December 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) explained

December 20 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 22

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 3 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.

For December 21st, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 8.

Feasts

• Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.^[1]

Saints

• Martyr Theomistocles of Myra in Lycia (251)^{[1] [2]}
• Virgin- martyr Juliana of Nicomedia,^{[3] [4]} and with her 500 men by the sword,^{[5] [6]} and 130 women by beheading.^{[7] [8]} (304)^[1]
• Venerable Macarius the Faster, Abbot of Khakhuli Monastery (c. 1034)^{[1] [9]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Honoratus of Toulouse, born in Spain, he succeeded St Saturninus as Bishop of Toulouse in France (3rd century)^[10]
• Saint Severinus of Trier, Bishop of Trier in Germany (c. 300)^[10]
• Martyrs John and Festus, martyrs honoured in Tuscany in Italy.^[10]
• Saint Baudacarius, A monk at Bobbio Abbey in the north of Italy (650)^[10]
• Saint Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims (882)^{[11] [12]}
• Saint Beornwald of Bampton (Bernwald), a righteous priest in Bampton in Oxfordshire in England (10th century)^[10]
• Saint John Vincent, born in Ravenna, he became a monk at St. Michael in Chiusa, then a hermit on Monte Caprario, finally he became Bishop nearby (1012)^[10]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Peter of Kiev, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia (1326)^{[1] [13] [14]}
• Saint Juliana, Princess of Vyazma (Novotorzhok) (1406)^{[1] [15] [16]}
• Blessed Procopius of Vyatka, Fool-for-Christ (1627)^[1]
• Saint Anton II of Georgia, Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia (1827)^[17]
• Saint Philaret (Theodosius in schema), Metropolitan of Kiev (1857)^[1]
• Righteous-Virgin Yulianiya Solvychegodska (17th century)^{[18] [19]}

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Michael Kiselev, Priest, at Perm (1918)^{[20] [21] [22]}
• New Hieromartyr Sergius, Deacon (1937)^{[20] [22]}
• New Hieromartyr Nicetas (Pribytkov), Bishop of Belev (Belevsk) (1937)^{[1] [20] [22]}
• New Hieromartyr Leontius, Deacon (1940)^{[20] [22]}

Other commemorations

• Repose of Blessed Peter “the Nose,” of Kama (c. 1938)^[1]
• Repose of Schemamonk Michael of Harbin (1939)^[1]
• Finding of the relics (1950) of New Monk-martyr Ephraim of Nea Makri (1426)^[1]
• Repose of Mother Stavritsa the Missionary, missionary in Kenya (2000)^{[1] [23]}

Sources

• December 21/January 3. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• January 3 / December 21. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 21. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 1.
• December 21. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: 21 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• Συναξαριστής. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• 3 января (21 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• 21 декабря (ст.ст.) 3 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).

Notes and References

1. http://orthochristian.com/calendar/20171221.html December 21/January 3
2. Great Synaxaristes: : Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεμιστοκλῆς ὁ Μάρτυρας. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
3. Great Synaxaristes: : Ἡ Ἁγία Ἰουλιανὴ ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Virginmartyr Juliana of Nicomedia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
5. Great Synaxaristes: : Οἱ Ἅγιοι 500 Μάρτυρες. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
6. Martyred 500 Men of Nicomedia, with the Virginmartyr Juliana. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
7. Great Synaxaristes: : Οἱ Ἁγίες 130 Γυναῖκες. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
8. Martyred 130 Women of Nicomedia, with the Virginmartyr Juliana. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
9. Venerable Macarius the Faster, Abbot of the Khakhuli Monastery. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
10. http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stddec.htm December 21
11. Web site: May 2009 . 2023-05-23.
12. Web site: John . John Cassian, Vincent of Lerins and Faustus of Riez Were Not Semi-Pelagians . 2023-05-23.
13. Great Synaxaristes: : Ὁ Ἅγιος Πέτρος ὁ Θαυματουργός Μητροπολίτης πάσης Ρωσίας (Ρῶσος). 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. Repose of St Peter the Metropolitan of Moscow and Wonderworker of All Russia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
15. St Juliana the Princess of Vyazma. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
16. Nobleborn Juliania, Princess of Vyazemsk and Novotorzh. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
17. Web site: АНТОНИЙ II (БАГРАТИОНИ) - Древо . 2023-05-23 . drevo-info.ru . ru.
18. Web site: ИУЛИАНИЯ . 2023-05-23 . www.pravenc.ru.
19. Web site: ИУЛИАНИЯ СОЛЬВЫЧЕГОДСКАЯ - Древо . 2023-05-23 . drevo-info.ru . ru.
20. http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/index.php?year=2011&today=3&month=1&trp=0&tzo=-4 January 3 / December 21
21. The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p.1.
22. 21 декабря (ст.ст.) 3 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).
23. Constantine Cavarnos. Blessed Elder Iakovos of Epiros, Elder Joseph the Hesychast, and Mother Stavritsa the Missionary: Their Life, Character, Thought, and Influence. Volume 14 of Modern Orthodox Saints. Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 2002. 156pp.