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)