December 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 30 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 1

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 13 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For December 31st, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 18.

Feasts

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

Saints

• Saint Abgar V, king of Osroene (c. 50)^[4]
• Holy Ten Virgin-martyrs of Nicomedia (c. 286 - 305)^[2][5]
• Martyr Olympiodora, by fire.^[6]
• Martyr Busiris, martyred by women with knitting needles.^[7]
• Martyr Nemi (Nemo), by the sword.^[8]
• Saint Gaudentius.^[9]
• Saint Salamin^[10]
• Saint Irenaeus^[11]
• Saint Martina^[12]
• Saint Hermes of Bononia (4th century)^[13]
• Hieromartyr Zoticus the Priest, of Constantinople, Guardian of Orphans (c. 340)^{[2][14][note 3]} (see also December 30)
• Saint Anysius, Bishop of Thessaloniki (c. 407)^[2] (see also December 30)
• Venerable Melania the Younger, Nun of Rome (439)^{[2][16][17][note 4]}
• Venerable Gelasius, Monk (Abba), of Palestine.^[2][19]
• Venerable Gaius.^[20]
• Venerable Sabiana, Abbess of Samtskhe (11th century)^[2][21]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Columba of Sens (273)^{[18][note 5]}
• Martyrs of Catania:
  • Stephen, Pontian, Attalus, Fabian, Cornelius, Sextus, Flos, Quintian, Minervinus and Simplician, early martyrs in Catania in Sicily.^[15][18]
• Martyrs Donata, Paulina, Rustica (Rogata), Nominanda (Dominanda), Serotina, Hilaria and Companions.^{[18][note 6]}
• Hieromartyrs Sabinian and Potentian (c. 303)^{[18][note 7]}
• Saint Silvester I, Pope of Rome (335)^{[18][note 8]}
• Saint Valerius Pinianus (Apinianus), husband of Melania the Younger (432)^[22][23]
• Saint Barbatian, Priest and Confessor, at Ravenna (5th century)^{[15][18][note 9]}
• Saint Marius Aventicensis, bishop of Aventicum (596)
• Saint Franquila Myrrh-streaming, first abbot of Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova (10th-century)^[24]
• Saint Peter of Subiaco (1003)^{[18][note 10]}

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Blessed Theophylactus of Ohrid, Archbishop of Ochrid (c. 1126)^[2][25]
• Saint George the Wonderworker, "the stabbed". (14th century)^{[26][note 11]}
• Saint Peter (Mogila), Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (1646)^{[2][27][28][29][30][31][note 12]} (see also: December 15 - Glorification)
• Venerable Cyriacus of Bisericani monastery, Romania (1660)^[33]
• Venerable Cyriacus of Tazlu, Romania (1660)^[34]
• Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (1994)^[35]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Michael Berezin, Priest (1937)^[27][30][31]
• Martyr Peter Troitsky (1938)^[27][30][31]
• New Hiero-Confessor Dositheus (Vasich), Metropolitan of Zagreb (1945)^{[2][27][36][note 13]}

Icon gallery

• 
  Venerable Melania the Younger, Nun of Rome
  (Menologion of Basil II, 10th century)
• 
  Pope St. Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine.
• 
  Adoration of the Cross by Pope St. Sylvester I, Empress Helena and Emperor Constantine.
• 
  Saint Theophylactus of Ohrid.
• 
  St. Peter (Mogila) of Kiev, Defender of the Orthodox faithful against subjugation to the Roman Papacy ('Unia').
• 
  New Hiero-Confessor Dositheus (Vasich), Metropolitan of Zagreb (1945).

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. Materials for the Leavetaking of the Nativity are taken from the service of the Feast day itself in the Menaion. The Scripture readings at Liturgy, however, are of the day, not of the Feast. The Prokeimenon, Alleluia verses, and Communion hymn are all of the Feast.^[3]
3. "St. Zoticus, Roman priest, who went to Constantinople, and took upon himself the care of orphans."^[15]
4. Melania the Younger and Pinian: Melania was the granddaughter of St Melania the Elder. Born in Rome, she married a man called Pinian (Valerius Pinianus). They had two children who died young. About the year 410 they left Rome, the former entering a monastery and the latter a convent in Jerusalem.^[18]
5. Born in Spain, she left her country to avoid being denounced as a Christian. She went to France with other Spanish Christians, but all of them were martyred near Meaux under Aurelian. Her shrine was in Sens.
6. A group of Roman women martyred in one of the early persecutions. Their relics were enshrined in the catacombs of the Via Salaria.
7. Sabinian is honoured as the first Bishop of Sens in France. Potentian was perhaps his successor. Both were martyred.
8. Silvester came from Rome and served the Church as Pope from 314 to 335, helping convert St Constantine. Most of his relics are enshrined in San Silvestro in Capite in Rome.
9. A priest from Antioch who went to Rome and there attracted the attention of the Empress, Placidia Augusta, through his wise counsel. She encouraged him to live in Ravenna in Italy near the imperial court, where a monastery was built.
10. The twenty-second Abbot of Subiaco in Italy. For defending his monastery, he was blinded and died in prison.
11. He is unknown in the Synaxaria, however he is venerated as a local Saint of the Church of Cyprus (Patmos Codex 266).
12. KONDAK TO ST. PETRO MOHYLA, TONE 8:
    "Your were shown to be the beacon of the Kyivan Metropolia, a zealot of piety and patristic teachings, O father and hierarch Petro. Fellow struggler of venerable Job in defense of the Orthodox Church, you fearlessly armed yourself against the devil's wiles. Therefore, be not silent now in your prayers to the Lord for us, so that our souls may be saved."^[32]
13. See also: (in Russian): Досифей (Васич).