In the Orthodox tradition, the Church New Year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31. This date marks not only the beginning of a new liturgical cycle, but also a moment of spiritual reflection and gratitude to God for the blessings of the previous year.
The new church year begins on September 1 – Photo Archive
According to Jewish tradition, on this day God began the work of creating the world, and in the Christian period, September 1 was chosen to begin the church year. Also, on this day, our Savior Jesus Christ began His activity of preaching the Gospel. Thus, the church New Year is marked by the protection of the Mother of God, and the troparion specific to this day reflects the desire for divine blessing and protection for the year that begins.
“This Sunday we will celebrate the beginning of the church year. Let’s make a good start every day, every moment we remember. How we sin or do something wrong, let’s correct it, so that we don’t repeat tomorrow what we did wrong today. And if we have done something good in the past, let’s repeat the good done today, without thinking about the beautiful things already done… So, let’s do every day everything that was beneficial in the previous ones, multiplying the good, and let’s put an end to today’s evils, so that we don’t see them done again tomorrow.”, wrote Adrian Agachi, BOR representative on Facebook, on this occasion.
The church year 2025 will begin on September 1, 2024 and will end on August 31, 2025. This was declared by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to be the year in honor of the Centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate, marking 100 years since the elevation of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the rank of Patriarchate . At the same time, it is also the commemorative year of Romanian Orthodox priests and confessors from the 20th century, honoring the memory of those who defended the Orthodox faith during the communist regime. This year will be dedicated to celebrating the spiritual heritage and history of the Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as honoring the sacrifice of those who kept the faith alive in difficult times.
The difference between the church year and the liturgical year
The church year and the liturgical year are not identical. The liturgical year begins on the day of Holy Easter and is divided into three great periods: the time of the Triod, the time of Pentecost and the time of Octoih.
Saint Dionysius the Exiguous, known as the father of the Christian era, is also celebrated on September 1. His canonization took place in 2008, underlining the importance of his contribution to establishing the church calendar, according to CrestinOrtodox.ro.
Traditions and practices
The Church New Year is an opportunity for believers to reflect on the past year and ask for divine blessing for the new year. On this day, special services are held in churches and believers are encouraged to participate in these ceremonies and engage in a deeper spiritual life.
In the Church Year 2025, the most important red cross feasts include the celebration of the Nativity of the Mother of God on September 8, 2024, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, 2024, and the Nativity (Christmas) on December 25, 2024. The year begins with the circumcision of the flesh of of the Lord and St. Jer. Basil the Great on January 1, 2025 and ends with the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist on August 29, 2025. Other notable feasts include the Resurrection (Easter) on April 20, 2025, the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) on June 8, 2025, and the Assumption on August 15, 2025. These dates represent special moments of celebration and reflection within the Orthodox liturgical year.
