forefeast

noun

forefeast

noun

Etymology From fore- + feast.

1

A lesser religious festival that leads up to another more significant festival.

The two forefeasts of Christmas fall on the previous Sundays […]2005, George Dion Dragas, Ecclesiasticus II: Orthodox Icons, Saints, Feasts and Prayer:
The typikon of the Evergetis monastery, on the other hand, lists a forefeast and two afterfeasts; […]2016, Leslie Brubaker, Mary B. Cunningham, The Cult of the Mother of God in Byzantium: Texts and Images:

1 more example

Liturgical ceremonies of special splendor were enacted not only on feast days but also on the forefeasts and afterfeasts of these events, as seen in the Book of Ceremonies and Typikon of the Great Church.2016, Carolyn L. Connor, Saints and Spectacle, page 144:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.