Sunday as Lord's Day; Saturday liturgically significant; Julian calendar for many
The Eastern Orthodox Church observes Sunday (the Day of Resurrection) as the primary day of Eucharistic assembly and the Christian fulfillment of the Sabbath. Saturday, however, retains significant liturgical importance in the Orthodox calendar as the 'day of rest' (in honor of the Old Testament Sabbath) and particularly as the day of commemorating the departed: major memorial services are held on Saturdays of the Departed throughout the year. Both Saturday and Sunday are days of liturgical prayer; fasting is generally prohibited on both days.
Many Orthodox churches—particularly the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, and Jerusalem churches—use the Julian calendar for calculating the dates of movable and fixed feasts, meaning that Christmas falls on January 7 (Gregorian) and other feasts are similarly shifted. Other Orthodox churches (Greek, Romanian, Antiochian) use the Revised Julian Calendar, which aligns with the Gregorian for fixed feasts while maintaining the traditional calculation for Easter. This calendar diversity sometimes creates tension within the Orthodox communion.
Key Distinctions
- Day observed:
- Sunday (first day of the week / Lord's Day)
- Observance theology:
- worship-focused gathering; not a strict legal rest
- Binding on christians:
- moral principle of rest honored; specific day fulfilled in Christ
Scripture References
Sources
- Council of Trullo (692), Canon 55
- Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
- Typikon (Byzantine Liturgical Rule)
- Council of Constantinople (1923, Revised Julian Calendar)