In July, the Orthodox Church celebrates two great holidays dedicated to John the Baptist and the holy apostles Peter and Paul. In addition, in the church calendar there are several more special days when solemn services are performed in Orthodox churches.
On July 7, the Orthodox Church celebrates the great feast of the birth of John the Baptist. In church liturgical practice, this day is called the Nativity of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. John the Baptist by Christ himself was called the great holy man who ever lived on earth. John prepared the Jewish people for the coming of the Savior. The holy prophet baptized people in Jordan, as well as the Savior himself. The saint was born miraculously from Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were already in their advanced years. Archangel Gabriel proclaimed to Father John that their child would be great before the Lord. It was John the Baptist who was honored to begin a sermon on repentance immediately before the coming of Christ into the world.
Another great Orthodox church holiday in July is the day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (July 12th). On this day St. Peter's Fast ends for Orthodox Christians. In churches, solemn services are held in honor of the great apostles; after the service, believers chatter with various foods (unless the feast is on Wednesday and Friday, in which case the fast is preserved). The apostle Peter had the most ardent and emotional character among the other apostles. He renounced Christ three times, then all his life he repented of this after restoration by the resurrected Lord in the apostolate. The apostle Peter walked on the waters, witnessed many miracles of the Savior, he himself resurrected Jeneus. Peter is also the author of two conciliar epistles. The apostle Paul worked the most in missionary preaching. The four missionary journeys of the holy apostle through the Roman Empire are known. He is the author of 14 epistles included in the New Testament canon. The addressee served as some certain Christian communities, as well as individuals.
In addition to these main church holidays of July, the following dates can be distinguished. July 1 - the memory of the Bogolyubskaya icon of the Virgin, July 3 - the Kosinskaya icon of the Virgin, July 6 - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, July 8 - the memory of the noble princes Peter and Fevronia (family day), July 9 - celebration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Virgin, July 18th is a special holiday in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh (hegumen of the Russian land), July 24th is the day of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga (grandmother of the Holy Prince of Kiev Vladimir), August 28th is the memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
