The Beginning of the Indiction: the Church New Year

The beginning of the Indiction, the Church New Year. On this day the Saviour, being in Nazareth, went into the synagogue and read the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me … to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18–19).

On 1 September 312 Constantine the Great (306–337) inflicted a crushing defeat on Maxentius (307–312), after which the Christians were granted complete freedom to confess their faith. To commemorate these two events, from the most ancient times (it is supposed, from the time of the First Ecumenical Council) the reckoning of the year in the Church has begun on 1 September.

Afterwards the celebration of the New Year on 1 January gradually became established, but the Church New Year still begins and is celebrated on 1 September. On this day the holy Church asks “the Creator of all creation” to “bless the crown of the year”.