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Festal Icon Timeline

Festal Icon Timeline: Click image to enlargeFestal Icon Timeline: Click image to enlarge

By Shelley Pituch

Materials

  • Piece of poster board, cut into a 7” wide strip that is the length of the longer edge
  • Pencil
  • Marker
  • Glue
  • Clothespin
  • Small brown piece of construction paper
  • Pictures of icons portraying Pascha and the 12 Great Feasts of the church year:
  1. September 8, the Nativity of the Theotokos
  2. September 14, the Exaltation of the Cross
  3. November 21, the Presentation of the Theotokos
  4. December 25, the Nativity of Christ/Christmas
  5. January 6, the Baptism of Christ -- Theophany, also called Epiphany
  6. February 2, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
  7. March 25, the Annunciation
  8. The Sunday before Pascha (Easter)-- the Entry into Jerusalem or Flowery/Willow/Palm Sunday
  9. Forty Days after Pascha (Easter) -- the Ascension of Christ
  10. Fifty Days after Pascha (Easter) -- Pentecost
  11. August 6, the Transfiguration
  12. August 15, the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos

Directions

  1. With pencil, draw a line toward the bottom of the strip of poster board.
  2. Equally space out and make 13 marks on the line, for Pascha and the 12 Great Feasts.
  3. Trace over the lines and marks with black permanent marker.
  4. Using the order listed above, glue the appropriate icon picture above each mark on the timeline. You will need to check on the date for Pascha.
  5. Identify each icon, briefly discussing the feast that it represents.
  6. Write the name of the Feast and the correct date above the corresponding mark and icon.
  7. Using the piece of construction paper, draw and cut out a small cross.
  8. Glue the cross to the clothespin.
  9. To mark the progression through the church year, simply move the clothespin along the timeline.

For more information about the Liturgical Year of the Orthodox Church, read the following article by the Greek Archdiocese: www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7118.