Orthodox Christians begin new liturgical year on Sept. 1: Romanian Patriarchate marks start of feasts and fasting

Sept. 1, 2026, marks the start of the new liturgical year for Orthodox Christians, known as the Indiction, according to the official calendar of the Romanian Patriarchate. The date opens a cycle of feasts, fasting periods and liturgical services, with the first major feast, the Nativity of the Theotokos, set for Sept. 8, followed by the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14 .
The Romanian Patriarchate’s calendar lists Sept. 1 as the “Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year,” with commemorations including St. Dionysius Exiguus, a 5th–6th century monk and scholar from Dobruja, modern-day Moldova, who proposed the Anno Domini dating system in 525 . The tradition ties Sept. 1 to the creation of the world and the start of Jesus Christ’s public ministry, as noted by Paisie Sinaitul, a patriarchal vicar bishop, who cited the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Luke .
Romania’s National Health Insurance House announced that insured individuals will retain access to medical services after Sept. 1, 2026, without being required to use the electronic identity card. The National Health Card will remain valid while technical updates to software and card readers are completed, with the e-signature requirement for medical services suspended through September .
The date also aligns with historical events listed in German media: the 1939 invasion of Poland, the 1961 founding of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, and the 1971 introduction of Germany’s BAföG education funding law . In astronomy, Sept. 1, 1804, marks the discovery of the asteroid Juno by German astronomer Karl L. Harding .
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