Saint George is no longer celebrated tomorrow, April 23. When the holiday was moved to the calendar

This year, birthday St. George’s Day will no longer be celebrated on April 23, as was customary until now, but on April 25, the date that coincides with the second day of Easter.

The reason for this change is that “St. George’s Day coincides with Holy and Great Saturday, and the Typical provides that the celebration of the great saints who fall on Good Friday or Good Saturday be transferred to the next day of Easter,” according to basilica.ro.

“The canonical norms of Orthodoxy provide for the relocation of the remembrance of the saints (cf. canon 51 of the Synod of Laodicea, 4th century) with the celebration falling on the ordinary days of Lent, especially of the saints who fall in the Week of the Lord’s Passion,” he continues. BOR news agency.

“This year, the day of remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr George coincides with Holy and Great Saturday, a day on which Orthodox believers everywhere are called to turn their attention to the saving work of Jesus Christ on this day, which was the body in the grave, but with the soul He descended into hell and delivered from there the souls of the righteous kept until then in darkness, then opened heaven, making it accessible to all who will believe in Him, “Arhim explained. Chiril Lovin, coordinator of the Cult Book Department of the Romanian Patriarchate and servant at the Antim Monastery in the Capital.

Regarding the Holy and Great Sabbath, he also mentioned that it is “the day when Christ’s victory over hell begins, and by this we prepare our souls, by fasting, for the feast of the Lord’s Resurrection.

It is the only Saturday of the year when they arrive (according to the typical recommendations, do not eat anything until the evening, when a little fasting food without oil is served).

Thus, the soteriological significance of this liturgical day excludes the celebration of any saint.

Therefore, the typical indications in the cult books require that the celebration of the great saints who fall on Good Friday or Good Saturday be transferred to the next day of Easter, ie Monday in the Holy Week (Triodul, IBMO Publishing House, Bucharest, 2010, p. 815 ) “, the quoted race also shows.

The marking with the red cross in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church marks a holiday in which no work is done, but a service and Mass are celebrated in all churches for that holiday.

“Therefore, in the calendar for 2022, the commemoration of St. George was completely moved to April 25, because then the service (Vespers and Matins) will be performed, as well as the Holy Mass (with appropriate readings) for the commemoration of the Great Martyr.” said Chiril Lovin.

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