DID YOU KNOW?

Department of Religious Education (DRE)

ARTOKLASIA

May 29

Did you know Artoklasia symbolizes Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5000?

Artoklasia (in Greek: ἀρτοκλασία, which means “breaking of bread” or “bread broken”) is a brief service of thanksgiving held at the end of Vespers, Matins (Orthros), or the Divine Liturgy. Five round loaves of bread are prepared by the faithful, blessed by the priest, and offered to commemorate an anniversary (name day, wedding, etc.) or some other special occasion. The Artoklasia is distributed to the congregation by the priest or the people who prepared it.

Artoklasia is celebrated only for the living. The service is a remnant of the Agape Feast in the early Church that occurred after celebrating the “breaking of bread” (the Eucharist) in the Divine Liturgy. It serves as a reminder of Christ’s miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread (Mark 6:38-44) and the “breaking of bread” with those Christ met on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).

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