Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, also known as the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a significant day in the Christian calendar that commemorates the martyrdom of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome. Celebrated on June 29th, this feast has deep roots in early Christianity. The date was chosen either to mark the deaths of these apostles or the transfer of their relics.

In Eastern Christianity, this feast concludes the Apostles' Fast for Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic Christians. It is a day of great importance, marked by attending services such as the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy. In Western Christianity, the day is a solemnity on the General Roman Calendar and was formerly ranked as a Double or First-Class Feast.

For the Latin Church, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul is a holy day of obligation, though bishops' conferences in different regions may adjust this requirement. In countries like England, Scotland, and Malta, it is observed as a public holiday or a holy day of obligation. In the United States, it ceased to be a Holy Day of Obligation in 1840.

The day is also celebrated by the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Churches, and other Christian denominations in various ways. It holds particular significance for newly appointed metropolitan archbishops, who receive the pallium from the Pope as a symbol of their office.

In the Oriental Orthodox tradition, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church mark this feast as the end of the Apostles' Fast. The day also holds special meaning in different spiritual Christian traditions, such as the Doukhobors in Canada, and is celebrated with distinctive customs in regions like Puglia, Italy.