Practical Resources for Living the Orthodox Faith
The first day of the Church New Year in the Orthodox Church is September 1st. According to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue on September 1 to announce His mission to mankind (Luke 4:16-22). In this guide, I will share a little more about the significance of this day, some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your family or community.
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In the Orthodox Church, the liturgical year begins on September 1st! I always take a big deep sigh at the chance to begin anew. Maybe it’s because the school year generally also begins in September, I feel inspired to re-organize, re-prioritize, and shift my focus towards living our lives oriented towards Christ. What a great opportunity!
In addition to the New Church Year, we have some beloved saints celebrated this month + two Great Feast Days! We are planning some fun fall themed activities this month while also celebrating these wonderful saints. For example, I love incorporating apple themed treats or apple picking for St Euphrosynos’ feast day (September 11) since part of his story is the apples he received from paradise. I’m always searching for more ways to bring Christ into our home in a tangible, and meaningful way. Not every parent is a “crafty” person, so I’ve attempted to gather resources that can accommodate all types of interests (food, podcasts, crafts, coloring pages, etc) that can easily be put together with very little prep work or planning. If you’re reading this, you likely desire to bring Christ into your home as well. Thank God! Together, may we encourage one another to be who God created us to be, and help others along the way. I’m glad you are here! God bless your efforts and good strength as we strive for the Kingdom together.
And for those on the Old Calendar:
In this blog post, I’m sharing a simple and fun St. Euphrosynos apple craft, including a free printable apple craft that can be used for an individual craft or as a group activity. Whether you’re looking for a meaningful Orthodox Christian craft for St. Euphrosynos, a way to teach your children about his life and feast day, or a simple activity to incorporate into your family’s Orthodox traditions, I hope this craft helps your family grow in faith and cultivate a deeper love for the saints within the life of the Orthodox Church.
In this blogpost, I’m sharing simple and fun ideas to help your family celebrate Saint Euphrosynos together, including Orthodox recipes, family activities, children’s crafts, hymns and songs, saint-inspired videos, and faith-filled traditions that can deepen your children’s love for this holy saint. Whether you are looking for ways to celebrate his feast day, teach children about Euphrosynos, or create meaningful Orthodox Christian family traditions, I hope these ideas encourage your family to grow in faith, strengthen your devotion to God, and cultivate a deeper love for the saints within the life of the Orthodox Church.
September feast day guide with simple explanations, family-friendly ideas, special traditions, and links to helpful Orthodox Christian resources.
The first day of the Church New Year in the Orthodox Church is September 1st. According to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue on September 1 to announce His mission to mankind (Luke 4:16-22). In this guide, I will share a little more about the significance of this day, some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your family or community.
One of the greatest treasures of the Orthodox Church is the Liturgical Calendar. Through feasts, fasts, saints, and hymns, the Church teaches us how to see time itself as holy. And yet—especially for families—it can also feel overwhelming. There is so much to remember, prepare for, and explain to our children. Over the years, I’ve learned that living the Orthodox faith at home doesn’t mean doing everything. It means doing a few things intentionally. That conviction is what led me to create my new Monthly Orthodox Family Calendar Printables for 2026.
By popular demand, here a 12 month bundle with all of the prints in one easy download. Last year, I was making these prints as I went throughout the year, so we finally now have 12 months (with adjusted dates for 2025) all in one!
In this guide you’ll find simple and easy ideas to celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos as a family - emphasis on easy! Activity suggestions, book recommendations, song links, and additional information so you can share her story and what this feast is all about!
One of the sweetest ways to help children connect with the lives of the saints is through food, especially when the recipe itself has a connection to the saint’s story. Saint Euphrosynos the Cook was a humble monastic who was granted the ability to dwell in Paradise, where he gave away apples from the garden. These simple “Three Baked Apples from Paradise” are a fun way to bring that story to life for your family as you celebrate the feast day of St. Euphrosynos.
The recipe is intentionally simple enough for children to help make, and with just three apples, it’s perfect for a small family—but it can easily be adjusted to make more servings for a larger family, homeschool group, or parish gathering. As you prepare and enjoy these baked apples together, you can remind your children of St. Euphrosynos, his humility, and the beautiful glimpse of Paradise God allowed him to experience.