Katavasia

Katavasia is the last troparion of an ode of a canon in Eastern Orthodox liturgical celebrations. Its name is derived from the Greek word katabasia for descent, so called because the cantors used to go down from their stalls and unite in the middle of the choir to sing them.^[1] Sundays and major feast days feature one katavasi following each ode. Katavasia are often seasonal, anticipating the next major feast. For example, the katavasia of Christmas are chanted from November 21 to the feast. On non-festal days katavasia occur after the third, sixth, eighth and ninth odes only.

Notes

1. Parry, (1999), p. 280

References

• Parry, Ken; David Melling, eds. (1999). The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity. Malden, MA.: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-23203-6.