December 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
December 22 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 24
All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 5 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.
For December 23rd, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 10.
Feasts
- Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Saints
- Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete (250):
- Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompeius (Pontius), Agathopus, Basilides, and Evaristus.
- Martyr Schinon (Skinus), by the sword.
- Saint Paul, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, a father of the First Ecumenical Council (4th century)
- Saint Niphon, Bishop of Constantia on Cyprus (4th century)
- Saint Chrysogonos (Chrysogonus).
- Venerable David of Echmiadzin in Armenia (693)
- Saint Naum of Ochrid, Enlightener of Bulgaria (910) (see also May 11 - Greek; and July 27 - Slavic)
Pre-Schism Western saints
- Virgin-Martyrs Victoria and Anatolia, two sisters martyred in Rome for refusing to marry pagans (250)
- Martyrs Migdonius and Mardonius, high officials at the imperial court in Rome, under Diocletian (303)
- Saint Servulus, a righteous man who was a cripple, used to beg for alms at the door of the church of St Clement in Rome, sharing what he received with other beggars (c. 590)
- Saint Dagobert II, King of Austrasia in the east of France, was exiled to a monastery in 656, recalled in 675 and martyred by the tyrant Ebroin (679)
- Saint Egbert of Rathmelsigi Abbey (Ecgberht of Ripon), who organised the mission to Frisia (Neth.) (729) (see also April 24 - Latin calendar)
- Saint Frithbert, successor of St Acca as Bishop of Hexham, where he served for thirty-four years (766)
- Saint Mazota, leader of a group of nineteen holy virgins who went from Ireland to Scotland and founded a monastery at Abernethy on the Tay (8th century?)
- Saint Vintila, a monk who reposed as a hermit in Punxín in Galicia in Spain (890)
Post-Schism Orthodox saints
- Saint Theoctistus, Archbishop of Novgorod (1310)
New martyrs and confessors
- New Hieromartyrs John Piankov and Nicholas Yakhontov, Priests (1918)
- New Hieromartyr Basil Spassky, Priest, at Tver (1938)
- New Hieromartyr Macarius (Mironov), Hieromonk of Zavidovskaya Gorka (Tver) (1938)
- New Hieromartyr Jonas (John) (Smirnov), Hieromonk of Bolshoye Mikhailovskoye (Tver) (1938)
- New Hieromartyr Paul (Kratirov), Bishop of Starobelsk.
Other commemorations
- Commemoration of the consecration and re-dedication of the Holy and Great Church of Christ, the Hagia Sophia, by Patriarch Eutychius (562)
- Repose of Eldress Eudocia Rodionova of Leushino Monastery, Fool-for-Christ (1886)
Icon gallery
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St. Naum of Ochrid.
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Victoria and Anatolia are portrayed amongst the mosaic Procession of Virgins in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna.
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Bronze medallion of King Dagobert II, c. 1720.
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Hexham Abbey, where St. Frithubeorht was Bishop from 734 to 766.