Holidays

The Assyrian Church of the East observes an ancient liturgical calendar rooted in the Syriac Christian tradition. The major feasts of the Christian year are celebrated: the Nativity (Christmas), the Feast of Epiphany, Easter (Pascha), Pentecost (Pentikosti), and the Ascension. These feasts are observed according to the ancient Julian calendar (or other traditional reckonings in some communities), which may place them on different civil dates than the Western and Eastern Orthodox calendars.

The liturgical year is structured around the commemoration of Christ's life and the celebration of the mysteries of salvation. Fasting periods preceding major feasts prepare the faithful spiritually. The church maintains a calendar of saints including biblical figures, early Christian martyrs, and distinctly Syriac Christian saints. The celebration of these feasts and the observance of fasting seasons are integral to the spiritual life of the church, connecting the faithful to the rhythm of salvation history and to the communion of saints across the ages.