In Christian Churches most feasts have a fixed date and are commemorated regardless of the day of the week on which they fall. For example, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is commemorated on September, 14; the Assumption of Saint Mary – on August, 15.
The only exceptions from this rule are Easter and dominical feasts connected with Easter (Ascension Day, Descent of the Holy Spirit, etc.). They are commemorated on the fixed days of the week.
As for the Armenian Apostolic Church, the majority of the feasts in its calendar are moveable – that means they are commemorated on the fixed days of the week, so their particular date varies each year.
One of such moveable feasts in the Armenian Church calendar is Easter - it forms the basis of the calendar cycle of the Armenian Church. In different calendar years Easter was celebrated in the period from March, 22 to April, 25.
Besides Easter, in the Armenian Apostolic Church there are four other feasts from which the dates of other Christian feasts are counted. They are:
Assumption of Saint Mary commemorated on the closest Sunday to 15/28 Aug;
Advent Sunday – the Sunday that falls in the period from 15/28 Nov to 21 Nov/ 4 Dec;
Epiphany (Nativity of Jesus Christ and His Baptism in the River Jordan) – 6/19 Jan;
Exaltation of the Holy Cross – the nearest Sunday to 14/27 Sept.
Fixed dominical feasts are not so common in the Armenian Church calendar. They include:
Epiphany - 6/19 Jan;
Circumcision of Christ - 13/26 Jan;
Presentation of Christ in the Temple - 14/27 Feb;
Annunciation Day - 7/20 Apr;
Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God - 8/21 Sent;
Entry of the Most Holy Virgin into the Temple - 21 Nov/4 Dec;
Conception of the Virgin - 9/22 Dec.
In the Armenian Apostolic Church calendar each Sunday is dedicated to a certain dominical feast or becomes the remembrance day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each Wednesday is a fasting day in memory of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; and each Friday is a fasting day in memory of His death.
The only exceptions from the fasting days are Wednesdays and Fridays that fall in the seven week period from Easter to Pentecost as well as on such dominical feasts as: 9 days of Epiphany, 7 days of Trinity, 3 days of Transfiguration, and others. If a fasting days and a dominical feast fall on the same day, then the feast is commemorated.
Saints’ Days are commemorated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays - unless their date falls on a dominical feast or a fasting day. Nevertheless, each Saturday is a Saints’ Day even if it turns out to be a fasting day.
In summary, all days in the Armenian Church calendar are divided into three groups:
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