Orthodox saints days calendars give more significance to name days than to birthdays. Name days are associated with a patron saint and were celebrated throughout the world in ancient times. Today, name days are celebrated on the closest “bodily” date to the saint’s birth date. The celebration includes family members and the breaking of a large loaf of bread over the birthday boy. This ritual symbolizes prosperity for the family.
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Christian celebration of Patrick
The celebration of Saint Patrick is a common custom in many countries, including Ireland. He was a Bishop of Armagh and enlightener of Ireland. His life was relatively short, and he lived before the Great Schism split the Catholic Church in two. Nevertheless, he was recognized as a saint by Orthodox Christians before Rome split. As a result, he is also regarded as a Saint in the Orthodox Church, even though he was not a member of the Catholic Church until the Great Schism in 1054.
Orthodox Christians celebrate the entire communion of saints. Saint Patrick is honored as a patron saint of Ireland, and is also celebrated by churches throughout the world. In fact, Saint Patrick’s Day is a major celebration in Russia and the United States. Parades take place worldwide, and marching bands, fire brigades, and other military units often take part. Parade participants usually wear green and carry three-leaved shamrocks.
Patrick is an important saint in the Orthodox Christian Church. His work in spreading Christianity throughout Ireland was an important part of his mission. Saint Patrick is not just an Irish saint, though; his work is credited with the rebirth of the Christian faith in the country. His feast day falls on March 17th.
Sikh celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit
The Sikh celebration of the coming of the Holy spirit on the orthodox saints days calendar follows the Christian Easter season. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent, and the day before is Holy Thursday, the vigil culminating with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Sikhs also observe Khalsa Day, an important Sikh festival that commemorates the Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s affirmation of connection to the Divine.
The Holy Spirit is present during the days of Pentecost and Ascension of Jesus. Both festivals commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the ascension of Jesus into Heaven. On these days, Sikhs and Christians celebrate their religions differently. While Christians commemorate Easter on April 13, Jews celebrate Pentecost (also known as “the Night of Power”) to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus in the early fifth century CE. The Baha’i faith celebrates its own holy days, including the holiday commemorating the Baha’i faith’s founder’s death.
In addition to Christian holidays, the Sikhs celebrate their festivals with various rituals. In India, the Sikhs celebrate their Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s birthday, or Gurpurab. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib is revered as the “Father of the Khalsa” and the founder of Sikhism. Other Sikh festivals include the Declaration of the Bab, which commemorates the day Guru Hargobind was freed, and the Jain New Year. Buddhist festivals include Lhabab Duchen, an important day commemorating the descent of Buddha from heaven.
Christian celebration of Samhain
The Christian celebration of Samhain on the orthodox saints days calendar was created as an alternative to the pagan festival. While Halloween has affinities with Samhain, many modern historians reject the notion that All Saints Day was first designated to “Christianize” Samhain.
Irish traditions associated Samhain with fire and the Celtic pantheon. It was also celebrated with fire festivals. These fires were called Samghnagans, and were built near farms. They were believed to protect the family from fairies. The Celtic tradition later shifted to the use of pumpkins. Some people also went out in costume and wore noisemakers.
The earliest celebration of Samhain took place on May 13, but was later moved to November 1 by Pope Gregory III. This change is attributed to his desire for the Catholic church to accommodate more pilgrims. In addition, Samhain has a connection with the dead. Catholics communicate with their dead saints through prayer and offerings.
