Synaxis of the Mother of God in Greece in 2024

Synaxis of the Mother of God in Greece in 2024
Image by Tasos Lekkas , via Pixabay
  How long until Synaxis of the Mother of God?
Synaxis of the Mother of God
  Dates of Synaxis of the Mother of God in Greece
2025 Greece Fri, Dec 26 National Holiday
2024 Greece Thu, Dec 26 National Holiday
2023 Greece Tue, Dec 26 National Holiday
2022 Greece Mon, Dec 26 National Holiday
2021 Greece Sun, Dec 26 National Holiday
  Summary

The second day of Christmas in the Orthodox Church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary

  Local name
Sínaxis Yperagías Theotókou Marías

When is the Synaxis of the Mother of God?

The Synaxis of the Mother of God is a public holiday in Greece on December 26th each year.

Known in Greek as 'Sínaxis Yperagías Theotókou Marías' or the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos, this is a day dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Traditions of the Synaxis of the Mother of God

Christmas is such a big event in terms of holidays that many countries extend their celebrations for two or even three days. In Roman Catholic countries, the second day of Christmas is Saint Stephen's Day*, which honours the first Christian Martyr.

In the United Kingdom and countries that were once part of the British Empire, the second day is known as Boxing Day, whose origins are debatable, but actually not that religious.

In the Orthodox Church, the focus of the second day of Christmas is firmly on the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In the Orthodox Church, a Synaxis is a meeting, a coming together to glorify and Theotokos (Greek for "God-Bearer") is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity.

Mary is venerated as she gave birth to Jesus and thus is the one whom the Incarnation (Birth of Christ) was made possible and therefore the salvation of mankind.

Reflecting her importance, especially to Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians, Mary has a number of feast days dedicated to her. It is thought that the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos is the oldest of her feast days and can be dated back to the 4th century and the early days of the Christian Church.

*In the Orthodox tradition, Saint Stephen's Day is observed on December 27th under the Gregorian calendar and January 9th under the Julian calendar. Greek uses both calendars in the dates of its religious holidays.


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