28th of December

On the 28th of the month, we keep the Memory of the TWENTY THOUSAND MARTYRS, who were burned to death in their church at NICOMEDIA; the Holy Martyrs of Nicomedia who escaped the fire but received the palm of martyrdom through other torments: DOMNA and THEOPHILA; INDES the eunuch; PETER And GORGONIUS; ZENO; DOROTHEUS, MARDONIUS and MIGDONIUS, courtiers; GLYCERIUS the priest; THEOPHILUS, the deacon; our Venerable Father SIMON the OUTPOURER of MYRRH (Myroblytis), founder of the Monastery of Simonos Petra (New Bethlehem) on the Holy Mountain of Athos

26th of December

On the 26th of the month, we observe the SYNAXIS of our Sovereign Lady the ALL HOLY MOTHER OF GOD; the flight into Egypt of the Mother of God; our Holy Father EUTHYMIUS of SARDES, the Confessor; our Holy Father CONSTANTINE, the covert from JUDAISM; our Venerable Father EVARISTUS, monk of Constantinople, who died in peace; our Venerable Father NICODEMUS of TISMANA

Sunday before Nativity

On the SUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY (which falls between the 18th and the 24th of December), the Holy Fathers have instituted the Commemoration of the GENEALOGY of our Savior JESUS CHRIST, in which we include not only His ancestors according to the flesh from Adam to Joseph the Betrothed of the Mother of God, but all the Righteous and the Prophets, who, by their words or deeds, announced the coming in the flesh of the Son of God

20th of December

The 20th of the month, beginning of the Forefeast of the Nativity according to the flesh of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, and Memory of the Holy Hieromartyr IGNATIUS the GODBEARER; our Holy Father PHILOGONIUS, Archbishop of ANTIOCH; the Holy New Martyr JOHN the TAILOR, slain by the sword at Constantinople in 1650; our Holy Father JOHN of KRONSTADT; our Holy Father DANIEL II, Archbishop of SERBIA

18th of December

The 18th of the month, Memory of the Holy Martyr SEBASTIAN and his Companions; our Venerable Father MICHAEL the SYNCELLUS; the Holy Hieromartyr MODESTUS I, Archbishop of JERUSALEM; Saint GATIANUS, first Bishop of Tours; the Holy Hieromartyr THADDEUS, Archbishop of TVER

St. Thaddeus of Tver

15th of December

The 15th of the month, Memory of the Holy Hieromartyr ELEUTHERIUS, Bishop of ILLYRIA and of his Companions: his mother ANTHIA, Saint FELIX, Saint COREMONUS the Prefect, and the TWO SOLDIERS, who died by the sword after being converted by the Saint; the Holy Martyr ELEUTHERIUS the CUBICULARIUS; the Holy Martyr BACCHUS the NEW, who was slain by the sword; our Venerable Father PAUL the NEW, who lived in ascesis on Mount LATROS; our Venerable Father TRYPHON of KOLA, apostle of Laponia, and of his disciple the Holy Martyr JONAH

St. Eleutherius and his mother St. Anthia

14th of December

The 14th of the month, Memory of the Holy Martyrs THYRSUS, LEUCIUS and CALLINICUS; the Holy Martyrs PHILEMON, APOLLONIUS and of their Companions: the Governor ARIANUS and his four Bodyguards; our Venerable Father DANIEL of VORONETS; Saint HILARION, Metropolitan of SUZDAL

St. Daniel of Voronets

13th of December

The 13th of the month, Memory of the Holy Martyrs EUSTRATIUS, AUXENTIUS, EUGENE, MARDARIUS and ORESTES; the Holy Virgin Martyr LUCY of SYRACUSE; our Venerable Father ARSENIUS of Mount LATROS; our Venerable Father HERMAN (Germanus) of ALASKA and of the first Martyrs of the Orthodox Church in America: Saint JUVENAL and Saint Peter the ALEUT

St. Lucia of Syracuse