# Compendium of Little-T Traditions Little-T traditions for feast and fast days in the church; special recipes and other Fun Things To Do. # On the Calendar Cycle Little-T traditions for feasts and fasts on the calendar cycle. # Start of Nativity Fast Date: 15-17 November #### Christmas Pudding This tradition originates in England. You can watch [a video about it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pgeI0gmAx4) from the Anglican Diocese of St. Albans. On the first Sunday of Advent, prepare the [Christmas pudding](https://wiki.srp.life/books/cakes-breads-and-puddings/page/christmas-pudding). Everyone in the family should take a turn stirring the mixture, while saying the following prayer: ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeRyx4zLu7-32fvFE9B-6KPh3HNX4nnGOMiUodFbcO7TQINMIChmiF7CGZyrc6XBWaz2ZkyChXXQWQDDS22_LZtfQ0HtMBKc3vw7JqZA73A_na52JboNt7PtnPtLRHZd73y933fJQ?key=g5QS77ZTacqT0o152wa9UZZv) > Stir up, O Lord, the wills of Your faithful people that they may plenteously bring forth the fruit of good works, as they await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to restore all things to their original perfection; who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. This prayer is the Collect of the Day in Catholic and Anglican churches. [![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/scaled-1680-/m46TsLkymC6pe7bq-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/m46TsLkymC6pe7bq-image.png)[![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/scaled-1680-/KaW7fYaTg5cExlMM-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/KaW7fYaTg5cExlMM-image.png) # Entrance of the Theotokos Date: 21st November #### The Polysporia November is the very end of the growing season, and is celebrated in Greece by making a dish called [polysporia ](https://totalfood.com/polysporia-many-beans-many-grains-many-thanks/)out of grains and legumes. #### Liturgy Wear white to Liturgy. # Day After Entrance of the Theotokos Or Second Weekend of Advent. Date: 22-24 November #### The Christmas Tree Opinions vary on the correct date to put up the Christmas Tree: \- the start of the Advent Fast (start of the Nativity seasons) \- the day after Entrance of the Theotokos (the first day of Nativity hymnography) \- the day after Thanksgiving (applicable only in the USA) \- Saint Nicholas' Day \- Saint Lucy's Day \- Christmas Eve before leaving for Vigil (the start of the official Christmas/Nativity season) Due to the presence of the Nativity troparion in the Christmas Tree Blessing (see attachments), I believe the day (or weekend) after the Entrance of the Theotokos is the best time to put up and bless the Christmas Tree. #### Blessing of the Tree This is an adaptation of the Serbian "badnyak" blessing tradition, as adapted by Abbot Fr. Benjamin of Prophet Elias Monastery in South Australia. [![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/scaled-1680-/RxgmMw49c4Iibsjm-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/RxgmMw49c4Iibsjm-image.png) Invite a priest, family, godfamily, and friends around. Make [gingerbread ](https://wiki.srp.life/books/biscuits-and-cookies/page/gingerbread)in the shape of Christmas trees, and offer mulled apple cider and spiced tea. # St Lucy's Day Date: 13th December #### St. Lucy Buns This tradition comes from Scandinavia. Make yellow [St. Lucy Buns](https://wiki.srp.life/books/cakes-breads-and-puddings/page/st-lucy-buns). [![462582728_3872345096339413_2659404526426385527_n.jpg](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/scaled-1680-/NSiFgFdXfFaLfuBB-462582728-3872345096339413-2659404526426385527-n.jpg)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/NSiFgFdXfFaLfuBB-462582728-3872345096339413-2659404526426385527-n.jpg) #### Clothes Dress in white with a red sash, and make a candle crown to wear. This tradition also comes from Scandinavia. # Transfiguration Date: 6th August #### The First Fruits of the Harvest August is the start of the harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fruit-fruits of the harvest are traditionally brought to Liturgy at this time to be blessed. In England, this is called [Lammas ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lammas)or Loaf-Mass because people bring a decorative bread, often designed to look like a sheaf of wheat. I use the [Hot Cross Buns](https://wiki.srp.life/books/cakes-breads-and-puddings/page/hot-cross-buns) recipe for a sweet, fruit-studded loaf. In the OCA tradition, parishioners bring baskets of fruit and vegetables to be blessed. [![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/LMWShExToEuss7Tz-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/LMWShExToEuss7Tz-image.png)[![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/hXKF4rrSvR8fFd2e-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/hXKF4rrSvR8fFd2e-image.png)[![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/kVDRvgMEKZdlBBlX-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/kVDRvgMEKZdlBBlX-image.png) #### Liturgy Take your first-fruits offering to Liturgy to be blessed, and share it with others afterwards. # On the Paschal Cycle Little-T traditions for feasts and fasts on the Paschal cycle. # Holy Friday Date: the Friday before Pascha #### Fasting and Bread In the strict fasting rule typically only followed by monks, one does not eat from the Thursday night passion gospels until breaking the fast at the Paschal Liturgy. Pious lay customs may call for xerophagy (eating only raw food), or eating just bread and dried fruits. Thus, hot cross buns are traditionally a strict fasting food eaten on Holy Friday. You can make them with or without fruit, and in flavour they resemble the spiced buns used in an artoklasia. It is believed that if you include some dough in the buns which was kneaded for the Holy Thursday (Institution of the Eucharist) prosphora, it won't spoil or grow mouldy in the following year, and a piece of it will help someone recover from illness. [![498563100_2143357216182463_5221995769217370557_n (1).jpg](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/L8Ul9lesBMAzRULq-498563100-2143357216182463-5221995769217370557-n-1.jpg)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/L8Ul9lesBMAzRULq-498563100-2143357216182463-5221995769217370557-n-1.jpg)[![image.png](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/hCe1zp9xCUy36wUm-image.png)](https://wiki.srp.life/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/hCe1zp9xCUy36wUm-image.png) #### Liturgy Wear black or dark colours to church.