desire to follow His teaching.

Church posts in 2020

Multi-day posts in 2020:

from March 14, 2020 to April 30, 2020 - Lent;
from June 27, 2020 to July 11, 2020 - Petrov post;
from August 14, 2020 to August 27, 2020 - Assumption Fast;
from November 28, 2020 to January 6, 2020 - Nativity Fast (Philippov Fast).

One-day posts in 2020:

January 18 - Epiphany Christmas Eve;
September 11 - beheading of John the Baptist;
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Petrov fast - signs

Signs are not always empty superstitions. Some of them are designed to regulate the way of life and serve as spiritual guidelines.

There are some signs during Petrov's Fast.

By observing them, a person acquires new spiritual values:

The first day of fasting is dedicated to prayer. You cannot do heavy work or housecleaning.
It is believed that any marriages and unions between people concluded during fasting will not last long.
At the beginning of fasting, early in the morning, you need to wash your face with water from a spring or river to cleanse your body and thoughts of filth.
Do not cut your hair during Lent, otherwise your hair will not grow well, but, on the contrary, will weaken.
In Rus', they went into the forest and listened to the cuckoo: if it stopped singing about 7 days before the start of Lent, it means that winter will be early and cold. If the bird sings almost the entire post, it means that winter will come later.
When it rains on St. Peter's Day (July 12), it means rich harvests.
If during fasting one observes all the restrictions and does not fall into temptation, then it was believed that the Almighty would grant a person health, good luck and sources of income as gratitude for his service.

By bearing all the hardships of Peter's Fast with honor and dignity, people are able to become closer to the Lord, and their lives will be cleansed of sin and ignorance.

Continuous weeks without fasting

from January 7 to January 17, 2020 - Christmastide.
from February 22 to 28, 2020 - the week of the Publican and the Pharisee.
from March 7 to 13, 2020 - Maslenitsa (Cheese week).
from May 2 to May 8, 2020 - Easter (Bright) week.
from 20 to 26 June 2020 - Trinity Week.

All Souls Days 2020

Ecumenical Parents' Saturday (Meat and Fat) - March 5, 2016.
Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 26, 2020.
Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent - April 2, 2020.
Saturday of the 4th week of Lent - April 9, 2020.
Radonitsa and Commemoration of the Dead Soldiers - April 29, 2016.
Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 10, 2020.
Ecumenical Trinity Parents' Saturday - June 18, 2020.
Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - November 5, 2020.

Travel and hiking

What to take with you on a hike or trip? When you are traveling or going somewhere far away, even the absence of something seemingly insignificant at first glance can greatly spoil your mood. Tell us about what you forgot, or about what you will definitely need if you already have experience. This can be done in checklist format.
How to make your vacation better? Useful ideas and tips. Perhaps you know, or have observed, how an ordinary stay on the beach, or on a picnic in the forest, turned into a real holiday, simply because someone found a reason for it. For example, 7 things that will make your beach holiday better.
Interesting places from a hike, excursion or travel. Don't forget to share the beauty from your trip with your subscribers. But, just don’t take 100,500 selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower and spam your feed with them. Better write one cool post, with the best photo, and tell us what you learned about this cool place.
The interiors of the hotels you stay in and the establishments you visit. Another cool topic. Relevant for those who are staying in an unusual hotel or hostel. Everyone likes the interiors. Especially if there is something new in them.
Must have by city. What you need to do in this or that city. Make your own list, or show the one you have prepared for yourself, based on someone else’s experience and tell us for each item whether it impressed you or not.
Local culture. Many countries, and even individual cities, can boast of their unusual culture. If you encounter this, dedicate a post to it. After all, this is interesting.
Unforeseen situations while traveling or hiking. No one is immune from trouble. They can take you by surprise even on vacation, when you are sipping a coconut on a paradise beach. If this happened to you, tell us about it and how you got out of the situation. Perhaps this will save some of the subscribers someday.
How much did you spend on your trip? If you show specific numbers, people will be able to understand whether they can afford such a vacation or not. This will definitely be appreciated by respect to you.
Pros and cons of holidays in...... Everything has a downside and you can warn your subscribers about it. Tell us why it is and is not worth going to this or that country or city.
Souvenirs for subscribers. To make your vacation memorable not only for you, but also for those who actively follow you on Instagram, buy and raffle off souvenirs among them. Your subscribers will appreciate that you don’t forget about them even on vacation.
Budget holiday options in summer. Not everyone has the money for an expensive vacation. If you know how to save money on a trip and stay in another country or city, then many will be very grateful to you.
Special atmosphere. Sunsets and sunrises, evening parties on the beach or an unimaginably beautiful view from the hotel window. Share this magical moment with your followers and tell us what you're thinking about.
Unusual plants and animals. Flora and fauna are different everywhere. Sometimes it is radically different. You can show your subscribers unusual plants or animals. For example, Dmitry Portnyagin once had a post with llamas. This was very unusual for me, because I had never seen llamas in my life, only in random pictures on the Internet.
Shopping while traveling. Prices. We are not talking about some valuable things. Tell us about the prices for food and transport, for renting housing, for visiting museums and attractions. This is very informative as you can show current prices.
Parties while traveling. People will certainly be interested in this. Show what music is relevant where you are, what they drink there and what they talk about. Give your subscribers the opportunity to feel this atmosphere.
Traveler's Journal. Describe each day you spend traveling. But, you should only do this if you have a busy holiday. Writing about how nice it is at the beach for 7 days in a row is not a good idea.
A letter to yourself when things get hard and sad. Dedicate a post to what you would like to tell yourself when it’s hard for you, there is no motivation and you’re just tired of everything. Perhaps this post will preserve your mood and convey it to you at the right time.
How has travel changed your mind? A trip to another city or country is usually accompanied by an expansion of consciousness. You realize that there is another world, different from your everyday existence. Tell us how your views and values have changed.
Forget about the hustle and bustle of the world and lie on the beach without worries. What comes to your mind? Imagine that your entire past life up to this moment is a dream. Your life begins now, from this beach. What do you want? What will you do? Talk about it in the post and don't forget to come back to reality at the end. Ato will carry away!

Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for 2020 by month

January 2020: Orthodox holidays

January 2, 2020 - Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt;
January 3, 2020 - St. Peter of Moscow;
January 4, 2020 - Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker;
January 7, 2020 - CHRISTMAS;
January 8, 2020 — Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
January 14, 2020 - Circumcision of the Lord; St. Basil the Great;
January 15, 2020 — Irp. Seraphim of Sarov;
January 19, 2020 — EPHOPYNESS. EPIPHANY;
January 20, 2020 — Cathedral of John the Baptist;
January 22, 2020 - St. Philip, Met. Moscow;
January 24, 2020 — Rev. Theodosius the Great;
January 25, 2020 - Martyr Tatiana; Icons “Mammal”;
January 27, 2016 - Equal to the Apostles Nina;
January 30, 2020 — Rev. Anthony the Great;
January 31, 2020 - Saints Athanasius and Cyril; Prpp. Kirill and Maria.

February 2020: Orthodox holidays

February 1, 2020 - Enthronement Day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Reverend Savva of Storozhevsky;
February 6, 2020 - Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg;
February 7, 2020 - St. Gregory the Theologian;
February 9, 2020 - St. John Chrysostom;
February 10, 2020 - Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia;
February 12, 2020 - Cathedral of the 3 Saints;
February 14, 2020 - Martyr Tryphon;
February 15, 2020 — THE MEETING OF THE LORD
February 18, 2020 — Icons “Recovery of the Lost”;
February 25, 2020 - Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

March 2020: Orthodox holidays

March 5, 2020 — Ecumenical Parental (meat-free) Saturday;
March 4, 2020 - Venerable Theodore of Sanaksar;
March 5, 2020 — Remembrance of the departed;
March 7, 2020 — Cheese week. The beginning of Maslenitsa.
March 8, 2020 - First and second finding of the head of John the Baptist (from March 9);
March 9, 2020 - Finding of the head of John the Baptist;
March 13, 2020 - Forgiveness Sunday;
March 14, 2020—beginning of Lent (until April 30);
March 14, 2020 - Martyr Evdokia;
March 17, 2020 - Blessed Prince Daniil of Moscow;
March 20, 2020 — Icons “Helper of Sinners”;
March 21, 2020 — Icons “The Sign” of Kursk-Root;
March 22, 2020 - Forty Martyrs of Sebaste;
March 25, 2020 - Lydda Icon;
March 26, 2020 — Remembrance of the dead;
March 27, 2020 - Theodore Icon;
March 30, 2016- Remembrance of the dead; Venerable Alexy, man of God.

Unction at Nativity Fast

Unction during the Nativity Fast is a rarer phenomenon than unction during Great Lent. As a rule, unction takes place once a year, and specifically during Lent.

Unction is a prayer in which we ask God for forgiveness of our forgotten sins. It is the forgotten, this, in particular, is the meaning of unction, what distinguishes it from the Sacrament of Communion.

Unction is so called because several priests gather to perform it. As the breviary says, there should be seven priests, but, of course, it happens that one priest does everything. It is important that unction is performed not only on the sick, it is important and useful for every Orthodox Christian.

April 2020: Orthodox holidays

April 2, 2020 — Remembrance of the departed;
April 7, 2016 - ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOLY VIRGIN;
April 8, 2020 — Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel;
April 9, 2016- Remembrance of the dead;
April 12, 2016 - St. John Climacus;
April 14, 2020 - St. Euthymius of Suzdal;
April 16, 2020 — Icons “Fadeless Color”;
April 18, 2020 - Saint Job, Patriarch of Moscow;
April 24, 2020 - Palm Sunday (ENTRY OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM);
April 24, 2020 - Hieromartyr Angina;
April 25, 2020 - Murom icon;
April 30, 2020 - St. Alexander of Svirsky.

May 2020: Orthodox holidays

May 1, 2020 — EASTER;
May 2, 2020 — Beginning of Bright Week;
May 2, 2020 — Blessed Matrona of Moscow
May 8, 2020 — Apostle and Evangelist Mark
May 9, 2020 — Thanksgiving prayer on Victory Day
May 10, 2020 — Radonitsa. Commemoration of the departed (from May 9);
May 13, 2020 — Apostle James Zebedee
May 15, 2016- Blessed Princes Boris and Gleb
May 18, 2020 — Icons “Inexhaustible Chalice”
May 21, 2020 — Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
May 22, 2020 - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Summer Nicholas)
May 23, 2020 — Apostle Simon the Zealot
May 24, 2016 - Name day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Equal App. Methodius and Cyril
May 25, 2016- Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow
May 28, 2020 — Blgv. Tsarevich Dimitri

Discoveries and achievements

Unexpected finds. New knowledge, things, places. Everything that is new to you. Such posts turn out to be very lively and interesting.
Mastering a new skill. Summer is a time of change. So it's time to learn how to swim, ride a bike or make cool cocktails. Show the process, mistakes and successes along the way to achieving your goal.
A place where you can enjoy a summer evening. I think there are not so many good establishments on each person’s account. Recommend your favorite. Maybe it will become a favorite for your subscribers too.
Poster of cool events that will take place in your city. By writing such a post, you will help those who do not know how to have an interesting time. Many will be grateful to you.
Fashion trends and new items for this year's summer. If you suddenly decide to buy something, clothes or a gadget, and in search of the best option, you learned about this summer’s trends, share the information with your subscribers. You can save a lot of time for your subscribers.
One day without the Internet. Try living 24 hours offline. Fully! Just turn off and put your smartphone away. This would make a cool post!
Try to step over yourself and do what you are afraid or embarrassed. For example, sing karaoke or perform stand-up. Maybe it won't work out very well. But, the stage will be passed, and you will understand that everything is not so scary.
Achieve one goal and check the box. Let it be a small goal. But one small achievement opens the way to big ones. Share your joy and plans with your subscribers.

Don't forget that you are maintaining an account for your subscribers. They should be interested and comfortable in your profile. In the post “How to make your Instagram account interesting?”, you can get some valuable tips.

June 2020: Orthodox holidays

June 1, 2020 — Blgv. led book Dimitry Donskoy
June 2, 2020 — St. Alexis of Moscow
June 3, 2020 — Vladimir Icon
June 3, 2016- EqualApp. Konstantin and Elena
June 7, 2020 — Third discovery of the head of John the Baptist
June 9, 2016- ASCENSION OF THE LORD
June 9, 2020 — Spiritual Day
June 10, 2020 - St. Basil of Ryazan
June 18, 2020 — Remembrance of the departed;
June 18, 2016- Igor Icon
June 19, 2020 — Pimenovskaya icon
June 19, 2016 - HOLY TRINITY DAY. PENTECOST
June 18, 2020 — Trinity Parents Saturday
June 20, 2020 — Holy Spirit Day
June 24, 2020 — Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas, Icons “It is Worthy to Eat”
June 27, 2020 — Beginning of Peter’s Lent (until July 11)
June 28, 2016- St. Jonah, Met. Moscow

July 2020: Orthodox holidays

July 1 - Bogolyubskaya Icon
July 2, 2020 - Apostle Jude, brother of the Lord
— Saint Job, Patriarch of Moscow
July 6, 2020 — Vladimir Icon
July 7, 2020 - Nativity of John the Baptist
July 8, 2020 - Peter and Fevronia Day
July 9, 2020 — Tikhvin Icon
July 11, 2020 — Prpp. Sergius and Herman of Valaam
July 12, 2016- Apostles Peter and Paul
July 13, 2016 - Council of the 12 Apostles 15 - Akhtyrka Icon
July 17, 2016- Royal Passion-Bearers - Blgv. led book Andrey Bogolyubsky
July 18, 2020 - St. Sergius of Radonezh
July 21, 2020 — Kazan Icon
July 23, 2020 — The position of the honorable robe of our Lord Jesus Christ
July 24, 2020 — Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga
July 25, 2016- Icons “Three-handed”
July 28, 2016- Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir

Petrov's fast - what not to do, traditions

During Petrov's Fast it is not customary to do handicrafts : our ancestors tried not to pick up a needle at all on these days. Otherwise, they say, you can “sew up” everything good and “sew” something bad into your destiny.

At the same time, during the Petrovsky Fast they try not to borrow money - according to legend, this leads to poverty.

cut your hair yet , so as not to be left without happiness and good luck for the rest of your life.

But closer to July 12, traditions dictate that you do a general cleaning of the house and throw out excess trash - in order to celebrate the Feast of Peter and Paul in a clean house.

Also, during Petrov's Fast it is not customary to perform rituals, read conspiracies and tell fortunes - all this risks turning against the one who does it.

Children are not baptized during Petrov Fast.

August 2020: Orthodox holidays

August 1, 2020 - St. Seraphim of Sarov
August 2, 2020 — Elijah’s Day
August 5, 2020 — Pochaev Icon
August 6, 2020 - Martyrs of the Righteous Princes Boris and Gleb
August 9, 2020 - Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon
August 10, 2020 — Smolensk icon “Hodegetria”
August 12, 2020 - Martyr John the Warrior
August 14, 2020 — Honey Spas
August 14, 2020 — Beginning of the Assumption Lent (until August 27)
August 15, 2020 — First. Archdeacon Stephen
August 19, 2020 — TRANSFORMATION OF THE LORD
August 19, 2020 — Yablochny Spas
August 20, 2020 – St. Mitrophan of Voronezh
August 21, 2020 - Venerable Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky
August 22, 2020 — Apostle Matthew
August 23, 2020 - St. Savva of Storozhevsky
August 26, 2020 – St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
— Icons “Seven Shots” and “Passionate”
August 28, 2016- DORMSION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
August 29, 2016- The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands
August 29, 2020 — Khlebny Spas
August 31, 2020 — Icons “The Queen of All”

September 2020: Orthodox holidays

September 1, 2016- Don Icon
September 8, 2016- Presentation of the Vladimir Icon. Martyrs Adrian and Natalia
September 10, 2016 - St. Job of Pochaev
September 11, 2016- Beheading of John the Baptist
September 12, 2016- Blessed Princes Alexander Nevsky and Daniil of Moscow
September 14, 2020 - Church New Year. Venerable Simeon the Stylite
September 17, 2016- Icons “The Burning Bush”
September 19, 2020 – Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh
September 21, 2020 – NATIVITY OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
September 27, 2020 — RAISING OF THE LORD’S CROSS
September 29, 2020 - Great Martyr Euphemia of All Praise;
September 30, 2020 - Martyrs of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

October 2020: Orthodox holidays

October 1, 2020 — Icons “Healer”
October 4, 2020 – St. Demetrius of Rostov
October 8, 2020 — Rev. Sergius of Radonezh
October 9, 2020 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
October 14, 2016-Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary
October 18, 2020 — Saints of Moscow
October 19, 2020 - Thomas the Apostle
October 22, 2020 - Apostle James Alfeev - Korsun Icon
October 23, 2016- Rev. Ambrose of Optina
October 24, 2016 - Council of the Optina Elders
October 25, 2016- Jerusalem icon
October 26, 2016- Iveron Icon
October 31, 2020 — Apostle and Evangelist Luke

November 2020: Orthodox holidays

November 1, 2020 — Rev. John of Rylsky
November 2, 2016- Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday
November 4, 2020 — Kazan Icon
— Apostle James
November 5, 2020 — Remembrance of the departed;
November 6, 2020 — Icons “Joy of All Who Sorrow”
November 8, 2016- Vmch. Demetrius of Thessalonica
November 10, 2016- Martyrs Paraskeva Pyatnitsa
November 14, 2016- Bessrr. and miracles. Cosmas and Damian
November 19, 2020 - St. Varlaam of Khutyn
November 21, 2020 – Cathedral of the Archangel Michael
November 22, 2016- Icons “Quick to Hear”
November 26, 2020 – St. John Chrysostom
November 27, 2016- Apostle Philip
November 28, 2020 — Beginning of the Nativity Fast (until January 6, 2015)
November 29, 2020 — Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

What is Christmas Eve

The last day of the Nativity Fast is called Christmas Eve. This word comes from the name of the dish - sochivo. Sochivo is prepared from grains of wheat, lentils or rice in memory of the fast of the prophet Daniel and the three youths, who ate from the seeds of the earth so as not to be defiled by a pagan meal (Dan 1, 8). Orthodox Christians prayerfully remember these saints just before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.

According to the church charter, they eat juice on the evening of January 6 after completely abstaining from food throughout the day.

December 2020: Orthodox holidays

December 4, 2016- ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
December 6, 2020 - Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky
December 7, 2020 – Great Martyr Catherine
December 10, 2020 — Icons “The Sign”
December 13, 2016- Apostle Andrew the First-Called
December 16, 2020 - Rev. Savva Storozhevsky
December 17, 2020 – Great Martyr Barbara
December 18, 2020 — Rev. Savva the Sanctified
December 19, 2020 – St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
December 20, 2020 — St. Ambrose of Milan
December 22, 2020 — Icons “Unexpected Joy”
December 25, 2020 – St. Spyridon of Trimythous

November 4, 2020 at 03:13 pm