December 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 20 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 22

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 3 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar. ^{[note 1]}

For December 21st, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 8 .

Feasts

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

Saints

• Martyr Themistocles of Myra in Lycia (251) ^{[1] [3] [note 3] [note 4]}
• Virgin Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia , ^[6] and with her 500 men by the sword, ^[7] and 130 women by beheading ^[8] (304) ^{[1] [9]}
• Venerable Macarius the Faster, Abbot of Khakhuli Monastery (c. 1034) ^{[1] [10]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Honoratus of Toulouse, born in Spain, he succeeded Saint Saturninus as Bishop of Toulouse in France (3rd century) ^[11]
• Saint Severinus of Trier, Bishop of Trier in Germany (c. 300) ^{[11] [note 5]}
• Martyrs John and Festus, martyrs honoured in Tuscany in Italy ^[11]
• Saint Baudacarius, A monk at Bobbio Abbey in the north of Italy (650) ^[11]
• Saint Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims (882) ^{[12] [13]}
• Saint Beornwald of Bampton (Bernwald), a righteous priest in Bampton in Oxfordshire in England (10th century) ^[11]
• Saint John Vincent, born in Ravenna, he became a monk at St. Michael in Chiusa, then a hermit on Monte Caprario, finally he became Bishop nearby (1012) ^[11]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Peter of Moscow, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia (1326) ^{[1] [14] [15]}
• Saint Juliana, Princess of Vyazma (Novotorzhok) (1406) ^{[1] [16] [17]}
• Blessed Procopius of Vyatka, Fool-for-Christ (1627) ^{[1] [note 6]}
• Righteous-Virgin Yulianiya Solvychegodska (17th century) ^{[19] [20]}
• Saint Anton II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (1827) ^[21]
• Saint Philaret (Theodosius in schema), Metropolitan of Kiev (1857) ^[1]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Michael Kiselev, Priest, at Perm (1918) ^{[22] [23] [24]}
• New Hieromartyr Sergius, Deacon (1937) ^{[22] [24]}
• New Hieromartyr Nicetas Pribytkov, Bishop of Belev (Belevsk) (1937) ^{[1] [22] [24] [note 7]}
• New Hieromartyr Leontius, Deacon (1940) ^{[22] [24]}

Other commemorations

• Finding of the relics (1950) of New Monk-Martyr Ephraim of Nea Makri (1426) ^{[1] [note 8]}
• Repose of Blessed Peter "the Nose" of Kama (c. 1938) ^[1]
• Repose of Schemamonk Michael of Harbin (1939) ^[1]
• Repose of Mother Stavritsa, missionary in Kenya (2000) ^{[1] [27]}

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Juliana of Nicomedia.
• 
  St. Peter of Kiev, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia.
• 
  Icon of St. Tryphon of Vyatka and Procopius Vyatka (17th century, Vyatka (Kirov) Museum)

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. The Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 20. From now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be concerned with the birth of the Savior. ^[2]
3. The Holy Martyr Themistocles lived in the city of Myra of Lycia during the reign of the persecutor of Christians, Decius (249-251). Themistocles was a shepherd. During the persecution he concealed within his home a certain Christian named Dioskorides, while he himself went out to the pursuers. They tortured him cruelly, and he received a martyr's crown for Christ in the year 251. ^[4]
4. "In Lycia, St. Themistocles, martyr, who under the emperor Decius, offered himself in the place of St. Dioscorus, who was sought after to be killed, and being racked, dragged about and beaten with rods, obtained the crown of martyrdom." ^[5]
5. "At Treves, St. Severin, bishop and confessor." ^[5]
6. Blessed Procopius, Fool-for-Christ, of Vyatka, was the son of pious peasants. When Procopius reached age twenty, they wanted him to marry, but he secretly went to the city of Khlynov and took upon himself the feat of foolishness. The holy fool endured hunger, cold, mocking and insults. The Lord glorified him with the gift of clairvoyance. Blessed Procopius died at the age of forty-nine in 1627. ^[18]
7. On December 16, 1937, Bishop Nicetas (Pribytkov) was arrested together with priests, monks, nuns, novices and three laypeople in “The Case of Bishop Nicetas (Pribytkov), Tula province, 1937”. ^[25]
8. The Discovery of his relics took place on January 3, 1950. ^[26] Believers regard him as a "newly revealed" (Greek: "νεοφανείς") saint, whose existence is a matter of divine revelation rather than historical proof.

References

1. December 21/January 3. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
2. Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεμιστοκλῆς ὁ Μάρτυρας. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Martyr Themistocles of Myra in Lycia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
5. The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p. 391-392
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ἡ Ἁγία Ἰουλιανὴ ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἅγιοι 500 Μάρτυρες. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
8. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἁγίες 130 Γυναῖκες. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. Virgin Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia, and 500 men and 130 women with her. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
10. Venerable Macarius the Faster, Abbot of the Khakhuli Monastery. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
11. December 21. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
12. "May 2009" . Retrieved 2023-05-23.
13. "John Cassian, Vincent of Lerins and Faustus of Riez Were Not Semi-Pelagians" . Retrieved 2023-05-23.
14. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Πέτρος ὁ Θαυματουργός Μητροπολίτης πάσης Ρωσίας (Ρῶσος). 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
15. Repose of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, Wonderworker of All Russia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
16. Right-believing Princess Juliana of Vyazma. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
17. Nobleborn Juliania, Princess of Vyazemsk and Novotorzh. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
18. Blessed Procopius of Vyatka the Fool-For-Christ. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
19. "ИУЛИАНИЯ". pravenc.ru. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
20. "ИУЛИАНИЯ СОЛЬВЫЧЕГОДСКАЯ - Древо". drevo-info.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-12-18.
21. "АНТОНИЙ II (БАГРАТИОНИ) - Древо". drevo-info.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-12-18.
22. January 3 / December 21. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
23. The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 1.
24. (in Russian) 21 декабря (ст.ст.) 3 января 2015 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).
25. Vladimir Moss. THE HOLY NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS OF CENTRAL RUSSIA. 2009. p. 535. (.pdf)
26. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐφραὶμ ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας ὁ ἐν Νέᾳ Μάκρῃ Ἀττικῆς. 5 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
27. Constantine Cavarnos. Blessed Elder Iakovos of Epiros, Elder Joseph the Hesychast, and Mother Stavritsa the Missionary: Their Life, Character, Thought, and Influence. Volume 14 of Modern Orthodox Saints. Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 2002. 156pp. ISBN   9781884729522

Sources

• December 21/January 3. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• January 3 / December 21. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 21. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 1.
• December 21. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 21 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 21 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 3 января (21 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 21 декабря (ст.ст.) 3 января 2015 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).