The first Sunday of Great Lent, celebrating the restoration of the icons in 843.
Dates
| Year | Dates | Reckoning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | March 9, 2025 | ||
| 2026 | March 1, 2026 |
Recurrence: Orthodox Pascha computus (the first Sunday of Great Lent, 42 days before Pascha).
Significance
The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, commemorates the restoration of the holy icons in 843, when the Empress Theodora ended the iconoclast controversy. It celebrates the triumph of the doctrine that God, having become visible in the flesh, may be depicted. The day is kept as a feast of the Orthodox faith itself, not only of images.
Observance
Icons are carried in procession and held aloft, and the Synodikon of Orthodoxy is proclaimed with anathemas and acclamations.