St. Stephen's Day, or the Feast of St. Stephen, is a Christian saint's day celebrated on December 26 in the Western Church and December 27 in the Eastern Church. Many Eastern Orthodox churches adhere to the Julian calendar and mark St. Stephen's Day on December 27 according to that calendar, which places it on January 9 according to the Gregorian calendar used in secular (and Western) contexts. It commemorates St Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr.