In the evening of the pre-Easter Saturday, long before midnight, believers in light clothes flock to the temple. At about half past eleven at night, the Easter Midnight Office is served in all churches, at which the priest and deacon approach the Shroud (a canvas depicting the entombment of the body of Jesus Christ), cense it and take it to the altar. The shroud is placed on the throne, where it must remain for forty days - until the day of the Ascension of the Lord.

The clergy put on festive vestments. Before midnight, the solemn ringing of bells - the good news - announces the approach of the great minute of the Resurrection of Christ. At exactly 12 o'clock local time, with the royal doors closed, the clergy quietly sing the stichera: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and make us worthy on earth with a pure heart Glory to you." After this, the curtain is pulled back and the clergy again sing the same stichera, but in a loud voice. The Royal Doors open, and the stichera, in an even higher voice, is sung by the clergy for the third time until the middle, and the singers standing in the middle of the temple sing the ending. The priests leave the altar and, together with the people, like the myrrh-bearers who came to the tomb, walk around the temple in a procession of the cross, singing the same stichera. The religious procession takes place around the temple with continuous pealing.

Entering the porch, procession stops in front of the closed western doors of the temple. Those who carry shrines stop near the doors, facing west. The ringing stops. The rector of the temple, having accepted the censer from the deacon, burns incense, and the clergy sing the joyful Easter troparion three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.” This song is picked up and sung three times by other priests and the choir. Then the priest recites the verses of the ancient prophecy of St. King David: "May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered...", and the choir and people in response to each verse sing: “Christ is risen from the dead...” Then the priest, holding a cross and a three-branched candlestick in his hands, makes the sign of the cross with them closed doors temple, they open and everyone, rejoicing, enters the church, where all the lamps and lamps are burning, and sing: “Christ is risen from the dead!..” The subsequent service of Easter Matins consists mainly of the singing of the canon composed by St. John of Damascus. Between the songs of the canon, priests with a cross and censer walk around the entire temple and greet parishioners with the words “Christ is Risen!”, to which the believers respond: “Truly He is Risen!” The Easter Canon is one of the most famous works of church literature. This deeply meaningful and beautifully shaped canon introduces believers to the spirit and meaning of the very holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, forcing them to fully experience and understand this event.

At the end of Matins, after singing: “Let us embrace each other and say: brethren! and we will forgive all those who hate us through the resurrection.”, all believers begin to greet each other, saying: “Christ is risen!” and answering “Truly he is risen!”, they kiss each other three times and exchange Easter eggs. It is called "to be christened". According to the Rule, the priests, having said Christ to each other in the altar, go out to the soleya and here they say Christ with each of the parishioners. But these rules could only be observed in ancient monasteries, where there were only a few brethren in the temple, or in house churches, where there were few worshipers. Nowadays, when there are a large number of parishioners, the priest, going out onto the solea with a cross, pronounces a short general greeting on his own and ends it with the threefold exclamation “Christ is Risen!”, overshadowing everyone with the cross on three sides, and after that he returns to the altar.

The custom of greeting each other on Easter with these words is very ancient. The first followers of Christ, his disciples, “They said that the Lord had truly risen”(Luke 24:34). In the words “Christ is Risen!” is the essence of the Christian faith.

Then the Catechetical Word of St. John Chrysostom sounds, calling everyone to rejoice: “Riches and wretches, rejoice with each other. Abstinence and laziness, honor the day. You who have fasted and those who have not fasted, rejoice today..." and proclaims the eternal victory of Christ over death and hell: “Where is your sting, death? Where the hell is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are cast down. Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life lives. Christ is risen, and the dead are not alone in the tomb.” After Matins, the hours and liturgy are immediately celebrated, with the royal doors open, which will not be closed for a week as a sign that Jesus Christ has forever opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom to people. The Easter hours are read not only in church - throughout Easter week they are usually read instead of morning and evening prayers. The beginning of the Gospel of John is heard during the liturgy. If the liturgy is celebrated by several priests, then the Gospel is read in different languages. On Easter everyone, if possible, receives communion.

Before the end of the liturgy, Easter bread is blessed - Artos.

A bright holiday is approaching - the day of the Resurrection of Christ. Many will probably go to church to attend the service on Easter - together with their children, family and friends... But how many of us know exactly how the Easter service takes place? We will tell you what and how to do while in a temple or church...

Here it comes Holy Week, there are only a few days left until the Bright Resurrection of Christ... According to tradition, in the morning on Holy Thursday, believers bake Easter cakes and paint eggs, prepare Easter in the evening, and on Saturday take them to church to bless them. And on the night from Saturday to Sunday, the bright holiday of Easter begins...

So, original, bright, whimsical, and on the night from Saturday to Sunday, many believers go to the Procession of the Cross - a service that marks the beginning of Easter and the feast of the Resurrection of Christ. But not many are familiar with all church rules. We will help you figure out how to behave correctly in church during the Easter service and what to do.

Easter is the main one Christian holiday, which marks the victory of good over evil, life over death. The Easter holiday is preceded by a time of liberation from sins, passions, and addictions. For this, abstinence in food, entertainment, and emotions is prescribed. But even if you haven’t fasted, feel free to go to church and celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ. According to tradition, on Holy Saturday, believers bring Easter cakes, colored eggs and other products to the church for the Easter table to bless them.

And on the night from Saturday to Sunday, a festive night service is held in churches, which usually begins around eleven in the evening and lasts until three or four in the morning:

• 1 In the evening (on Holy Saturday) the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church, containing evidence of the Resurrection of Christ, followed by the Easter Midnight Office with the canon Holy Saturday. The beginning of Easter Matins is preceded by a solemn religious procession around the temple, which follows against the sun (counterclockwise), which symbolizes walking towards the risen Savior. When the second half of the Easter troparion is sung, “And to those in the tombs he gave life,” the church doors open, the clergy and worshipers enter the temple.
• 2 At the end of Matins, while singing the words of the Easter stichera: “Let us embrace each other, brothers! And we will forgive all those who hate us through the resurrection,” believers say to each other, “Christ is risen!” - they answer “Truly he is risen!” It is better to kiss three times and give each other Easter eggs not in church, but after the service, so as not to be distracted from prayers and not to provoke a crowd.
• 3 Then Matins turns into Divine Liturgy, believers partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. If you want to receive communion, you must confess in advance and receive the blessing of the priest.

A visit to a temple or church on the day of the Resurrection of Christ, especially during the Easter service, is a mandatory “point” of the holiday for every believer...

Now a little about the general rules of behavior in the temple, which should be followed so as not to feel like a black sheep and not to embarrass other (more knowledgeable in church affairs) believers in the temple:

• Clothes must be clean and tidy. Women should wear a skirt or dress with sleeves at least to the elbow and skirt lengths to the knee or below. In Russia, it is customary that all girls and women cover their heads - and it does not matter whether it is a scarf, a hat, a cap or a beret. Avoid deep necklines and sheer fabrics. The use of cosmetics is not forbidden within reasonable limits, but it is better not to paint your lips so that when kissing icons and the cross during the Easter service you do not leave marks.
• there is one myth that females in critical days you can't go to church, but that's not true. On these days you can go to church, you can light candles and give notes, you can kiss icons, but it is better to refrain from participating in the sacraments (communion, baptism, wedding, etc.), however, this is not strict rule. If a spicy physiological moment gets into your plans, just consult a priest - it’s an everyday matter, there’s nothing wrong with that. And certainly - a woman can attend the Easter service,
• entering the church, you need to cross yourself three times with bows from the waist(three fingers and only right hand, even if you are left-handed). You need to be baptized while taking off your gloves or mittens. Men should remove their hats when entering an Orthodox church.
• during the Easter service(as during any other church service) you cannot talk loudly, use mobile phone and push aside those praying at the icons - when the service is over, you can pray and light candles at the icons, as well as submit notes about health and repose. Out of reverence, it is not customary to kiss the faces of saints depicted on icons.
• during worship you can't stand with your back to the altar. All women and men who have not received the blessing are prohibited from entering the altar.
• if you take children with you to the service, explain to them that they are not allowed to run, play pranks or laugh in church. If a child cries, try to calm him down so as not to disturb the general prayer during the Easter service, or leave the temple for a while until the baby calms down.
• light candles for your peace and health you need different places: about the health of the living - in front of the icons of saints, for the repose of the dead - on funeral table(square candlestick with a crucifix), which is called “kanun”. Notes about health and repose are given to the servants at candle box, after which they are handed over to the priest at the altar. The names of people of other faiths, suicides and unbaptized people are not recorded in these commemorations.
• when the priest crosses you during the Easter service, Gospel and image, we must bow. One must be baptized with the words “Lord, have mercy”, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and other exclamations.
• if you want to ask anything, first turn to the priest with the words “Father, bless!”, and then ask a question. When accepting a blessing, fold your palms crosswise (palms up, right over left) and kiss the clergyman’s right hand, which is blessing you.
• leaving the temple at the end of the Easter service, cross yourself three times, make three bowing from the waist when leaving the temple and when leaving the church gate, turning to face the temple.

We hope that these basic but very important rules will help you feel more confident in Orthodox church on any day, and during the service on Easter - in particular.

We thank the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate for their assistance in writing the article.

Easter services begin late Saturday evening. At approximately 11 o'clock in the evening, the service of the Saturday Midnight Office begins, with the priest in the center of the temple in front of the holy shroud. At the end of the reading of the canon, the priest brings the holy shroud into the altar, and the Midnight Office itself soon ends. The canon is called the lament of the Virgin Mary. It describes the experiences Mother of God who saw the crucifixion of her Son.

The Easter service itself begins at 12 o'clock at night with the onset of Sunday. The Easter Matins service is celebrated, beginning with a walk around the temple. The choir sings a stichera about the resurrection of Christ, announcing to people that this event is being sung by angels in heaven. Before entering the church after the religious procession, the priest gives an exclamation, after which the singing of the Easter troparion of Christ is Risen begins. With this singing, the clergy and choir proceed to the church, where Easter Matins continues, consisting of the singing of a certain Easter canon of John of Damascus, the luminary of Easter, and the stichera of Easter. At the end of Matins, on the lectern, the priest reads a congratulatory word for the day of Holy Easter, written by St. John Chrysostom. The idea is that on the day of Holy Easter every person should enjoy the triumph of the Orthodox faith.

After Easter Matins, the choir sings several Easter hours (a short service consisting of the singing of some Easter prayers glorifying the resurrection of Christ).

At the end of the hours, the festive liturgy of John Chrysostom is performed. A special feature of this service is the reading of the gospel in various languages. Depending on the philological skills of the priest or bishop, the gospel can be read in Latin, ancient Greek, English, Spanish, French, German and other languages.

Also, at the end of the reading of the Gospel, the clergyman announces to the parishioners the congratulatory words of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', written for this day. At the end of the liturgy, a congratulatory word is read from the ruling bishop of the diocese.

After the end of the Easter liturgy, the people do not disperse, as the consecration of Easter food (eggs, Easter cakes, pasoks) takes place. Certain prayers are read by the priest for permission to eat meat, because Orthodox Christians were forbidden to eat animal products before Easter, since the statute Orthodox Church prescribes a certain abstinence during Lent.

After the blessing of Easter food, the people go home. Usually the entire Easter service ends by three o'clock in the morning, but it is impossible to name the exact end time of the service. In each Orthodox church, the Easter service is performed at a different speed. It is only necessary to note that the characteristic features of the Easter service is the solemn singing, which is heard under the arches of the temple throughout the entire divine service.

Festive Easter service The starting time may vary in individual parishes, just as weekday services may begin at different times. However, this service differs from everyday worship in its special solemnity.

Despite all the changes in modern world, remains one of the main and most favorite holidays for most Russians. The church's Easter services begin a week before Easter. At this time, parishioners go to church more often. There is a tradition according to which the doors of churches are no longer locked a few days before Easter, so that any believer has the opportunity to visit the Abode of God at a time that is more convenient for him.

Easter services are held throughout Bright Week (until Saturday inclusive). A special day is Saturday on the eve of the holiday itself. It is on this day that it ends Lent, and parishioners can already go to church so that the clergy can bless Easter cakes, eggs and other food for the festive table with holy water. On this same Saturday, there is an opportunity to remember your deceased relatives and light candles for the repose.

In the evening Saturday afternoon a night vigil begins, during which the laity go to the All-Night Vigil.

What and how to do in the house of God

In order not to bring confusion into the solemnity of the common service and to feel confident, there are some conventions that must be observed. The following rules will help you understand how to behave at the Easter service.

The Church is the abode of God, and therefore one should remember, no matter how long a person is there, his stay should be covered with reverence and love.

Stages and start times of the All-Night Vigil

The Easter night service is the most majestic and highly solemn of all types of worship. There is a belief that Easter night is the quietest night of the year. The white, gold and silver robes of the priests, choral chants, and the rolling sound of bells create a special atmosphere. The exclamation “Christ is Risen!”, which is sacred to every Orthodox Christian, touches the soul.

Easter night is marked by a festive service, which consists of several stages. First: bringing out the Shroud. It happens in Good Friday at three o'clock in the afternoon - the same time as Jesus Christ died on the cross. Until the moment of removal, believers are prohibited from having fun, eating food and swimming on this day. After the laying of the Shroud in the temple, those fasting will be allowed to consume a small amount of bread and water. Then the following happens:

• singing stichera at the altar;
• procession;
• matins;
• matins and taking out artos (this is festive bread, which is then broken and distributed to the parishioners);
• liturgy.

Each stage of the ministry is important and under no circumstances is it ignored, since it has a special symbolism related to the story of the resurrection of the Lord. The night Easter service takes place just before twelve o'clock at night. The beginning of the Easter service is called the Easter Midnight Office. After it, the Shroud, accompanied by the singing of “I will arise and be glorified...”, is brought into the altar and placed on the Great Throne, where it will remain for the Ascension.

Before twelve o'clock, three lingering strikes of the bell - Blagovest - are heard, which then intensifies the loudness of the measured strikes, announcing that the Easter holiday has begun. Then the churchmen sing three times, first quietly, and then louder, “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior...”.

Matins and procession

At twelve o'clock at night matins and procession follow. To the sound of the bell ringing, priests with a crucifix, banners, faces of Saints, incense and church lamps move in a procession from the altar to the exit. Banner bearers, singers, candle bearers, deacons and clergy walk in pairs behind the lamp, altarpiece crucifix and icon of the Mother of God. The final pair of clergy carries the Gospel and the icon of the Resurrection of the Lord. The abbot leads the way in the festive procession. Lay people carry flaming candles.

The whole procession goes around the temple three times. It reads “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior...”. At the same time, a peal of bells rings out over the temple of God, announcing the good news: “.” The priests greet the laity three times: “Christ is Risen!”

The entire procession stops in the vestibule. The ringing of the bells subsides, and to the singing of “Christ is risen from the dead...” the priest sprinkles holy water on those present. Afterwards it is read “May God rise again...”, and the laity exclaim: “Christ is risen.” As soon as it sounds: “Christ is risen from the dead...”, the priest symbolically describes a cross on the doors with a censer, and they open.

The departure from the temple and the closing of its entrance gates are symbolic.

Christians are leaving the arch of the Abode of God, just as Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. However, our Lord, having shed his blood, again opened the gates of heaven for humanity. And when the doors of the temple open again at Matins, the gates to eternal life are symbolically opened for believers.

Continuation of Matins and end of the night vigil

The morning service continues as soon as the entire procession is back in the temple, where candles and lamps are burning in abundance. Announced great litany, the canon is sung and the small litany is pronounced, the luminary “Having fallen asleep in the flesh...” is sung, the stichera for Praise and the stichera for Easter are sung. At the end, the Word of John Chrysostom is read out, symbolically recalling the meaning and significance of the Resurrection of the Lord for all believers.

Matins concludes with “Let us embrace each other...”. After this, the laity kiss the cross in the hands of the clergyman and kiss Christ (three times symbolic kisses) with the priest. Matins lasts an average of 90 minutes. At the end of it, Orthodox Christians greet each other with the Good News of “Christ is Risen,” kiss Christ and exchange Easter eggs. The next step is the Liturgy, at which the troparion is sung, ...”, hypaka, kontakion, dismissal and the Orthodox laity are blessed. Believers who have observed fasting go to confession with communion.

IN God's temples, where the Easter service is conducted simultaneously by several priests, the Gospel is read in several languages. This also carries a certain symbolism: this is how the Savior’s commandment to bring the Word of God into the world is observed. This stage lasts on average 120 minutes. After the Liturgy, the laity go home, break their fast and celebrate Easter with their family and loved ones.

The all-night Easter service, with its reverent atmosphere, is designed to introduce believers into the sacrament of communion with the Lord.

The All-Night Vigil for Easter is the most significant service of the year. Usually on this night there are many people in churches, almost always crowded and stuffy. These are purely external circumstances, of course. inner meaning This holiday is so deep that it covers all these “inconveniences”.

Source: pixabay

According to the priests, the All-Night Vigil on Easter is our voluntary sacrifice to God. It can be joyful, but it cannot be easy. Hence the question: is it worth taking children with you to the All-Night Vigil, how to behave in church, and some other questions.

Should I take my child with me to the All-Night Vigil on Easter? Whether to go to church with a baby or a child is a personal decision for the mother. There are no church rules on this matter. If you are sure that you can stand with your baby in your arms all night, it’s your choice. Just remember that vanity during the All-Night Service is unacceptable. The child’s crying, his desire to go to the toilet, fatigue - all this will be not only your “property”, but also that of the people around you. Think about it.
It’s a different matter if your child is “churched,” that is, he often goes to church with you and you can therefore count on his steadfastness. Take it with you, of course - these night watches are worth a lot.

Source: pixabay.com

When can you bless your Easter basket? Almost all people go to church with their Easter baskets on the night from Saturday to Sunday. And few people know that the Easter basket can be blessed on Saturday, when there are not so many people in churches. The fullness of the sacrament is not lost, but there are fewer purely everyday worries and vanities.

If you still prefer early Sunday morning to bless your Easter basket, well, then read the basic rules of conduct in church. They are quite strict and to violate them means to show disrespect for the church and the most important thing Orthodox holiday- The Resurrection of Christ.

It all starts with prayer. Arrive at church at dawn with a basket full of food and drink and, pushing aside others like you, try to take a better place in the crowd and quickly go home to watch your dreams - what’s wrong with that? happy holiday The Resurrection of Christ? Why is this? The all-night service in the church on Sunday night is amazing in its depth, beauty and impact on a person. Such joy, which covers the heart in the moments when “Christ is Risen” is heard for the first time this year, perhaps nothing else can give. That's absolutely nothing...

However, everyone is free to make their own decision about the all-night vigil. We will give rules for those who want to be in church that night along with all the believers.

You must arrive for the all-night service at approximately 11 pm. At 22.30 - removal of the shroud, singing of the stichera in the altar, procession around the temple. After people return to the church, the priests conduct the service according to the canons of the church.