Anniversaries and commemorations

June 23 | Solidarity with vulnerable families on the International Widows’ Day

The United Nations (UN) has established the International Widows’ Day in 2011 to raise awareness on the need of suport for women who lost their life partner and with their children. The absence of the life partner exposes both women and their children to psychological and economical risk: the family is deprived of an income…

Jun 23, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

21 June: European Music Day

The Fête de la Musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day the citizens of a city or country are allowed and urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces…

Jun 21, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

Four year anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

Four years ago, on June 16, began the writing of ‘a new chapter in the history of the Church’ as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the meeting of the Local Orthodox Churches that took place on the island of Crete. The Council took place from June 16 to June 26, 2016, at the Orthodox Academy of…

Jun 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

For 12 years, Basilica.ro

June 16 marks the 12th anniversary of Basilica.ro, the only news agency belonging to an Orthodox Autocephalous Church. This unique project began as a news aggregator selecting articles from the Dioceses of the Romanian Patriarchate. Information was taken en masse directly from the source, with little intervention on form or content. After joining social media,…

Jun 16, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

World Blood Donor Day

Every year, on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The event serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure the quality, safety, and availability of blood and blood products for patients in…

Jun 14, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

World Oceans Day: 8 June 2020

World Oceans Day takes place every 8 June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution officially recognizing 8…

Jun 8, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

The Feast of Holy Trinity, a celebration of the Basilica Media Centre

The five institutions belonging to the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate were placed under the protection of the Holy Trinity, having as model and help the Divine Persons ‘who offer themselves to each other and work together in a perfect harmony, while their glory shows the holiness and the beauty of their eternal…

Jun 8, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

5 June – World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June every year and is the United Nations principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging from environmental issues to marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming,…

Jun 5, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

4 June: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is a United Nations (UN) observance each 4 June. It was established on 19 August 1982. It is a sad reality that in situations where armed conflict breaks out, it is the most vulnerable members of societies – namely children, who are most affected by the…

Jun 4, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

June 1 – Children’s Day

Children’s Day is a national holiday celebrated in Romania and it is held on June 1 every year. Children’s Day is not just an event in Romania, it is also celebrated in many different countries and is an official UN global observance. Children’s Day is an international celebration intended to bring nations together to promote child welfare,…

Jun 1, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

On this day May 29, 1453: The Fall of Constantinople

The Fall of Constantinople occurred on May 29, 1453, after a siege which began on April 6. The battle was part of the Byzantine-Ottoman Wars (1265-1453) and is referred to as one of the darkest days in Greek history. Ascending to the Ottoman throne in 1451, Mehmed II began making preparations to reduce the Byzantine…

May 29, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu