December 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 28 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 30

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 11 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For December 29th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 16.

Feasts

• Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.^[1][2]

Saints

• The 14,000 Infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod at Bethlehem, the first Christian martyrs.^[1][3][4]
• Venerable Athenodorus, disciple of St. Pachomius the Great (4th century)^{[1][5][note 2]}
• Venerable Benjamin, monk, of Nitria in Egypt (392)^{[1][6][note 3]}
• Venerable Marcellus, Abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones ("the Ever-Vigilant"),^{[note 4]} Constantinople (485)^[1][7][8]
• Venerable Thaddeus, Confessor, of the Studion Monastery (818)^{[1][9][10][11]}
• Venerable Saint George, Archbishop of Nicomedia, composer of Canons and Troparia (c .857 - 891)^{[1][12] [note 5]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Trophimus, first Bishop of Arles in France (c. 280)^{[1][13][note 6]}
• Martyrs Callistus, Felix and Boniface, martyrs in Rome.^[13][14]
• Martyrs Dominic, Victor, Primian, Lybosus, Saturninus, Crescentius, Secundus and Honoratus, martyrs in North Africa.^[13][14]
• Saint Albert of Gambron, a courtier who became a hermit, later founding the small monastery of Gambron-sur-l'Authion in France (7th century)^[13]
• Saint Ebrulfus (Evroult), Abbot, born in Bayeux, became a monk at the monastery of Deux-Jumeaux, later founding a monastery at Pays d'Ouche in Normany, and other smaller monasteries (596)^{[1][13][note 7]}
• Saint Girald (Girard, Giraud), a monk at Lagny in France, later Abbot of Saint-Arnoul; he became Abbot of Fontenelle Abbey, where he was murdered (1031)^[13]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Mark the Grave-digger, of the Kiev Caves (11th century)^[1][15][16]
• Saints Theophilus and John, of the Kiev Caves (11th-12th century)^[1][17]
• Saint Theophilus, Abbot, of Luga and Omutch (Pskov) (1412), disciple of St. Arsenius of Konevits.^[1][18]
• Saint Basiliscus, Elder, the Hesychast of Siberia (Turinsk) (1824)^{[1][19][note 8]}
• Venerable Laurence of Chernigov (1950)^[11][19]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Arcadius, Bishop of Tver (1937)^[20]
• New Hieromartyr Theodosius Belenky, Priest, at Chimkent (1938)^[11][19][20]
• Virgin-martyrs: Natalia, Natalia, Eudokia, Anna, Matrona, Barbara, Anna, Eudokia, Ephrosia, Agrippina and Natalia (1942)^[11][19][20]

Other commemorations

• Commemoration of the consecration of the church of the Holy Forty Martyrs, near the Copper Tetrapyle (four-way arch).^[21]
• Commemoration of all Orthodox Christians who have died from hunger, thirst, the sword, and freezing.^{[1][2][19][20]}

Icon gallery

• 
  The 14,000 Infants (Holy Innocents)
  (Codex Egberti, 10th century)
• 
  Massacre of the Innocents.
• 
  The 14,000 Infants (Holy Innocents)
  (Saint Louis Psalter, 1190-1200)
• 
  St. Trophimus of Arles, stained-glass window.
• 
  St. Mark the Grave-digger, of the Kiev Caves.
• 
  St. Basiliscus, Hesychast of Siberia.
• 
  Venerable Laurence of Chernigov.

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. In Parisian Codex 1578, Athenodoros is accompanied by other Venerable fathers, including Benjamin and Babylas.
3. Saint Nicodemus states that he died of dropsy, and that the Evergetinos contains some of his quotations.
4. (in Greek): Μονὴ Ἀκοιμήτων.
5. He composed two verses for the feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos, and set them to music for the Akolouthia (service). He also set to music the canon that is chanted for the forefeast of the Annunciation, as well as other canons of the Theotokos. In addition, he also composed other celebratory verses.
6. "At Arles, the birthday of St. Trophimus, mentioned by St. Paul in his epistle to Timothy. Being consecrated bishop by that apostle, he was the first sent to preach the gospel of Christ in that city. From his preaching as from a fountain, according to the expression of Pope St. Zosimus, all Gaul received the waters of salvation."^[14]
7. "In Normandy, St. Ebrulphus, abbot and confessor, in the time of king Childebert."^[14]
8. He was canonized on January 11, 2004. His memory is also celebrated on the Synaxis of All Saints of Siberia, on June 10.