January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 31 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 2

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 14 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For January 1 (New Style), Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 19.

Feasts

• Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.^{[1][2][3][note 2][note 3]}

Saints

• Martyr Theodotus, by the sword.^[6][7]
• Martyr Basil of Ancyra (362)^{[8][note 4]} (see also: January 2)
• Saint Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder, bishop and father of Saint Gregory the Theologian (374)^[9][10]
• Saint Emilia, (mother of Sts. Macrina, Basil the Great, Naucratius, Peter of Sebaste, and Gregory of Nyssa) (375)^{[10][11][note 5]}
• Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (379)^{[12][13][note 6]}
• Saint Theodosius of Tryglia, abbot^{[7][10][14][note 7]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Hieromartyr Concordius of Spoleto (c. 175)^{[15][note 8]}
• Thirty soldier-martyrs in Rome, under Diocletian (c. 304)^{[15][note 9]}
• Saint Telemachus (Almachius), hermit who came to Rome from the East and publicly protested against Pagan rites on New Year's Day, killed by gladiators in the Roman amphitheatre (391 or 404)^{[15][note 10]}
• Saint Basil, Bishop of Aix en Provence (c. 475)^[15]
• Saint Eugendus, fourth Abbot of Condat Abbey in the Jura Mountains (510)^[7][10][15]
• Saint Fanchea of Killeany (Fanchea of Rossory), sister of St Enda of Aran (c. 520)^{[7][10][15][16][note 11]}
• Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, Bishop of Ruspe in North Africa (533)^{[7][10][note 12]}
• Saint Justin of Chieti, bishop of Chieti, Italy (c. 540)^{[15][note 13]}
• Saint Felix of Bourges, Bishop of Bourges (c. 580)^[15]
• Saint Connat (Comnata, Comnatan), Abbess of Kildare Abbey in Ireland (c. 590)^[15][17]
• Saint Maelrhys, a saint on Bardsey Island in Wales (6th century)^[15]
• Saint Clarus, Abbot of St. Marcellus Monastery in Vienne, Gaul (c. 660)^[10][15]
• Saint Cúan (Mochua, Moncan), Irish abbot, founder of many churches and monasteries in Ireland, lived to nearly 100 (752)^[15][18]
• Saint Peter of Atroa, Abbot, opponent of iconoclasm (Peter the Standard-Bearer) (837)^[19] (see also: January 3 - East)
• Saint William of Dijon (William of Volpiano), Italian monastic reformer and architect (1031)^[15]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Peter Mogila, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia (1646) ^[20]
• New Martyr Peter of Tripolis in the Peloponnesus, at Temisi in Asia Minor (1776)^[10][21]
• Saint Athanasius (Volkhovsky), Bishop of Mohyliv, Wonderworker of Poltava (1801)^[22]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Jeremiah Leonov (1918)^[7][23]
• New Hieromartyrs Platon (Kulbush), Bishop of Tallinn (Reval), Estonia, and with him protopresbyters Michael (Blaive) and Nicholas (Bezhanitsky) (1919)^[10][23][24]
• New Hieromartyrs Alexander (Trapitsyn), Archbishop of Samara;
  • with him, priests: John (Smirnov), Alexander (Ivanov), Alexander (Organov), John (Suldin), Trophimus (Miachin), Viacheslav Infantov, Basil Vitevsky, and Jacob Alferov (1938)^{[7][10][19][23]}

Picture gallery

• 
  Circumcision of Christ. Menologion of Basil II.
• 
  St. Telemachus (from Foxe's Book of Martyrs, 1563).
• 
  St. Basil the Great.
• 
  Fresco of St. Basil the Great, lower register of sanctuary in the Church of St. Mary Peribleptos in Ohrid (13th century).
• 
  St. William of Volpiano, statue above his tomb in Fécamp Abbey.
• 
  St. Peter Mogila, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galica (17th century).
• 
  St. Platon (Kulbush), Bishop of Tallinn (Reval), Estonia.
• 
  New Hieromartyr Alexander (Trapitsyn), Archbishop of Samara.

Notes

1. The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
   The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
2. "The CIRCUMCISION of Our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, by virtue of Whose Adorable Blood-shedding, a glorious host of Saints, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins – men and women of every degree – as well in this land as throughout Christendom, kept the Faith, persevered unto death in their holy course, and in the end received the crown, at the hands of the Just Judge."^[4]
3. "THE Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Octave of His Nativity."^[5]
4. This saint, a layman, should not be confused with the other St Basil of Ancyra, who was a priest (March 22).
5. Churches of the Russian tradition keep her feast on January 1, along with her son Basil. Greek churches keep her feast on May 8 or May 30, along with her husband Saint Basil the Elder and her mother-in-law, Saint Macrina the Elder.
6. In Greek tradition, his name was given to Father Christmas and he is supposed to visit children and give presents every January 1 (St Basil's Day) — unlike other traditions where Saint Nicholas arrives either on December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day) or on Christmas Eve (December 24). It is traditional on St Basil's Day to serve "Vasilopita", a rich bread baked with a coin inside. It is customary on his feast day to visit the homes of friends and relatives, to sing New Year carols, and to set an extra place at the table for Saint Basil. In Greek tradition and according to historical records, St Basil, of Greek heritage, is the original "Father Christmas", who being born into a wealthy family, gave away all his possessions to the poor and those in need, the underprivileged and children. A similar story exists for another Greek bishop, St. Nicholas of Myra. Over the centuries the two have been merged but the Western "Santa Claus" is St. Nicholas and the Eastern "Santa Claus" is St. Basil.
7. The Venerable Theodosius was Abbot at one of the four famed monasteries of Triglia.
   (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Θεοδόσιος ἦταν ἡγούμενος σὲ μία ἀπὸ τὶς τέσσερις φημισμένες Μονὲς τῆς Τριγλίας, τοῦ Μιδηκίου, τοῦ Βαθέως Ρύακος, τοῦ Ἁγίου Στεφάνου καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου. Κοιμήθηκε Ὁσίως μὲ εἰρήνη.
8. "At Spoleto, in the time of the emperor Antoninus, St. Concordius, priest and martyr, who was beaten with clubs, and then put to the torture. After a long confinement in prison, where he was visited by an angel, he lost his life by the sword."^[5]
9. "In the same city, on the Appian way, the crowning with martyrdom of thirty holy soldiers, under the emperor Diocletian."^[5]
10. "At Rome, St. Almachius, martyr, who, by the command of Alipius, governor of the city, was killed by the gladiators for saying, "Today is the Octave of our Lord's birth; put an end to the worship of idols, and abstain from unclean sacrifices."^[5]
11. She founded a convent at Rossory in Fermanagh and was buried in Killane.
12. "In Africa, St. Fulgentius, bishop of Ruspoe, who suffered much from the Arians during the persecution of the Vandals, for holding the Catholic faith and teaching its excellent doctrine. After being banished to Sardinia, he was permitted to return to his diocese, where he ended his life by a holy death, leaving a reputation for sanctity and eloquence."^[5]
13. "At Chieti, in Abruzzo, the birthday of St. Justin, bishop of that city, illustrious for holiness of life and miracles."^[5] In the language of the Church, birthday refers to the day on which a Saint enters heaven. However, the Blessed Virgin and St. John the Baptist are exceptions to this rule.