Here Are the 12 “Great Feasts” That Eastern Christians Celebrate Each Year

As a Byzantine Catholic, I enjoy telling my Latin Brethren about our Rite. But, I always emphasise that we are Catholics in union with Rome, too!

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

You may be surprised which feasts are the greatest in the Eastern Christian liturgical calendar.

While Eastern and Western Christians share many of the same liturgical feasts, there do exist many differences in how these feasts are celebrated.

In many Orthodox and Byzantine churches there are 12 “Great Feasts” of the liturgical year, and these feasts are given greater importance than the rest. However, there is one feast that is not included in this list, as it is the “Feast of Feasts” and is in a category of its own.

That would be the Pascha, more commonly known as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ or simply “Easter.” The Easter celebration stands outside of these 12 feasts as it is the principal feast of the entire year.

Among these feasts, eight are dedicated to Jesus Christ, and four are in honor of the Virgin Mary. These feasts have a long history among Eastern Christians and generally date to the first few centuries of Christianity.

Here is a slideshow of these Great Feasts, including images that correspond to each of the feasts.