a special, lively service to Jesus Christ, the mother of God, or a saint during which one should stand; literally, “not sitting.
The Akathist (Ακαθιστος Υμνος, unseated hymn) is an Eastern Orthodox hymn dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The akathist par excellence is that written in the 6th century to the Theotokos. In its use as part of the Salutations to the Theotokos service (used in the Byzantine tradition during Great Lent), it is often known by its Greek or Arabic names, Chairetismoi and Madayeh, respectively.