Man and Church
"The Crown of the Year" – Reflections on the Church New Year
How the feast of the Indiction reminds us of new life and the glory of God's creation
"The Crown of the Year" – Reflections on the Church New Year
How the feast of the Indiction reminds us of new life and the glory of God's creation
September 1 is the feast of the Indiction and marks the beginning of the Church year. Traditional versions of the Menaion (the books containing the services for each day of the month) and the Epistle books begin the year in September.
The Indiction was originally the name of a 15-year Roman tax calendar. With time, it came to refer to the year in general. Since the middle of the 5th century, September 1 marked the beginning of the new year for the entirety of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the divine services of the Orthodox Church reflected this civil reality. In the divine services, we read:
