December 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 20 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 22

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 3 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

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

Feasts

• Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.^{[1][note 2]}

Saints

• Martyr Theomistocles of Myra in Lycia (251)^{[1][3][note 3][note 4]}
• Virgin- martyr Juliana of Nicomedia,^[6][7] and with her 500 men by the sword,^[8][9] and 130 women by beheading.^[10][11] (304)^[1]
• Venerable Macarius the Faster, Abbot of Khakhuli Monastery (c. 1034)^[1][12]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Honoratus of Toulouse, born in Spain, he succeeded St Saturninus as Bishop of Toulouse in France (3rd century)^[13]
• Saint Severinus of Trier, Bishop of Trier in Germany (c. 300)^{[13][note 5]}
• Martyrs John and Festus, martyrs honoured in Tuscany in Italy.^[13]
• Saint Baudacarius, A monk at Bobbio Abbey in the north of Italy (650)^[13]
• Saint Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims (882)^[14][15]
• Saint Beornwald of Bampton (Bernwald), a righteous priest in Bampton in Oxfordshire in England (10th century)^[13]
• 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)^[13]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Peter of Kiev, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia (1326)^[1][16][17]
• Saint Juliana, Princess of Vyazma (Novotorzhok) (1406)^[1][18][19]
• Blessed Procopius of Vyatka, Fool-for-Christ (1627)^{[1][note 6]}
• Saint Anton II of Georgia, Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia (1827)^[21]
• Saint Philaret (Theodosius in schema), Metropolitan of Kiev (1857)^[1]
• Righteous-Virgin Yulianiya Solvychegodska (17th century)^[22][23]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Michael Kiselev, Priest, at Perm (1918)^[24][25][26]
• New Hieromartyr Sergius, Deacon (1937)^[24][26]
• New Hieromartyr Nicetas (Pribytkov), Bishop of Belev (Belevsk) (1937)^{[1][24][26][note 7]}
• New Hieromartyr Leontius, Deacon (1940)^[24][26]

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][note 8]}
• Repose of Mother Stavritsa the Missionary, missionary in Kenya (2000)^[1][29]

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Juliana of Nicomedia.
• 
  St. Peter of Kiev, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia.
• 
  Icon of St. Tryphon of Vyatka and Procopius Vyatka (17th century, Vyatka (Kirov) Museum)

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 Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 20. From now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be concerned with the birth of the Savior.^[2]
3. The Holy Martyr Themistocles lived in the city of Myra of Lycia during the reign of the persecutor of Christians, Decius (249-251). Themistocles was a shepherd. During the persecution he concealed within his home a certain Christian named Dioskorides, while he himself went out to the pursuers. They tortured him cruelly, and he received a martyr's crown for Christ in the year 251.^[4]
4. "In Lycia, St. Themistocles, martyr, who under the emperor Decius, offered himself in the place of St. Dioscorus, who was sought after to be killed, and being racked, dragged about and beaten with rods, obtained the crown of martyrdom."^[5]
5. "At Treves, St. Severin, bishop and confessor."^[5]
6. Blessed Procopius, Fool-for-Christ, of Vyatka, was the son of pious peasants. When Procopius reached age twenty, they wanted him to marry, but he secretly went to the city of Khlynov and took upon himself the feat of foolishness. The holy fool endured hunger, cold, mocking and insults. The Lord glorified him with the gift of clairvoyance. Blessed Procopius died at the age of forty-nine in 1627.^[20]
7. On December 16, 1937, Bishop Nicetas (Pribytkov) was arrested together with priests, monks, nuns, novices and three laypeople in “The Case of Bishop Nicetas (Pribytkov), Tula province, 1937”.^[27]
8. The Discovery of his relics took place on January 3, 1950.^[28] Believers regard him as a "newly revealed" (Greek: "νεοφανείς") saint, whose existence is a matter of divine revelation rather than historical proof.