N National Holidays of the MR

• The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of the Holy Mountain adopted the Gregorian calendar when it declared its independence from the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1878.
• It was the intention of the Holy Synod to give the citizens one holiday every month. They began with the Twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. Eight of the twelve were finally chosen and are presented below in bold print.
• Three of the holidays are secular. Constitution Day and Independence Day occur every year, Election Day only every four years.
• In the Monastic Republic the mother of Jesus is most commonly referred to as the All-holy, ē Panagía. Four of the twelve holidays are dedicated to her. One of these, the Immaculate Conception, is not celebrated by the Orthodox Churches, but is included for the Maronite Catholics.
• The months of April, May and June have no set date, but Good Friday, Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost fall some time during these months.
• The following are the thirteen national holidays, the public days of rest, in the Monastic Republic:
  • January 6 (January 7, if January 6 falls on a Sunday), the Epiphany/ē Theopháneia tou Kyríou;
  • February 2 (February 3, if February 2 falls on a Sunday), the Presentation of Christ/ē Hypapánte tou Kyríou;
  • Good Friday]]/ē Megále Paraskeuḗ;
  • Easter/ta Páscha Monday;
  • Ascension/ē Analépsis tou Kyríou Thursday;
  • Pentecost/ē Pentekostḗ Monday;
  • July 5 (July 6, if July 5 falls on a Sunday), Constitution Day/ton Ēméra tou Suntágmatos, the date on which the constitution was adopted in 1872;
  • August 15 (August 16, if August 15 falls on a Sunday), the Dormition of the All-holy/ē Koímesis tēs Panagías;
  • Election Day, the first Monday of September in election years/ton Ēméra tōn Εlogṓn;
  • September 8 (September 9, if September 8 falls on a Sunday), the Nativity of the All-holy/ē Génnēsē tēs Panagías;
  • October 5 (October 6, if October 5 falls on a Sunday), Independence Day/ton Ēméra Anexartēsés, the date on which a united force of monks drove the Ottoman troops out of the Monastic Republic's territory in 1870;
  • November 21 (November 22, if November 21 falls on a Sunday), the Presentation of the All-holy]]/ē Eídosis tēs Panagías;
  • December 8 (December 9, if December 8 falls on a Sunday), the Immaculate Conception of the All-Holy/ē Ópilē Súllēpsē;
  • December 24, Christmas Eve;
  • December 25, Christmas Day/ta Xristoúgenna.