2027 Icon Calendar: Saints for Various Needs, Gregorian or "new" calendar edition. If you celebrate Christmas/Nativity on December 25, this is the proper calendar for you.

• 11" X 12" full-color calendar features large calendar boxes (1-3/8" X 1-3/4") for recording your important date reminders
• Major saints and feast days traditionally celebrated in Orthodox countries around the world are listed
• There are two 11" X 12" pages for each month, with a large size icon image on the top page, and a calendar page below
• A hole is drilled at the top of the calendar, so that it is easy to hang on your wall

2027 icon calendar, available in Gregorian and Julian formats, features saints and feast days traditionally celebrated in Orthodox countries around the world, as well as fasting-day reminders and iconography information. Each month includes two 11” x 12” pages with a large icon image on the top page. The bottom page displays the calendar month with large boxes (1⅜” x 1¾”) for each day to record important date reminders.

About the Calendar Dates

The feast days shown on this calendar in bold, blue type are the twelve great feast days of the Orthodox Church. Other feast days of some of the most popularly venerated saints of the Orthodox Churches around the world are listed in black, regular type. Dates are listed according to the Gregorian or "new" calendar.

Many days throughout the Orthodox church year are designated as fast days (on which we refrain from eating meat products, milk products, fish, wine, and oil). These fast days, marked in red type, include the four canonical fasting seasons (Great Lent, the Apostles’ fast, the Dormition fast, and the Advent fast), as well as almost every Wednesday and Friday. When a major feast falls during a fasting season, fish, wine, and oil are allowed. In addition, there are also several fast-free weeks and other special fast days. Because fast day designations vary slightly from church to church, consult your local parish for further details.

About Icons

The word icon derives from the Greek word eikon, meaning “likeness,” “image,” or “representation.” An iconographer, or icon painter, is thus an artist who “paints images.” In the Eastern Orthodox Church, icons hold a very special place. They are not just stylized representations of saints or events; they are endowed with a mystical connection to that which they depict. Always seeking to portray the invisible reali- ties of heaven, icons celebrate holiness in lines and color, revealing “the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (Rev. 21:3).

According to tradition, the first icon came from the hand of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. From the very earliest period of the Church’s history, icons were painted and venerated. The ancient historian Eusebius, writing in the fourth century, reported seeing “a great many portraits of the Savior, and of Peter and Paul, which have been preserved up to our time” (Church History VII, 18).

Throughout history, the patterns and techniques of the iconographer’s craft were passed on from generation to generation. Icons were never looked upon as “original” works of art. Instead, each new generation of iconographers meticulously followed the previously established examples and parameters. With the passage of time, various schools of iconography developed as Christian artists from Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Syria, and other countries made minor adaptations to the standard iconic formulas, incorporating elements of color and design from their own cultures and making use of the creativity of their God-given artistic talents.

Credits and Acknowledgments

The icons appearing in this calendar are used with the permission of the iconographers and/or photographers. Any commercial use of this calendar by dismantling or selling prints, or using any part for any form of reproduction (electronic or otherwise), is strictly prohibited without prior authorization from Ancient Faith Publishing.

Also available:

Julian or "old" calendar edition

JANUARY Seraphim of Sarov

• Inner Peace & Joy
• Growth in Prayer & the Holy Spirit
• Strength in Spiritual Discipline
• Physical & Emotional Healing

FEBRUARY Brigid of Kildare

• Providing Food & Shelter
• Protection of Home & Family
• New Beginnings

MARCH Photini the Samaritan Woman

• Spiritual Awakening and Repentance
• Thirst for Truth and Faith
• Courage to Witness and Share Faith
• Healing of Relationships and Broken Pasts
• Perseverance Under Hardship

APRIL Mary of Egypt

• Repentance and Healing from Serious Sin
• Freedom from Despair

MAY Irene the Great Martyr

• Courage in the Face of Fear
• Perseverance in Suffering
• Faithfulness to God
• Healing and Protection
• Inner Peace and Purity of Heart

JUNE John of Kronstadt

• Family & Domestic Peace
• Healing and Comfort during Suffering
• Relief during Crisis
• Assistance in Prayer & Sacraments

JULY Paisios the Athonite

• Guidance and Discernment
• Relief from Anxiety and Troubled Thoughts
• Strength in Faith and Spiritual Growth
• Help with Everyday Struggles
• Protection and Trust in God
• Compassion and Love for Others

AUGUST Maximos the Confessor

• Understanding Truth and Theology
• Standing Firm in Truth
• Inner Spiritual Struggle (the passions)
• Inner Peace and Alignment with God
• Love Rightly Ordered
• Depth in Prayer and Contemplation

SEPTEMBER Silouan the Athonite

• Humility & Meekness
• Love & Forgiveness
• Growth in Gentleness & Patience
• Learning to Serve Others

OCTOBER Romanos the Melodist

• Chanting and Prayer through Hymnody
• Spiritual Creativity & Insight

NOVEMBER Nectarios the Wonderworker

• Healing from Illness
• Strength During Injustice and False Accusations
• Humility and a Peaceful Heart
• Comfort in Suffering and Loneliness
• Perseverance in Faith

DECEMBER Lucia the Virgin Martyr

• Protection and Healing of the Eyes
• Light in Darkness (physical and spiritual)
• Courage and Purity
• Endurance in Suffering
• Faith and Trust in God

Format: Wall Calendar

Dimensions: 11 X 12 inches

Page Length: 28 pages