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The Vladimir icon of the Mother of God holding the Christ Child cheek to cheek, from our folding diptych

The Mother of God

The Mother of God

The Most Holy Theotokos (Mother of God): Hodegetria and Eleousa icons

Υπεραγία Θεοτόκος (Παναγία): Οδηγήτρια, Ελεούσα · Прест҃а́ѧ Бцⷣа: Ѻ҆дигитрїѧ, Оумиле́нїе · Пресвятая Богородица: Одигитрия, Умиление

The Mother of God is remembered on 8 September (21 September on the Old Calendar). Orthodox Christians pray to the Mother of God for her intercession before her Son for the salvation of our souls ('Most Holy Theotokos, save us'), protection under her veil from enemies visible and invisible and the health and wellbeing of children.

Feast days

Feast
Nativity of the Theotokos
Kept on
8 September (21 September on the Old Calendar)
Next, New Calendar
Next, Old Calendar
Feast
Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple
Kept on
21 November (4 December on the Old Calendar)
Next, New Calendar
Next, Old Calendar
Feast
Annunciation
Kept on
25 March (7 April on the Old Calendar)
Next, New Calendar
Next, Old Calendar
Feast
Dormition of the Theotokos
Kept on
15 August (28 August on the Old Calendar)
Next, New Calendar
Next, Old Calendar
Feast
Protection (Pokrov) of the Theotokos
Kept on
1 October (14 October on the Old Calendar)
Next, New Calendar
Next, Old Calendar

The New Calendar is kept by the Greek, Antiochian, Romanian and Bulgarian churches, the OCA and most converts; the Old Calendar by the Russian, Serbian and Georgian churches, Jerusalem and Mount Athos, 13 days later on the civil calendar.

The life of The Mother of God

The Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary who gave birth to God the Word in the flesh, is honored by Orthodox Christians "more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim." Her icons follow types the Church received from antiquity: the Hodegetria, "She who shows the way," pointing to her Son as the path of salvation, and the Eleousa, "Tenderness," in which the Child presses His cheek to His Mother's. Her great feasts trace her life: her Nativity, her Entry into the Temple, the Annunciation and her Dormition, and the Slavic churches keep the Protection, when she was seen spreading her veil over the faithful at Blachernae. Orthodox Christians end almost every service crying, "Most Holy Theotokos, save us!" They pray to her for their children, their families, healing and comfort, and above all ask her to pray to her Son for their souls.

What the faithful ask of the Mother of God

The faithful pray for

  • her intercession before her Son for the salvation of our souls ('Most Holy Theotokos, save us')
  • protection under her veil from enemies visible and invisible
  • the health and wellbeing of children
  • comfort in sorrow and grief
  • a good marriage and a peaceful family
  • healing of illness
  • guidance on the right path (Hodegetria, 'she who shows the way')
  • a peaceful Christian death

The Mother of God protects

  • from enemies visible and invisible
  • the family and the home
  • children and mothers
  • from despair
  • travelers who ask her guidance

Patron of

  • mothers
  • families
  • all Christians

Miracles

  1. In tenth-century Constantinople, during the vigil in the Blachernae church, St Andrew the Fool-for-Christ saw the Theotokos spread her veil over the people, protecting them from enemies visible and invisible; this is the feast of Pokrov.

    Source: OCA: The Protection of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

  2. The original Hodegetria, said to have been painted by St Luke, was the most venerated icon of Byzantium; the Smolensk Hodegetria in Russia is held by many to descend from it.

    Source: Wikipedia: Hodegetria

Where the traditions differ

Pokrov (1 Oct) is chiefly a Slavic feast; the Church of Greece keeps the Holy Protection (Agia Skepi) on 28 Oct. Greek name days are kept on the Dormition; Russians do not keep Theotokos feasts as name days.

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Name days

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Prayed to for

Questions

When is the feast day of the Mother of God?

Nativity of the Theotokos: 8 September (21 September on the Old Calendar); Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple: 21 November (4 December on the Old Calendar); Annunciation: 25 March (7 April on the Old Calendar); Dormition of the Theotokos: 15 August (28 August on the Old Calendar); Protection (Pokrov) of the Theotokos: 1 October (14 October on the Old Calendar).

What do Orthodox Christians pray to the Mother of God for?

Orthodox Christians pray to the Mother of God for her intercession before her Son for the salvation of our souls ('Most Holy Theotokos, save us'), protection under her veil from enemies visible and invisible, the health and wellbeing of children, comfort in sorrow and grief, a good marriage and a peaceful family and healing of illness.

What is the Mother of God the patron of?

The Mother of God is the patron of mothers, families and all Christians.

What does the Mother of God protect from?

The Mother of God protects from enemies visible and invisible, the family and the home, children and mothers, from despair and travelers who ask her guidance.

Whose name day is on a feast of the Mother of God?

The name day of Maria (Greek custom, Dormition 15 Aug), Mary (Greek custom, Dormition 15 Aug), Panagiotis (Greek, Dormition), Panagiota (Greek, Dormition), Despina (Greek, Dormition), Evangelos (Greek, Annunciation) and Evangelia (Greek, Annunciation).

Sources

  1. OCA: The Protection of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God (read 14 October 2026)
  2. Азбука веры: Богородица (read 14 October 2026)
  3. Wikipedia: Hodegetria (read 14 October 2026)