December 21 Events Pre-1600 *AD 69 – The Roman Senate declares Vespasian Roman emperor, emperor of Rome, the last in the Year of the Four Emperors. *1124 – Pope Honorius II is consecrated, having been elected after the controversial dethroning ...

Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar describes and dictates the rhythm of the life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Passages of Holy Scripture, saints and events for commemoration are associated with each date, as are many times special rule ...

December 23 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. * 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. * 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. * 962 &ndash ...

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 4 by

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

es on the

Old Calendar Calendar reform or calendrical reform is any significant revision of a calendar system. The term sometimes is used instead for a proposal to switch to a different calendar design. Principles The prime objective of a calendar is to unambiguo ...

. For December 22nd, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on

December 9 Events Pre-1600 * 536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital. * 730 – Battle of Marj Ardabil: The Khazars annihilate an Umayyad army and kill its commander, ...

Feasts

Forefeast An Afterfeast, or Postfeast, is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic Churches (somewhat analogous to what in Western Christianity would be called an Octave). The c ...

of the

Nativity of Christ The Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Matthew and Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Roman-controlled Judea, that his mother, Mary, was engaged to a man named J ...

.December 22/January 4
Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).

Saints

* Great Martyr

Anastasia of Sirmium Saint Anastasia (died December 25, 304 AD) is a Christian saint and Christian martyr, martyr who died at Sirmium in the Roman province of Pannonia Secunda (modern Serbia). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, she is venerated as ''St. Anastasia the P ...

, Deliverer from Bonds, and: :* her teacher Martyr

Chrysogonus Chrysogonus ("golden birth") was the name of the following people: * Chrysogonus of Athens (c. 407 BC), flautist and poet * Chrysogonus of Macedon (2nd century BC), nobleman and general, father of poet Samus * Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus (1st ce ...

, and with them: :* the Martyrs Theodota, Evodius, Eutychianus, and others, who suffered under Diocletian (304) * Hieromartyr Zoilus, Priest, under Diocletian (304)Great Synaxaristes: :
Ὁ Ἅγιος Ζωΐλος ὁ Μάρτυρας
'' 22 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

Pre-Schism Western saints

* Martyrs Demetrius, Honoratus and Florus, in Ostia in Italy.December 22
Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome. ''(see also:

November 21 Events Pre-1600 *164 BCE – Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, rededicates the Temple in Jerusalem, an event that is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah. (25 Kislev 3597 in the Hebrew calendar.) * 2 ...

)'' * Thirty Holy Martyrs of Rome (ca.303) * Saint Flavian, an ex-prefect of Rome (362) * Saint Hunger of Utrecht (Hungerus Frisus),

Bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

in the Netherlands from 856; during the Norman invasion he fled to

Prüm Prüm () is a town in the Westeifel (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. Formerly a district capital, today it is the administrative seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Prüm (Verbandsgemeinde), Prüm. Geography Prüm lies o ...

in Germany where he died (866) * Saint Amaswinthus of

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

, monk and Abbot for forty-two years at a monastery in Silva de Málaga in Spain (982)

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

:—

New martyrs and confessors

* New Hieromartyrs Demetrius and Theodore, Priests (1938)22 декабря (ст.ст.) 4 января 2013 (нов. ст.)
Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).

Other commemorations

* Commemoration of the Thyranoixia (consecration) of the "Great Church of Christ", the

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

.Great Synaxaristes: :
Μνήμη Θυρανοιξίων τῆς μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ
'' 22 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. * Repose of Monk Dositheus, hermit of the

Roslavl Roslavl (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Roslavlsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is a road and rail junction and a market town. Population: History Roslavl was founded as Rostislavl in the 1130s or 1140s. The name is ...

Forests and

Optina Monastery The Optina Pustyn (, literally ''Opta's hermitage'') is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for men near Kozelsk in Russia. In the 19th century, the Optina was the most important spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and served as the model fo ...

(1828) * Repose of Boris Talantov of Kostroma, Soviet teacher, participant in the dissident movement in the USSR, church publicist and political prisoner (1971)

Icon gallery

File:Saint Anastasia.jpg, Great Martyr

Anastasia Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe. Origin The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...

, Deliverer from Bonds. File:Anastasia of Sirmium.jpg, Great Martyr

, Deliverer from Bonds. File:St-chrysogonus-martyr-and-anastasia.jpg, St.

and St.

. File:Chrysogonus.jpg, St.

(''Archiepiscopal Chapel, Ravenna'') File:MadonnaChildCavalini.jpg, Mosaic of Virgin and Child with St.

(left) and St.

James the Greater James the Great (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek: Ἰάκωβος, romanized: ''Iákōbos''; Syriac language, Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, romanized: ''Yaʿqōḇ''; died AD 44) was one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Accordi ...

(right). (At the church of

San Crisogono San Crisogono is a church in Rome (rione Trastevere) dedicated to the martyr Saint Chrysogonus. It was one of the tituli, the first parish churches of Rome, and was probably built in the 4th century under Pope Sylvester I (314–335). T ...

in Rome, ca.1273-1308)

Notes

References

Sources

December 22/January 4
Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
January 4 / December 22
HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
December 22
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.

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:
22 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ
ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. * Συναξαριστής.
22 Δεκεμβρίου
'' ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ). Russian Sources *

Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru). *
22 декабря (ст.ст.) 4 января 2013 (нов. ст.)
Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR). {{DEFAULTSORT:December 22 (Eastern Orthodox Liturgics) December in the Eastern Orthodox calendar