An Afterfeast, or Postfeast, is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Orthodox Christian and

Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

(somewhat analogous to what in Western Christianity would be called an

Octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...

). The celebration of the Great Feasts of the

church year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year, ecclesiastical calendar, or kalendar, consists of the cycle of Christian liturgy, liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including Calendar of saints, c ...

is extended for a number of days, depending upon the particular Feast. Each day of an Afterfeast will have particular hymns assigned to it, continuing the theme of the Feast being celebrated. At each of the divine services during an Afterfeast, the

troparion A troparion (Greek , plural: , ; Georgian: , ; Church Slavonic: , ) in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or organised in more complex forms as series of stanzas. The wi ...

and

kontakion A kontakion (Greek , ''kondákion'', plural κοντάκια, ''kondákia'') is a form of hymn in the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The kontakion form originated in Syriac hymnography and gained prominence in Byzantium during the 6th century, ...

of the feast are read or chanted. The

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

of the feast will usually be chanted on every day of the Afterfeast (if two canons were chanted on the day of the feast, they will be alternated on the days of the afterfeast). Most of these Great Feasts also have a day or more of preparation called a Forefeast (most Feasts that are on the moveable

Paschal Cycle The Paschal cycle, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is the cycle of the moveable feasts built around Pascha (Easter). The cycle consists of approximately ten weeks before and seven weeks after Pascha. The ten weeks before Pascha are known as ...

do not have Forefeasts). Forefeasts and Afterfeasts will affect the structure of the services during the

Canonical Hours In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of Fixed prayer times#Christianity, fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or sel ...

. Some of the Great Feasts of the Lord have a special canon composed of only three odes, called a '' Triodion'', which is usually chanted at

Compline Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer liturgy (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times. The English wor ...

on each day of the Forefeast. (However, the Triodion of the Forefeast of the Transfiguration is said at Matins.) The last day of an Afterfeast is called the ''Apodosis'' (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

for "leave-taking", lit. "giving-back") of the Feast. On the Apodosis, most of the hymns that were chanted on the first day of the Feast are repeated. On the Apodosis of Feasts of the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

, the Epistle and Gospel from the day of the Feast are repeated again at the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...

. For the Annunciation, the Meeting, and Palm Sunday, the Apodosis may be celebrated for part of a day, at

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

, the remaining services of the day in question falling outside the festal period. This is indicated in the table below as a day. The Forefeasts and Afterfeasts break down as follows: {, class="wikitable" , - ! Days of Forefeast ! Name of Feast ! Date ! Days of the festal period , - , 1 , , Nativity of the Theotokos , , 8 September , , 5 , - , 1 , ,

Exaltation of the Cross The Feast of the Holy Cross, or Feast of the Cross, commemorates True Cross, the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Christianity, Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different celebrations which honor and celebrate the ...

, , 14 September , , 8 , - , 1 , , , Entry of the Theotokos , , 21 November , , 5 , - , 5 , , Nativity of our Lord , , 25 December , , 7 , - , 4 , , Theophany of our Lord , , 6 January , , 9 , - , 1 , , Meeting of our Lord , , 2 February , , 1–8 , - , 0 , ,

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...

, , Sunday before Pascha , , , - , 1 The Forefeast is omitted if it would fall on the third Sunday of

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

(the Veneration of the Cross) or on any day later than St. Lazarus Saturday. (For the Orthodox, the latter timing is only possible for Orthodox churches who continue to follow the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

, since March 25 in the Revised Julian calendar falls too early to be that close to even the earliest date of Pascha. For Eastern Catholics of the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...

, these same rules as the non-Revised Julian calendar Orthodox apply, as on the

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

, Pascha can occur as early as March 22.) The Apodosis is celebrated at Vespers on the evening of the Feast if the following day is a Lenten weekday or St. Lazarus Saturday. If the following day is a Saturday or Sunday, the Feast is celebrated for two days., , Annunciation of the Theotokos , , 25 March , , 1{{fraction, 1, 2–2 , - , 0 , , Pascha , , Sunday of the Resurrection , , 39 , - , 0 , , Mid-Pentecost , , Twenty-fifth day of Pascha , , 8 , - , 1 The Forefeast of the Ascension is the same day as the Apodosis of Pascha. In contemporary practice, the Forefeast is often omitted or celebrated at Compline. , , Ascension of our Lord , , Fortieth day of Pascha , , 9 , - , 0 , ,

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

(

Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christianity, Western Christian liturgical year, liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the ...

) , , Fiftieth day of Pascha , , 7 , - , 1 , ,

Transfiguration of our Lord The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) recount the occasion, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers t ...

, , 6 August , , 8 , - , 1 , ,

Dormition of the Theotokos The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the '' Theotokos'' ("Mother ...

, , 15 August , , 9 , - Five of these Afterfeasts have a special commemoration on the day following the Feast, called a ''Synaxis''. In this context, a Synaxis commemorates a saint who is intimately bound up with the Feast being celebrated. The four Synaxes are: *Synaxis of Saints

Joachim Joachim was, according to Sacred tradition, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of ...

and Anna (9 September—the day after the Nativity of the Theotokos) *Synaxis of the Theotokos (26 December—the day after the Nativity of our Lord) *Synaxis of the Forerunner (7 January—the day after the Theophany of our Lord) *Synaxis of Saints Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess (3 February—the day after the Meeting of the Lord) *Synaxis of the

Archangel Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

(26 March—the day after the Annunciation) If the Annunciation falls during Holy Week the Synaxis is omitted. Other Great Feasts that have Afterfeasts (although no Forefeasts) are: *The Nativity of the Forerunner (June 24) *The Beheading of the Forerunner (August 29) *The Feast of the Holy Apostles, Saints

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

(June 29). Each of these three has only 1 day of Afterfeast, and no Apodosis. These are not counted among the Twelve Great Feasts (i.e., Great Feasts of the Lord or Theotokos). The Feast of the Procession of the Cross (August 1), though it is not counted as a Great Feast, has one day of Forefeast, and no Afterfeast.

Notes

External links

Apodosis of the Dormition in Jerusalem
Byzantine Rite Eastern Orthodox liturgical days ro:Dupăprăznuire