Saint Basil

Basil's name is given to Father Christmas, and he is thought to visit children and deliver small presents every first of January. Saint Basil's Day, which coincides with the Greek New Year, is a joyful festival of peace, fellowship, and

renewal.

The tradition of the Vassilopitta began long ago in the days when St. Basil was the Archbishop of Caesarea in the province of Cappadocia. The Emperor Valens of Cappadocia belonged to a group known as the Arians. The Arians were very much against the Orthodox teachings of St. Basil and tried hard to destroy him and his people. In order to do this, the Emperor sent a very stern soldier to warn St. Basil that all the people in his district would soon have all their earthly belongings taken from them and their city would be completely stricken with poverty and starvation. He further warned that St. Basil himself would have to make a choice between Orthodoxy and death.

Epiphany• Epiphany is celebrated by both the

Eastern and Western Churches, but a major difference between them is precisely which events the feast commemorates. For Western Christians, the feast primarily commemorates the coming of the Magi; Eastern churches celebrate the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. In both traditions, the essence of the feast is the same: the manifestation of Christ to the world (whether as an infant or in the Jordan), and the Mystery of the Incarnation.

Epiphany is a Christian feast day which celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. It falls on January 6 or on a Sunday close to that date. January 6 in the Julian Calendar, which is followed by some Eastern Churches, corresponds at present to January 19 in the Gregorian Calendar, which is the official civil calendar in most countries. On this day, Western Christians commemorate principally the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the child Jesus, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles; Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. It is also called Theophany, especially by Eastern Christians.

Saint John the Baptist• The Eastern Orthodox believe that John was

the last of the Old Testament prophets, thus serving as a bridge between that period of revelation and the New Covenan. They also teach that, following his death, John descended into Hades and there once more preached that Jesus the Messiah was coming, so he was the Forerunner of Christ in death as he had been in life. According to Sacred Tradition, John the Baptist appears at the time of death to those who have not heard the Gospel of Christ, and preaches the Good News to them, that all may have the opportunity to be saved. Orthodox churches will often have an icon of St. John the Baptist in a place of honor on the iconostasis, and he is frequently mentioned during the Divine Services. Every Tuesday throughout the year is dedicated to his memory

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Eastern Christian Churches, St John the Baptist is usually called St John the Forerunner, a title used also in the West ("Πρόδρομος" in Greek, "Precursor" in Latin). This title indicates that the purpose of his ministry was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. In the East also, the Feast of his Nativity is celebrated on June 24. It is a major feast day and is celebrated with an All-Night Vigil. It has an Afterfeast of one day. The feast always falls during the Apostles' Fast.

Great Union Day

• Great Union Day occurring on December 1, is the national holiday of Romania. It commemorates the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, which declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania.

• In Communist Romania, the date of the national holiday was set to August 23 to mark the 1944 overthrow of the pro-fascist government of Marshal Ion Antonescu.

Dragobete

. While Valentine’s Day is mostly related to people and their actions in the name of love, the Romanian holiday dedicated to love, Dragobete, is strongly connected to nature. Celebrated on February 24th, it is linked to that special time of year when birds build their nests and mate. As the first signs of spring show, nature and man restart the cycle of life and love

Dragobete was the son of Baba Dochia.