Great Feasts

The Holy Trinity is our fount and source of being, life, and salvation. In the Orthodox Church, worship begins and ends with the words, "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." From Holy Scripture’s account of...

This icon features our 13 specially-commissioned icons from our matching Great Feasts and Pascha Set.  Starting with the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) in the upper left corner and moving down row-by-row to the Dormition of the Theotokos...

The Great Feasts are spiritual anchors in the lives of Orthodox Christians. Year after year, we participate in the sanctification of time by making present the Feasts of the Church—holy days and seasons dedicated to the history of our salvation...

Shortly before the Lord Jesus' life-giving Death, He wished to give His disciples an assurance of His Godhood and reveal to them the glory that awaits those who follow Him faithfully to the end. He took Peter, James, and John to the summit of Mount...

This beautiful icon of Theophany (Epiphany) depicts Christ attended by angels and baptized by St. John the Forerunner in the River Jordan. Depicted in the Gospels as occurring before his temptations in the desert, this event marks the beginning of his...

This stunning icon is from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The original icon overlooks the altar of the church, which is located above the very place where our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born in the flesh.

During the reign of Caesar Augustus, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Refer to the Gospels of Matthew (chapters 1-2) and Luke (chapter 2) for the account of the Lord's birth...

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, preparing the way for Our Lord. As John was baptizing the people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to be baptized Himself—not that He had sins to be forgiven, but to inaugurate His ministry. The...

Also known in the West as "Our Lady of Sorrows", this icon is based on the prophecy of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, who said at Christ's dedication in the Temple, "A sword shall pierce through your own soul as well." This icon is celebrated on...

On the third day after His death, the Sunday of Pascha (Easter), our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ raised Himself from the dead. This icon celebrates the universe-transforming event known as the Harrowing of Hades, the doctrine laid down in...

During the reign of Caesar Augustus, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Refer to the Gospels of Matthew (chapters 1-2) and Luke (chapter 2) for the account of the Lord's birth in the flesh. The...

  This unique historic icon depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove, as He appeared at the Baptism of Christ. Painted by an anonymous 17th century iconographer, it a unique representation of the Gospels' account of descent of the Holy Spirit...

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, his mother Mary and Joseph the Betrothed took him to the Temple in Jerusalem. As faithful Jews who observed the Law of Moses, they brought thank offering of two turtledoves for sacrifice. There they were met by...

On the 40th day after His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven in His resurrected body. As the eleven Apostles stood on the Mount of Olives at Bethany, they watched Him disappear from view. An angel declared that He would return in the...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped around...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Annunciation. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning Icon Cards are part of...

After the Lord's Ascension into heaven, the Apostles spent their days in prayer, preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the morning of the 50th day of His Resurrection, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit upon them as He had promised. There was the...

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, preparing the way for Our Lord. As John was baptizing the people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to be baptized Himself—not that He had sins to be forgiven, but to inaugurate His ministry...

"Today is the beginning of our salvation," proclaims the Orthodox Church's troparion (hymn) for the Annunciation. Celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas, this feast is dedicated to the announcement of Gabriel to the Virgin Mary...

This 15th century Greek icon depicts the Nativity of Christ, with several related scenes. The Virgin Mary is depicted resting beside her newborn Son. The cave imagery recalls icons of the Resurrection, reminding the viewer that our salvation was...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of Theophany: the Baptism of Christ. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning Icon...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning Icon...

The Church has received the  tradition of the Dormition (death) and Assumption into heaven of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. When the Savior was pleased to take His Mother to Himself in heaven, He sent the Archangel...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped around...

This modern icon of the Ascension of Christ depicts the glorious ascent of Christ attended by angels and witnessed by the Apostles and the Theotokos. This Great Feast is commemorated 40 days after Pascha and 10 days before Pentecost, the outpouring of...

Here Christ extends His hand to His beloved friend Lazarus, who comes out of his tomb after being dead for four days. This miraculous event happened just before Palm Sunday. By this action, Christ displayed His power over death and pointed to His...

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into the royal city of Jerusalem. Riding on a young donkey, he was met by a massive crowd who publicly hailed Him as king. They waved palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him...

The Great and Universal Feast of the Exaltation (Elevation) of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is the only one of the Great Feasts that did not occur during the Biblical time period. It is celebrated on September 14 each year. Saint Helen, the...

During the reign of Caesar Augustus, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Refer to the Gospels of Matthew (chapters 1-2) and Luke (chapter 2) for the account of the Lord's birth in the flesh...

This historic Russian icon depicts the Annunciation from Luke 1. Having recently visited the Holy Priest Zechariah announce the birth of St. John the Forerunner,  the Archangel Gabriel proclaims the good news of Christ’s imminent conception...

With this set, you will receive the icons of the Twelve Great Feasts and Pascha (Easter), for a total of 13 beautiful icons: Nativity of the Theotokos Exaltation of the Cross Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple Nativity of...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of Palm Sunday: the Entry of Christ Into Jerusalem. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Transfiguration of Christ. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning Icon...

This image is from a stained glass window in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Holy Spirit is shown in the form of a dove, as He appeared at the baptism of Christ.

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Ascension of Christ. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith. Size is 4x5 inches. Legacy Learning Icon Cards are...

This icon depicts the arrival of Mary at the temple, as she is received by the High Priest and the other temple virgins. Her elderly parents, Joachim and Anna, are seen in the background. In the upper right corner, Mary has taken her place in the Holy...

The icon known as the Hospitality of Abraham depicts the Old Testament scene when Abraham was visited by three angelic visitors, who announced the birth of a son, Isaac, by his wife Sarah. This scene is traditionally considered a prefiguring...

This 14th-century icon is from the Church of St. Clement in Ohrid, Macedonia. "Today is the beginning of our salvation," proclaims the Orthodox Church's troparion (hymn) for the Annunciation. Celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas,...

This famous 15th century Russian icon portrays the Dormition (falling asleep) of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Virgin Mary. Christ takes her pure soul from her body as the Apostles gather from all over earth to say farewell to an earthly life here...

The Kursk Root Icon is one of the most ancient icons of the Russian Church, dating to the 13th century. It is an icon of the Theotokos "of the Sign" and features around the border nine prophets who foresaw the birth of Christ. The name "Kursk Root" is...