An '''[[afterfeastAutocephaly]]''' (also known as postfeastliterally "self-headed") is a period of time following certain major feasts of the Christian year during which the feast continues to be celebrated. The liturgical life status of a church within the [[Orthodox Church reflects this extended celebration by continuing ]] whose [[primate|primatial]] bishop does not report to express any higher-ranking bishop. When an [[ecumenical council]] or a high-ranking [[bishop]], such as a [[patriarch]] or other [[primate]], releases an ecclesiastical province from the themes authority of that bishop while the feast newly independent church remains in [[full communion]] with the divine services celebrated during hierarchy to which it then ceases to belong, the afterfeastcouncil or primate is granting '''autocephaly'''. Most commemorations that have an afterfeast also have Historically, however, autocephaly is not always obtained in such a forefeastmanner.

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