Practical Resources for Living the Orthodox Faith
In this page you will find resources for popular feast days celebrated in the Orthodox Church, including other significant days, like celebrating name days!
In this guide you’ll find simple and easy ideas to celebrate the the Feast of St Nicholas with your kids - emphasis on easy! Activity suggestions, book recommendations, and additional information so you can share his story so together you can grow to love him even more!
The lantern procession tradition on St. Martin's Day, celebrated on November 11, is a cherished tradition honoring St. Martin of Tours (397 AD). For centuries, Christians from Estonia to Spain, Sweden to Italy, have commemorated the Saint who shared his wealth with the poor. In Germany, children make lanterns and parade through the streets, singing songs. The lanterns shining in the dark are often interpreted as symbolizing the light of Christ, a particularly appropriate image for the beginning of the Nativity Fast (November 15th).
Have you ever heard of St. Phanourios, the patron saint of lost things? St Phanourios is known in the Orthodox Church as a saint who helps people find lost or stolen items. We can ask the Saints for help! We ask St. Phanourios to help us find whatever we lost, and when we find it, we bake a cake and share it with friends and loved ones as a way of giving thanks. This special tradition comes from Greece and the special olive oil citrus cake is called “Phanouropita!” In this blogpost, I am sharing the recipe for a simple baked phanouropita donut, which is ideal for sharing with others, an important element in the tradition!
Here you’ll find 10 easy ideas to celebrate Pentecost as a family. As a busy mom with 3 little ones, I know how precious your time is, so I hope to simplify how you celebrate feasts together. In this list you’ll find ways to prepare your kids for Pentecost (i.e. kneeling prayers, song, etc) and you will find fun recipes and stories too.
Here you’ll find 10 fun ways to celebrate Ascension as a family in hopes that one of these ideas will spark some ideas for you as you live out the Liturgical Calendar. Perhaps they will become your annual tradition for each Ascension! These are not just activities for activities sake, of course. My hope is that these will aid you in sharing more about our faith with your children in a way that is developmentally appropriate, allows for their exploration and participation in the feast, and hopefully cultivate a rich soil in their hearts that allows the seed of Truth that stays with them all the days of their life.
The sixth Sunday after Holy Pascha, the Orthodox Church designates as the Sunday of the blind man. Here you will find more about the significance of this Sunday, who is the blind man was and some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your children to help them learn more about this day!
Did you know that January 1st is the feast day for St Basil the Great? If you're looking for a way to ring in the civil New Year with our hearts and minds focused on the Lord, look no further than the Vasilopita tradition! ✨ Vasilopita✨ is a sweet bread or cake with a coin baked inside! In this guide you will find more about the many Greek traditions surrounding this feast, the story of his life, and additional resources to help you create feast day traditions with your families for years to come!
Have you ever heard of St Lucia of Syracuse? She was a young martyr who lived in the 4th century in Italy and is celebrated in many Scandinavian countries on her feast day, December 13th. Each year on her feast day, children dress up in all white, wear a crown of candles and bake St Lucia buns to share with their loved ones and friends. Many churches also host a St Lucia Procession where both boys and girls process while singing a hymn to St Lucia. She is a wonderful saint, especially for children to look to because of her acts of mercy to the poor and her boldness and bravery as she faced persecution and eventually martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
In this guide you will find more about the many Scandinavian traditions surrounding this feast, the story of her life and martyrdom, and additional resources to help you create feast day traditions with your families for years to come!
In this guide you’ll find simple and easy ideas to celebrate the the Feast of St Nicholas with your kids - emphasis on easy! Activity suggestions, book recommendations, and additional information so you can share his story so together you can grow to love him even more!
Here you’ll find 10 easy ideas to celebrate Ascension as a family. As a busy mom with 3 little ones, I know how precious your time is, so I hope to simplify how you celebrate feasts together. In this list you’ll find ways to prepare your kids for Pentecost (i.e. kneeling prayers, song, etc) and you will find fun recipes and stories too.
Here you’ll find 10 fun ways to celebrate Ascension as a family in hopes that one of these ideas will spark some ideas for you as you live out the Liturgical Calendar. Perhaps they will become your annual tradition for each Ascension! These are not just activities for activities sake, of course. My hope is that these will aid you in sharing more about our faith with your children in a way that is developmentally appropriate, allows for their exploration and participation in the feast, and hopefully cultivate a rich soil in their hearts that allows the seed of Truth that stays with them all the days of their life.
The sixth Sunday after Holy Pascha, the Orthodox Church designates as the Sunday of the blind man. Here you will find more about the significance of this Sunday, who is the blind man was and some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your children to help them learn more about this day!
Not many people are familiar with the feast of Mid-Pentecost. Apart from the clergy and a few lay people who have close ties to the Church, many don’t even know of its existence. The Wednesday after the Sunday of the Paralytic, the Church celebrates a great feast of the Lord, that of Mid-Pentecost.
Looking for a simple tradition for birthdays and name day celebrations? I want to share a recent discovery of the Blue Blessing Plate with you!
Pascha Family Brunch table inspiration plus some photos from our Pascha service 2023
Have you ever heard of St Lucia of Syracuse? She was a young martyr who lived in the 4th century in Italy and is celebrated in many Scandinavian countries on her feast day, December 13th. Each year on her feast day, children dress up in all white, wear a crown of candles and bake St Lucia buns to share with their loved ones and friends. Many churches also host a St Lucia Procession where both boys and girls process while singing a hymn to St Lucia. She is a wonderful saint, especially for children to look to because of her acts of mercy to the poor and her boldness and bravery as she faced persecution and eventually martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
In this guide you will find more about the many Scandinavian traditions surrounding this feast, the story of her life and martyrdom, and additional resources to help you create feast day traditions with your families for years to come!