HOLY DAYS, the Liturgical Year in Practice (Living the Orthodox Calendar)

This little book presents the Liturgical Calendar as a way of life - to inspire us with its riches. The special calendar section is laid out as a liturgical diary. Suited for personal use, or as an educational project for study-group, catechism, or home-school: Use it for general reference - next to a regular diary, notebook or little workbook. Or customize it for any given year (paschal tables included).

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Practical Details:

- Based on the traditional Menaion (suitable for Old or New Calendar) - with four spreads per month, noting feasts, fasts & daily commemorations.

- Special section for the Paschal cycle (Triodion & Pentecostarion), following the ancient Orthodox Paschalion - mostly one spread per week (two spreads for 5th-6th week, Holy Week & Bright Week).

- Calendar sections include small notes concerning special Sundays, traditional customs, services during the Paschal cycle etc: concentrating on what is common to all - with occasional notes on local traditions, and inspirational quotes from the Orthodox Tradition.

- Also included: Introductory chapters, Levels of Fasting and Dispensation, and a few short summaries (by way of reminder).

- Traditional Year, from Sep-Aug (similar to the academic year) - with a few additional pages for the preceding and following months.

Includes the following Tables:

- For the entire 21st century: Orthodox Pascha (Easter) - Julian/OC date & equivalent civil/NC date.

- For all possible dates of Pascha (Easter): Dates for Sundays and Feasts of the Paschal cycle.

Room for Local/Personal Additions:

Despite its small size, packed with information, the calendar pages include some room for local and/or personal additions (local saints, new canonizations, church and/or personal events etc). For those who would like a bit more room to write, there is a special companion volume - HOLY DAYS, LITTLE WORKBOOK, with the same page-size but thinner (204 pages, ISBN 978-1-917556-01-9).

HOLY DAYS, THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN PRACTICE

++ Contents ++

(p.2) Overview: The Paschal Cycle

(Title Page & Verso)

List of Abbreviations

(p.7) About the Church Calendar - introducing a way of life

- What Is a Calendar?

- Liturgical Celebrations: A Traditional Pattern

- Levels of Fasting and Dispensation

(p.37) The Liturgical Year

- Menaion: Jul-Aug & Sep-Feb/Mar

- Feasts of the Menaion during the Paschal Cycle (inc. Mar-Apr)

- The Paschal Cycle: Triodion & Pentecostarion

- Menaion, continued: May/Jun-Aug & Sep-Dec

(p.187) Paschal Tables: For Any Year

(How to find the date of Pascha, the related Paschal cycle, and the current weekdays)

- How to Use These Tables (and how to customize for a particular year)

- Tables for the 21st century >> Paschal dates for 2000-2099 (Julian/OC & civil/NC)

- Tables for the Paschal Cycle >> for all possible dates of Pascha (Sundays & Feasts)

- A Simple Calculation in Case of Need >> derive the Paschal date from the year AD

(p.237) Overview: The Cycle of the Menaion - concise overview >> full year: Sep-Aug

(p.264) Plus summaries of the following:

- Holy Orthodox Councils (with calendar dates) >> the first 7 Oec. Councils, St Photius & St Gregory Palamas

- Ranks of the Holy Angels >> the nine ranks & names of the archangels

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