Daily Cycle
The Daily Cycle of divine services is the recurring pattern of prayer and worship that punctuates each liturgical day in the life of the Orthodox Church.
The cycle follows this pattern: Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Orthros, First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, and Ninth Hour.
In addition, during the Nativity Fast and the Apostles' Fast, each of the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours is followed by an additional service called a Mesorion (inter-hour).
On the eves of the feasts of Nativity and Theophany and on Holy Friday, the usual services of the Hours are combined and replaced by the more solemn Royal Hours.
The Divine Liturgy is not itself a part of the Daily Cycle but is inserted into the cycle, usually after Orthros or the Sixth Hour. In some cases it is combined with Vespers.
