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The Sacramental life of the Church is Biblical and was established by Christ Himself during his time on Earth. There are seven Sacraments in the Orthodox Church:

- Baptism: While Christ was physically baptized by John the Forerunner, the true baptism occurred on the Cross and through the tomb. Death, which did not exist prior to the Fall, was defeated on the Cross. We say that Christ “trampled down death by death and bestowed life to those in the tombs”. Christ entered the realm of death in order to defeat it and emerged from the tomb bestowing life for all mankind. This means that it was through Christ’s death on the Cross that we are granted life. Our Baptism is our own death and our rebirth into a new life in Christ which is no longer constrained by death. It is through our baptism that we are joined to the body of Christ (the Church).

- Chrismation: This Sacrament follows the Baptismal service, and is based on the descension of the Holy Spirit. Chrismation seals in the Holy Spirit of the newly baptized. 

- Communion (The Eucharist): The Mystical Supper (often referred to as the Last Supper) was the first Holy Communion. This is the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Christ offered every Sunday and during every Liturgy service throughout the year. 

- Confession: Christ told many to confess their sins and they would be forgiven. Everyone in this fallen world sins, and sins pull us away from God. Confession is the Sacrament where our sins are forgiven and our relationship with God is strengthened. 

- Holy Unction: Christ frequently healed people both physically and spiritually while He was on Earth, and Holy Unction is offered through the Church to heal the sick today. The most common time to receive Holy Unction is on Holy Wednesday before Pascha, but we can ask to receive Holy Unction at any time.

- Marriage: Christ's first miracle was performed at the Wedding of Cana (His presence revealing His blessing of Marriage). During this Sacrament, the bride and groom are "crowned" (the Greek word for crown is Stefana) are used to unite them as one. The crowning of the bride and groom is the central act of the Sacrament. The priest will bless the bride and groom, and place the crowns upon their heads. The interchangeable crowns represent the equal partnership of marriage, which is expressed by the priest when he says, "The servant of God (name), is Crowned for the servant of God (name), in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" . Making a Cross with the stefanas above the foreheads of the bride and groom, the priest repeats this three times. The sponsor then steps forward to exchange the crowns three times over the bride and groom to complete the entwining of two individuals as one. The crowns signify that God not only welcomes all to His Kingdom but by grace bestows to them crowns of glory to reign, and that the bride and groom mark the beginning of a new life as one under the Divine Authority of God, Who reigns over all. 

- Holy Orders (Ordination): Christ called specific disciples to lead His church before His ascension. Those that are called by God to serve as clergy in the Church will receive the blessing of Holy Orders, after being deemed worthy by the laity. 

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It is expected that every Orthodox Christian will participate in Holy Baptism, Chrismation, Communion, Confession and Unction, while the sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders are optional based on individual callings.

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This information has been shared out of love for Christ and His church. Please forgive any errors or miscommunications that I may have made above. While the information above was written by me, it is based off of my knowledge from numerous conversations, articles, videos, and podcasts over time that have collectively make up my current understanding. I'm eternally grateful to all those that profess, explain, and teach the Orthodox faith. 

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1 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Service of Marriage.https://www.goarch.org/-/the-service-of-the-crowning-the-service-of-marriage . 01.08.2022