To celebrate the circumcision of our Lord and His receiving the name Jesus, according to Jewish tradition.

This feast commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river by St John the Baptist.

Feast commemorating the beheading of St John the Baptist.

Feast commemorating the martyrdom of St Stephen, the head of the Deacons and the first among martyrs.

This is the feast day of St Athanasius the Great, the Patriarch of Alexandria in the 4th century, who is considered a Doctor of the Church and called as ‘the father of orthodoxy’.

This fast is practiced following the example of the people of Nineveh of old times who listened to the warning of God through the Prophet Jonah and proclaimed a fast for all, seeking God’s mercy.