Night service at Christmas - how to "survive"? How long does the Christmas liturgy last in the temple.

10 tips from Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov).

Christmas is a special holiday. And the service on this day is special. Or rather, at night... After all, in many of our churches the liturgy (and it happens that both Great Compline and Matins) is served precisely at night. Why is the liturgy served at night? How to calculate your strength and properly prepare for night standing? How to deal with sleep? Is it worth taking kids? Is it possible to pray from books with translations and explanations of worship? Where did the expression “do not eat before the first star” come from, and to whom does this establishment not apply? How many hours before Communion should you not eat? If all the days on the eve of Christmas are Lenten, then when should you take the time to prepare dishes for the festive table? These and many other questions were answered in an interview with the Nachalo magazine by the abbot of the Kyiv Trinity Ioninsky Monastery, Bishop Iona (Cherepanov) of Obukhovsky.

Part I. WHY DO PEOPLE PRAY SO LONG? OR WHERE DID THE TRADITION OF NIGHT SERVICES COME FROM?

– The history of long worship goes back to apostolic times. The apostle Paul wrote: “Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.”

The book of the Acts of the Apostles says that all the believers were together, from day to day they gathered in the temple and praised God (Acts 2:44). From here, in particular, we learn that long worship services were commonplace in the life of the first Christians.

The Christian community of apostolic times lived in readiness for martyrdom for Christ, in anticipation of His imminent second coming. The apostles lived up to this expectation and behaved accordingly—they were on fire with faith. And this fiery faith, love for Christ was expressed in very lengthy prayers.

In fact, they prayed all night long. After all, we know that the early Christian communities were persecuted by the then pagan authorities and were forced to pray at night in order to go about their usual business during the day without attracting attention to themselves.

In memory of this, the Church has always preserved the tradition of long, including night, services. Incidentally, services in monastic and parish churches used to be performed according to the same rite—there was virtually no difference between the parish and monastic typikon (except that special additional teachings were inserted into monastic services, which are now omitted almost everywhere in monasteries).

During the atheistic twentieth century, the traditions of long services in the countries of the post-Soviet space were practically lost. And seeing the example of Athos, we are perplexed: why serve for so long the service that can be completed three times faster?

With regard to the Holy Mountain tradition, I would like to note that, firstly, such lengthy services are not performed constantly, but on special holidays. And secondly, this is one of the wonderful opportunities for us to bring our “fruit of the mouth” to God. After all, who among us can say that he has such virtues that he is ready to put on the Throne of God right now? Whoever treats himself critically, confesses consciously, knows that his deeds, in fact, are deplorable and that he cannot bring anything to the feet of Christ.

And at least the “fruit of the mouth”, glorifying the name of the Lord, each of us is quite able to bear. We can praise the Lord somehow.

And these long services, especially on holidays, are dedicated to serving our Lord in some way.

If we talk about the Christmas service, then this, if you like, is one of those gifts that we can bring to the manger of the born Savior. Yes, the most important gift to God is the fulfillment of His commandments of love for Him and love for one's neighbor. But still, various gifts are prepared for the birthday, and one of these can be a long prayer at the service.

- The question, probably, is also how to make this gift correctly so that it is pleasing to God and useful to us ... Do you feel tired during long night services?

- What you have to fight with in such services is sleep.

Not so long ago, I prayed on Mount Athos in the Dohiar monastery at a service on the feast of the Archangels. The service, with short breaks, lasts 21 hours, or 18 hours of pure time: it starts at 16:00 the day before, with a one-hour break in the evening, and then continues all night until 5 in the morning. Then two hours to rest, and by 7 in the morning the liturgy begins, which ends at one in the afternoon.

Last year, on the patronal feast in Dochiar, Vespers and Matins were more or less passed for me, and at the Liturgy, sleep overcame with terrible force. As soon as I closed my eyes, I immediately fell asleep standing up, and so soundly that I even began to dream. I think many people are familiar with this state of extreme need for rest... But after the Cherubim, the Lord gave strength, and then the service went well.

This year, thank God, it was easier. What was especially impressive this time was that physical fatigue, by the grace of God, was not felt at all. If you didn't want to sleep, then you could be in this service for 24 hours. Why? Because all those praying were inspired by a common impulse to the Lord - both monks and lay pilgrims.

And this is the main feeling that you experience at such services: we have come to glorify God and His Archangels, we are determined to pray and praise the Lord for a long time. We are not in a hurry, so we will not be in a hurry.

This general state of those present in the temple was very clearly seen during the entire service. Everything was very slow, everything was very thorough, very detailed, very solemn and, most importantly, very prayerful. That is, people knew what they came for.

Why is such unanimity in prayer not felt during parish services? Because there are very few of those present in the church who really understand what he is actually in the church for. Such people who would ponder over the words of liturgical texts, seriously understand the course of the service, are, unfortunately, a minority. And the bulk are those who came either by virtue of tradition, or because it is supposed to be, or they want to celebrate the holiday in the church, but do not yet know the words of the psalm: sing to God wisely. And these people, as soon as the service has begun, are already shifting from one foot to the other, thinking that it would soon end, why they sing something incomprehensible, and what will happen next, and so on. That is, a person is completely unoriented in the course of worship and does not understand the meaning of the actions performed.

And those who come to Athos have an idea of ​​what awaits them there. And at such long services, indeed, they pray very enthusiastically. So, according to tradition, during the holiday, the brethren of the monastery sing on the left kliros, and the guests sing on the right. Usually these are monks from other monasteries and lay people who know Byzantine chants. And it was necessary to see with what enthusiasm they sang! So sublime and solemn that… if you see it once, then all questions of the need or uselessness of lengthy services will disappear. It's such a joy to glorify God!

In ordinary worldly life, if people love each other, then they want to be around for as long as possible: they cannot talk enough, talk too much. And just like that, when a person is inspired by love for God, even 21 hours of prayer is not enough for him. He wants, longs for fellowship with God all 24 hours...

Part II. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS RIGHT: 10 ADVICE FROM THE ARCHPASTOR

– So, how to set yourself up for a long service and spend time in the temple with dignity?

1. If possible, attend all statutory festive services. I want to emphasize that you must be at the festive all-night vigil. During this service, in fact, Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, is glorified. The liturgy is a divine service that practically does not change in connection with the holidays. The main liturgical texts, the main hymns that explain the event remembered on this day and set us up on how to properly celebrate the holiday, are sung and read in the temple during Vespers and Matins.

It should also be said that the Christmas service begins the day before - on Christmas Eve. On the morning of January 6, Christmas Vespers are celebrated in churches. It sounds strange: Vespers is in the morning, but this is a necessary deviation from the Church's rules. Previously, Vespers began in the afternoon and continued with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, at which people took communion. The whole day of January 6 before this service was a particularly strict fast, people did not eat food at all, preparing to take communion. After dinner, Vespers began, and Communion was already at dusk. And soon after this came the solemn Christmas matins, which began to be served on the night of January 7th. But now, since we have become weaker and weaker, solemn Vespers is celebrated on the 6th in the morning and ends with the Liturgy of Basil the Great.

Therefore, those who want to celebrate the Nativity of Christ correctly, according to the charter, following the example of our ancestors - ancient Christians, saints, should, if work allows, on the eve of Christmas, on January 6, at the morning service. On Christmas itself, you should come to Great Compline and Matins and, of course, to the Divine Liturgy.

1. When preparing to go to the night liturgy, take care in advance that you don’t want to sleep so much.

In the monasteries of Athos, in particular, in Dohiar, the abbot of the monastery of Dohiar, Archimandrite Gregory, always says that it is better to close your eyes for a while in the temple, if you completely overcame a dream, than to retire to rest in a cell, thus leaving the service.

You know that in the temples on the Holy Mountain there are special wooden chairs with armrests - stasidia, on which you can sit or stand, reclining the seat and leaning on special handles. It must also be said that on Athos, in all the monasteries, the brethren in full force are necessarily present at all divine services of the daily circle. Absence from duty is a fairly serious deviation from the rules. Therefore, leaving the temple during the service is possible only as a last resort.

In our realities, you can’t sleep in the temple, but this is not necessary. On Athos, all services begin at night - at 2, 3 or 4 o'clock. And in our churches, services are not daily, liturgies at night are generally a rarity.

Therefore, in order to go out for a night prayer, you can prepare in completely ordinary everyday ways.

For example, be sure to sleep the night before the service. While Eucharistic fasting allows, drink coffee. Since the Lord has given us such fruits that invigorate, then we need to use them.

But if sleep begins to overcome during the night service, I think it would be more correct to go out, make several circles around the temple with the Jesus Prayer. This short walk will definitely refresh and give strength to continue to be in the attention.

1. Fast properly. “Until the first star” means not to starve, but to attend the service.

Where did the custom of not eating food come from on Christmas Eve, January 6, “until the first star”? As I have already said, before Christmas Vespers began in the afternoon, passed into the liturgy of Basil the Great, which ended when, indeed, stars already appeared in the sky. After the liturgy, the charter permitted the eating of a meal. That is, “until the first star” meant, in fact, until the end of the liturgy.

But over time, when the liturgical circle was isolated from the life of Christians, when people began to treat worship services rather superficially, this grew into some kind of custom completely divorced from practice and reality. People do not go to the service, and do not take communion on January 6, but at the same time they are starving.

When people ask me how to fast on Christmas Eve, I usually say this: if you were present in the morning at Christmas Vespers and at the Liturgy of Basil the Great, then you are blessed to eat food, as it should be according to the Rule, after the end of the Liturgy. That is, during the day.

But if you decide to dedicate this day to cleaning the premises, preparing 12 dishes, and so on, then, please, eat after the “first star”. Since you did not bear the feat of prayer, at least bear the feat of fasting.

Regarding how to fast before Communion, if it is at a night service, then, according to current practice, the liturgical fast (that is, complete abstinence from food and water) in this case is 6 hours. But this is not directly formulated anywhere, and there are no clear indications in the charter how many hours before communion one cannot eat (the interview was taken before the development of the document “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist”, approved at the Bishops’ Conference on February 2-3, 2015, in which this issue specified: “At least a six-hour norm of abstinence should also be guided by when preparing for communion at the Divine Liturgy celebrated at night (for example, on the holidays of Holy Pascha and the Nativity of Christ),” the said document says.).

On an ordinary Sunday, when a person is preparing for Communion, it is customary not to eat food after midnight. But if you are going to take communion at a nightly Christmas service, then it would be right not to eat food somewhere after 21:00.

In any case, it is better to coordinate this issue with the confessor.

1. Find out about the date and time of confession and agree in advance so as not to spend the entire festive service in line. The issue of confession at the Christmas service is purely individual, because each church has its own customs and traditions.

It is easy to talk about confession in monasteries or those churches where there are a large number of serving priests. But if there is one priest serving in the church, and there are a majority of them, then it is best, of course, to agree with the priest in advance when it is convenient for him to confess you. It is better to confess on the eve of the Christmas service, so that during the service you think not about whether you will have time or not, but about how to truly meet the coming of Christ the Savior into the world.

1. Do not exchange worship and prayer for 12 Lenten meals. This tradition is neither evangelical nor liturgical.

I am often asked how to link the presence at the services on Christmas Eve and Christmas with the tradition of a feast on Christmas Eve, when 12 Lenten dishes are specially prepared. I will say right away that the tradition of "12 straves" is somewhat mysterious for me. Christmas, like Epiphany, Christmas Eve is a fast day, and a day of strict fasting. According to the charter, boiled food without oil and wine are put on this day.

How you can cook 12 different Lenten dishes without using oil is a mystery to me.

In my opinion, the "12 Straves" is a folk custom that has nothing in common with either the Gospel, or with the liturgical rule, or with the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, on the eve of Christmas, a large number of materials appear in the media in which attention is focused on some dubious pre-Christmas and post-Christmas traditions, eating certain dishes, fortune-telling, festivities, caroling, and so on - all that husk, which is often very far away. from the true meaning of the great feast of the advent of our Redeemer into the world.

I am always very hurt by the profanation of holidays, when their meaning and meaning are reduced to one or another ritual that has developed in a particular locality. We have to hear that such things as traditions are needed for people who are not yet particularly churched in order to somehow interest them. But you know, in Christianity it is still better to give people good-quality food right away, and not fast food. Still, it is better for a person to recognize Christianity immediately from the gospel, from the traditional patristic Orthodox position, than from some kind of “comics”, even if consecrated by folk customs.

In my opinion, many folk rituals associated with a particular holiday are comics on the topic of Orthodoxy. They have practically nothing to do with the meaning of the holiday, or with the gospel event.

1. Don't turn Christmas into a culinary feast. This day, first of all, is a spiritual joy. And it is not good for health to leave the fast with a plentiful feast.

Again, it's all about priorities. If it is a priority for someone to sit at a rich table, then all day on the eve of the holiday, including when the festive vespers are already taking place, the person is preparing various meats, Russian salads and other magnificent dishes.

If it is more important for a person to meet the born Christ, then he, first of all, goes to worship, and already in his free time he prepares what he has enough time for.

In general, it is strange that it is considered obligatory on the day of the holiday to sit and absorb various plentiful dishes. It is neither medically nor spiritually useful. It turns out that we fasted the whole Lent, missed the Christmas Vespers and the Liturgy of Basil the Great - and all this in order to just sit down and eat. You can do it at any other time...

I will tell you how the festive meal is prepared in our monastery. Usually, at the end of the night services (on Easter and Christmas), the brethren are offered a small breaking of the fast. As a rule, it is cheese, cottage cheese, hot milk. That is, something that does not require special efforts in preparation. And in the afternoon, a more festive meal is being prepared.

1. Sing to God intelligently. Prepare for the service - read about it, find the translation, the texts of the psalms.

There is a saying: knowledge is power. Indeed, knowledge gives strength not only in the moral sense, but also literally – in the physical sense. If a person at one time worked hard to study Orthodox worship, to delve into its essence, if he knows what is happening in the church at the moment, then for him the issue of standing for a long time, fatigue is not worth it. He lives in the spirit of worship, he knows what follows what. For him, the service is not divided into two parts, as it happens: “What is in the service now?” - "Well, they sing." - "And now?" - "Well, they read." For most people, unfortunately, the service is divided into two parts: when they sing and when they read.

Knowledge of the service gives an understanding that at a certain moment of the service, you can sit down and sit and listen to what is being sung and read. The liturgical charter in some cases allows, and in some even orders to sit. This is, in particular, the time of reading psalms, hours, kathisma, stichera on "Lord, cry out." That is, there are many moments of service when you can sit. And in the words of one saint, it is better to think about God while sitting than standing about your feet.

Many believers are very practical in taking light folding benches with them. Indeed, in order not to rush to the benches to take seats at the right time, or not to “occupy” the seats, standing next to them for the entire service, it would be better to take a special bench with you and sit down on it at the right time. Do not be embarrassed by sitting during the service. The Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath. Still, at some moments it is better to sit down, especially if your legs hurt, and while sitting attentively listen to the service, than to suffer, suffer and look at the clock when it all ends.

In addition to taking care of your legs, take care of food for the mind in advance. You can buy special books or find and print materials about the festive service on the Internet - interpretation and texts with translations.

The reading of psalms is an integral part of any Orthodox worship, and the psalms are very beautiful both melodically and stylistically. In the temple they are read in Church Slavonic, but even a church-going person finds it difficult to perceive all their beauty by ear. Therefore, in order to understand what is being sung about at the moment, you can find out in advance, before the service, which psalms will be read during this service. This really needs to be done in order to “sing with understanding to God,” in order to feel the beauty of psalmody.

Many people think that it is impossible to follow the liturgy in the church according to the book - you need to pray together with everyone. But one does not exclude the other: follow the book and pray, in my opinion, this is one and the same thing. Therefore, do not be embarrassed to take literature with you to the service. You can take a blessing from the priest for this in advance in order to cut off unnecessary questions and comments.

1. On holidays the temples are full. Have pity on your neighbor - put candles on or venerate the icon another time. Many, coming to the temple, believe that lighting a candle is the duty of every Christian, that sacrifice to God that must be made. But since the Christmas service is much more crowded than the usual service, there is some difficulty with setting candles, including because the candlesticks are overcrowded.

The tradition of bringing candles to the temple has ancient roots. Previously, as we know, Christians took everything necessary for the liturgy from home with them: bread, wine, candles to illuminate the church. And this, indeed, was their feasible sacrifice.

Now the situation has changed and the setting of candles has lost its original meaning. For us, this is more a reminder of the first centuries of Christianity.

The candle is our visible sacrifice to God. It has a symbolic meaning: before God, like this candle, we must burn with an even, bright, smokeless flame. This is also our sacrifice for the temple, because we know - from the Old Testament - that people in ancient times necessarily paid tithes for the upkeep of the Temple and the priests serving at it. And in the New Testament Church this tradition was continued. We know the words of the apostle that those who serve the altar eat from the altar. And the money that we leave by purchasing a candle is our sacrifice.

But in such cases, when the temples are overcrowded, when whole torches of candles burn on the candlesticks, and they are all passed and passed, it may be more correct to put the amount that you wanted to spend on candles in the donation box than to embarrass the brothers with manipulations with candles. and sisters praying nearby.

1. When bringing children to the night service, be sure to ask them if they want to be in the temple now.

If you have small children or elderly relatives, then go with them to the liturgy in the morning.

This practice has developed in our monastery. At night at 23:00, Great Compline begins, followed by Matins, which turns into Liturgy. The liturgy ends at about half past five in the morning, so the service lasts about five and a half hours. This is not so much - the usual all-night vigil every Saturday lasts 4 hours, from 16:00 to 20:00.

And our parishioners with small children or elderly relatives pray at night at Compline and at Matins, after Matins they go home, rest, sleep, and in the morning come to Liturgy by 9:00 with small children or with those people who, for health reasons, could not attend the night service.

If you decide to bring the children to the temple at night, then, it seems to me, the main criterion for attending such long services should be the desire of the children themselves to come to this service. No violence or coercion is allowed!

You know, there are status things for a child, which are the criteria of adulthood for him. Such, for example, as the first confession, the first visit to the night service. If he really asks adults to take him with them, then in this case this must be done.

It is clear that the child will not be able to stand attentively for the entire service. To do this, take some kind of soft bedding for him, so that when he gets tired, you can put him in a corner to sleep and wake him up before Communion. But so that the child is not deprived of this joy of night service. It is very touching to see when children come with their parents to the service, they stand joyful, with sparkling eyes, because the night service is very significant and unusual for them. Then gradually they subside, turn sour. And now, passing through the side aisle, you see children lying side by side, immersed in the so-called "liturgical" dream.

How much the child can stand - so much can stand. But to deprive him of such joy is not worth it. However, I repeat once again, getting into this service should be the desire of the child himself. So that Christmas was associated for him only with love, only with the joy of the born Christ Child.

1. Be sure to partake! Coming to the temple, we often worry that we didn’t have time to light candles or didn’t venerate some kind of icon. But that's not what you need to think about. We need to worry about how often we unite with Christ.

Our duty at divine services is to pray attentively and, as often as possible, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The temple, first of all, is the place where we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is what we must do. Indeed, attending the Liturgy without Communion is meaningless. Christ calls: “Take, eat,” and we turn away and leave. The Lord says: "Drink from the Cup of Life, all of you," and we don't want to. Does the word "everything" have any other meaning? The Lord does not say: drink 10% of Me, those who prepared. He says: drink from Me, all of you! If we come to the liturgy and do not receive communion, then this is a liturgical violation.

INSTEAD OF AFTERWORD. What basic condition is necessary to feel the joy of a long all-night service? It is necessary to realize WHAT many years ago happened on this day. That "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth." That “no one has ever seen God; The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed. That an event of such a cosmic scale occurred, which did not exist before and will not happen after. God, the Creator of the universe, the Creator of the infinite cosmos, the Creator of our earth, the Creator of man as a perfect creature, the Almighty, who commands the movement of the planets, the entire cosmic system, the existence of life on earth, Whom no one has ever seen, and only a few in the entire history of mankind have been able to see only part of the manifestation of some kind of His power - this God became a man, a baby, completely defenseless, small, subject to everything, including the possibility of murder. And this is all for us, for each of us.

There is a wonderful expression: God became a man so that we become gods. If we understand this - that each of us got the opportunity to become a god by grace - then the meaning of this holiday will be revealed to us. If we are aware of the scale of the event we are celebrating, what happened on this day, then all culinary delights, caroling, round dances, dressing up and fortune-telling will seem to us a trifle and a husk that is completely not worth our attention. We will be absorbed in the contemplation of God, the Creator of the universe, lying in a manger next to the animals in a simple barn. This will exceed everything.

Christmas in the Russian Orthodox Church is always celebrated on January 7 in a new style. The history and meaning of the holiday, the tradition of night worship, iconography and troparion of the holiday.

January 7, 2018. Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays. The event is preceded by , which ends on Christmas Eve.

The feast of the Nativity of Christ began to be celebrated quite late - only in the 3rd century. This happened because in Judea it was not customary to somehow specially celebrate a person’s birthday, only events glorifying God were especially honored. That is why Christmas and the Baptism of the Savior were originally celebrated on the same day. And only with the development of Gnosticism, it became necessary to specify the very event of the birth of the Savior from the Blessed Virgin.

The place where, according to legend, Christ was born, can be seen even now. A basilica was built over the cave of the Nativity of Christ, where, near the eastern wall of the crypt, in a small semicircular niche, the place where Christ was born is marked with a star with fourteen rays.

The fact that the Mission will come to the world - the Savior of the world, there have long been prophecies that were later recorded in biblical texts.

It was in the fulfillment of the prophecies that the magi followed the star, accurately calculating the moment of its appearance in the sky. They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the born King. Some people, like the Magi, come to Christ through the mind.

Nativity of Christ - features of worship, history and icon of the holiday

And simple shepherds had an inspiration - an angel appeared to them and ordered them to go to a certain place. It was there, in the cave where the cattle were kept, in the manger from which the lambs were fed, and the newborn King of the Jews met them. And now many people come to Christ with faith in their hearts.

This event became so significant that from the time of the birth of the Savior they began to count the chronology. Thus, we can always know how many years ago Christ was born. He was born exactly as many years ago, what year is now according to the calendar.

Christmas is one of the few holidays whose service is often performed at night. This is not necessary, so in which church there will be a night service, and where a morning service, you need to find out in advance.

Nativity of Christ - features of worship, history and icon of the holiday

If there is an intention to attend a night service and take communion, then you need to additionally find out about the time when confession will be held in the temple. Particular attention should be paid to the time of the last meal. It should be no later than 19-20 pm, although many do not eat even after a single Christmas Eve meal.

The Christmas night service is quite long, as the prophecies about the birth of the Messiah are read on it, the canon “Christ is born ...” is performed in the morning, and festive antiphons are sung at the liturgy. The length of the service depends on several factors that are determined by the rector in each church, so it is better to specify the time of the Christmas Eve and Christmas services in advance.

Nativity of Christ - features of worship, history and icon of the holiday

The canonical icon of the Nativity of Christ depicts the entire event of the holiday. On it you can see the Magi walking behind the star with gifts, shepherds, angels praising the Lord and, of course, the Star. Of course, the central place on the icons is given to the Holy Family - the Virgin Mary, Righteous Joseph and the Divine Infant himself.

The troparion of the Nativity of Christ is sung to 1 tone.

Kontakion of the Nativity of Christ is performed on the 3rd voice. This is a song of praise, where you can hear a description of the entire event of the holiday.

The Kontakion of the Nativity of Dmitry Bortnyansky is often performed in churches.

On the night of January 6-7, Christmas services are held in Orthodox churches. And how do they prepare for Christmas in the Orthodox Church?

In the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Minsk, correspondents are met by the rector of the parish, Archpriest Igor Galak, and Deacon Dmitry.

Christmas Eve, or the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, among Orthodox believers, it is customary to celebrate January 6th. On this day, after the morning service in the temple, believers refrain from eating until the first star appears in the sky, which is a symbol of the star that rose over Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ.

One of the main places in the church is the lectern (a high narrow table on which an icon, cross or Gospel is placed) in the center of the temple. On it is an icon of the Nativity depicting the sacred moment of the birth of Christ.

By the lit star of Bethlehem, the magi were able to determine where Christ was born. The Jews were waiting for the birth of the King of the world, who could deliver them from slavery and help create their own state. But not an earthly king was born, but a heavenly one. As gifts to him, the Magi brought incense, myrrh and silver - symbols of wealth and kingship. The Mother of God Mary is depicted with the baby Jesus in her cradle. Joseph and Mary went to the census and, as they had to travel a long distance, they spent the night in a cave in a barn. That is why the moment of the birth of Christ is depicted in a barn among animals.

The lectern with the icon of the Nativity

Jesus Christ was born at night, which is why a night liturgy is held from January 6 to 7. The icon of the Nativity is in the temple from January 6 to January 13 and before the evening service it is decorated with a spruce wreath, a symbol of an evergreen living tree.

The feast of the Nativity of Christ lasts until the Circumcision of the Lord. Then comes the period of Baptism. All these holidays are connected with the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and cover the period from January 7 to 18. In the church they are called Svyatki. The clothing of priests during church holidays is different from clothing during regular services. So, for example, at Easter it should be red, and during the period of Christmas services, the Baptism of the Lord and Christmas time, black robes are replaced by white ones.

Priest's clothes for the Christmas service: phelonion, handrails, belt and stole

There are carolers in the Orthodox tradition, but they differ from the usual "pagan" ones. In the church, such people are called Bogoslavs. They do not dress up in such costumes as carolers and come to their friends, sing church hymns during the Christmas season.

General view of the altar inside the temple, decorated for Christmas

In some churches, for the holiday, cribs with figures of a baby, lambs and wise men are placed, symbolizing the birth of Christ.

The evening Christmas service in the temple begins at 6 am on January 6th. This service is called the Royal Hours. On Christmas Eve, a special liturgy of Basil the Great is served. Starting with the evening service, the feast of the Holy Nativity comes, since in ancient Jerusalem it was believed that the day starts at 6 pm. Until Christmas, believers follow a 40-day fast. On the 6th, it is customary to drink water and not eat food. In the evening there is an anointing with special oil, illumination of bread, millet and wine.

Special dishes, tools for communion and prosphora, located in the altar (photo from the archive of the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel)

Traditionally, the Christmas service is held with the Holy Doors open so that everyone can see what is happening in the altar. At this time, the Proskomidia is performed in the altar, the first part of the liturgy, during which preparations for the Divine service take place: they put special dishes, tools, wine, prosphora, and read prayers.

Liturgical prosphora with seals and Christmas bread

The bread commonly used in church is called prosphora. It is prepared in a special prosphora with the help of flour, baptismal water and yeast. First, leaven is made, dough is kneaded with prayer, and special breads are baked. One of the prosphoras is specially prepared for communion.

On Christmas Day, a special round Christmas bread is baked at the church. Baking such special bread is a very long and painstaking process that takes a whole day. They prepare it, as the prosphora women say, according to the will of God and with the word of God.

Prefeast of Christmas

January 2the beginning of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, which lasts until January 6th.
In theselast days of fasting - co2 to 6January fasting intensifies: fish is forbidden on all days, food with butter is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday.

On Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve), January 6,the custom requires not to eat until the first evening star appears, after which it is customary to eat kolivo or sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins, in some areas boiled dry fruits with sugar are called sochivo. From the word "sochivo" comes the name of this day - Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve
Christmas carols

January 6 - Evening Christmas , or Christmas Eve, - last dayChristmas Lent , eve Christmas.

On this day, Orthodox Christians especially prepare for the upcoming holiday, the whole day is filled with a special festive mood.

In the morning on Christmas Eve, at the end of the Liturgy and the vespers following it, a candle is brought to the center of the church and the priests sing a troparion in front of itChristmas.

On the same day Christmas Eve fasting is no longer as strict as on the previous days of the strictest week Christmas Lent.

The service of Vespers is connected with the Liturgy, it is served in the morning, and thereforewe fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the temple and a troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung in front of the candle.

Many on this daycommune. It would be good if those who cannot be in the service in the temple, who work, honor this day with a more strict fast. We remember that, according to the Russian proverb, "A full belly is deaf to prayer." Therefore, a more strict fast prepares us for the coming joy of the holiday.

Those who take communion at the night Liturgy, according to church tradition, eat food for the last time at least six hours before the time of Communion, or from about 6 pm. And here it’s not about a specific number of hours, that you need to fast for 6 or 8 hours and not a minute less, but that a certain border is set, a measure of abstinence,helping us to comply with the measure.

Sick people, of course, must fast to the extent that this is consistent with the intake of medicines and with the prescriptions of doctors. This is not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. Illness is already hard post and feat . And here a person should already try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength.

As a rule, believers try to meet Nativity at the nightly festive liturgy. But in many churches, Vespers and Liturgy are also served at the usual time - 5 pm and in the morning.

To attend a night service or a morning one - this must be looked at according to one's strength. Meeting the holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and spiritual. T ornate night services contribute to a deeper prayerful experience and perception of the Holiday.

The Apostle Paul commanded us« Always rejoice. Incessantly pray. In everything give thanks to the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).If we meet the holiday with joy, prayer and gratitude to God, then we fulfill the apostolic covenant.

In the Orthodox Church on eve, the hours calledRoyal, because from ancient times kings were present at this Divine service, worshiping the newbornKing of kings.

Royal clockbegin and take place at the open royal doors, in the midst of the temple, before the Gospel laid on the lectern, as if as a sign that nowSaviorno longer lurks, as once in the darkness of the den, but shines for all peoples. Before the Gospel, censer incense is burned, in remembrance of the incense and myrrh brought by the Magi to the newborn Christ.

the day itself Christmas in the flesh, as the most important and most solemn, in the Liturgical books of the Orthodox Churchcalled Easter, a three-day feast.

On this day, according to the voice of the Church,"All kinds of joys are filled. Angels rejoice in heaven, and people rejoice: the whole creation plays for the sake of the Savior of the Lord born in Bethlehem: like every flattery of idols, Christ reigns forever."

Christmas Eve - the evening meal on the eve of Christmasaccompanied by many traditions and rituals.

Cooked kutya from wheat, peas, rice, peeled barley. Seasoned with honey, poppy, hemp, sunflower or other vegetable oil. The grain was a symbol of resurrecting life, and honey or sweet seasoning meant the sweetness of the blessings of the future blessed life.

The order of eating was regulated by strict rules: first snacks (herring, fish, salads) were served, then red (slightly warmed) borscht, mushroom or fish soup. For borscht, mushroom soup, ears or pies with mushrooms were served, and for Orthodox sochni - flour cakes fried in hemp oil.

At the end of the meal, sweet dishes were served on the table: roll with poppy seeds, gingerbread, honey cakes, cranberry jelly, dried fruit compote (uzvar), apples, nuts.

The meal was non-alcoholic. All dishes were lean, fried and seasoned with vegetable oil, without a meat base, without milk and sour cream. Not submitteddishes so that the hostess is constantly at the table.

Traditional ritual and ceremonial dishes
KUTIA

KUTIA. Recipes kuti. Cooking kuti. TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN...

cooking a big family dinner. The whole family set the table.

There should be straw on the table (or hay, in memory of the nativity scene and manger),

and on the straw - a snow-white tablecloth.

It is clear that you cannot bring hay into modern apartments, and it is not so easy to get it in cities.

But recently, beautiful Christmas tablecloths with drawings of spruce paws and bells have appeared in stores.

They will also decorate your table very much.

Kutya is placed in the center.

Then other dishes: pancakes, fish, aspic, jelly, suckling pig, pig's head with horseradish, homemade sausage, roast, honey gingerbread, lomantsy with poppy seeds and honey, uzvar.

Drinks were also attached to this set, which already depended purely on the taste and capabilities of the owner.

Cooking recipes on Christmas, dishes, menu. Kulinar.ru - more than 95...

At the table, kutya should be eaten first, i.e. to start their dinner with them, each of those present at the table must eat at least one spoonful of kutya. According to the legends, then this person will live in health and prosperity for the entire coming year.

Christmas time

Holidays start with Christmas- holidays that lasted until Epiphany (January 19).All this time, Christmastide rites, fortune-telling, entertainment, walking mummers through the yards and streets took place. On Christmas early in the morning, before dawn, the rite of seeding the huts was held. The shepherd walked with a sack of oats and, entering the house, threw a handful of grain on all sides (scattered) with a sentence: "For the living, for the fruitful and for health."

At Christmas, the girls did not guess. There was a sign: if a strange woman enters the house first, the women in this family will be ill all day. In order to avoid any trouble, the peasants observed rather strict prohibitions. On Christmas Day, it was forbidden to engage in household chores. It was impossible to sew, otherwise someone in the family would go blind. You can’t weave bast shoes, otherwise you will be crooked. And you can’t hunt in the forest until Baptism itself, because then misfortune will happen to the hunter.

At noon, the whole family went to watch the sun play. If the sun plays, the dark forces hide from it in the cracks. And if the evil spirits nevertheless climbed into the house, then on this day a short council with her - scald the corners with boiling water, and sweep with a nettle broom.

The father took his son to the barn to the barn with grain. Before that, the heir was solemnly dressed up by the whole family. A sheepskin coat was girded with an embroidered belt, a fur hat was put on the head, and felt boots on the legs. The father raised his son over the barrels with grain, wanting him to grow faster and become an assistant in the household.

Second day of Christmas, which is called the Cathedral of the Virgin,dedicated to the glorification of the Mother of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Glorifying the Mother of God, the Church remembers the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. It was caused by the fact that King Herod, having learned about the birth of Christ and the worship of the Magi, became angry and ordered all the babies to be beaten in Bethlehem, hoping to destroy the Savior as well. But an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to hide in Egypt. After the death of Herod, Joseph returned with his family and settled in Nazareth.

Girl fortune-telling and the walking of mummers from that day continued until the very Epiphany. The mummers in fur coats turned inside out, in masks or with soot-stained faces, went from house to house, singing songs and acting out various performances, scenes for the appropriate reward. Sometimes they took a horse or a bull with them.

And the girls wondered. They guessed every day in different ways, who knew what methods, he guessed that way.

third day of christmas called Stepan's Day.According to custom, on Stepanov's day, stakes were made, placed in the corners of the yard, sticking into the snow in order to scare away evil spirits. Stepan is hardened in danger, and therefore he is not afraid of any evil spirits, and on this day he is just fenced off with stakes from it. Stepan is associated with the image of a peasant farmer, and therefore a boy born on this day will be a kind, caring, diligent and strict owner. Even on this day, the whole village chose a shepherd, concluded an agreement with him, arranged refreshments.

January 6 - Evening Christmas, or Christmas Eve, - last day Christmas Lent, eve Christmas. On this day, Orthodox Christians especially prepare for the upcoming holiday, the whole day is filled with a special festive mood. On the morning of Christmas Eve, at the end of the Liturgy and the vespers following it, a candle is brought to the center of the church and the priests sing a troparion in front of it. Christmas. Services and Christmas Eve post have a number of features, so it is these days that many questions come to our site about how to conduct Christmas Eve. We asked Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko to answer these questions.

How to fast on Christmas Eve?

- Father Alexander, the most frequently asked question by our readers is how to fast on Christmas Eve, until what time should one refrain from eating food? What does “fasting until the first star” mean? Is the measure of abstinence the same for those who work and those who do not work on this day? How long does fasting last until communion?

Indeed, the Typicon prescribes fasting until the end of Vespers. However, the service of Vespers is connected with the Liturgy, it is served in the morning, and therefore we fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the church and a troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung in front of the candle.

It is obvious that people in the temple are fasting, many commune on this day. It would be good if those who cannot be in the service in the temple, who work, honor this day with a more strict fast. We remember that, according to the Russian proverb, "A full belly is deaf to prayer." Therefore, a more strict fast prepares us for the coming joy of the holiday.

Those who take communion at the night Liturgy, according to church tradition, eat food for the last time at least six hours before the time of Communion, or from about 6 pm. And here the point is not in a specific number of hours, that you need to fast for 6 or 8 hours and not a minute less, but in the fact that a certain border is established, a measure of abstinence that helps us to comply with the measure.

– Father, a lot of questions come from sick people who cannot fast, they ask what they should do?

Sick people, of course, must fast to the extent that this is consistent with the intake of medicines and with the prescriptions of doctors. This is not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. Illness is already a difficult post and a feat. And here a person should already try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength. Any thing can be brought to the point of absurdity. For example, imagine that a priest who comes to give communion to a dying person asks when the person last ate?!

– As a rule, believers try to meet at the night festive liturgy. But in many churches, the Vespers and Liturgy are also served at the usual time - 5 pm and in the morning. In this regard, people often ask, is it not a sin for a young man, not weak, without children, to go to the service not at night, but in the morning?

To visit a night service or a morning one - you need to watch it according to your strength. Meeting the holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and spiritual. There are very few such services a year; in most parish churches, night liturgies are served only at Christmas and Easter- especially solemn services are traditionally performed at night. But for example, on Athos, Sunday vigils are served at night. Still, there are not so many such services, just over 60 per year. The Church so establishes, taking into account human capabilities: the number of night vigils in the year is limited.

Solemn night services contribute to a deeper prayerful experience and perception of the Holiday.

- The festive Liturgy is over, the festive feast begins. Here we are asked two questions. First, is it possible to celebrate Christmas first in the parish, and not immediately arrange a family celebration?

The second question is related to the fact that Christmas Liturgy many take communion. And people are somewhat embarrassed: you have just received communion, the books of the holy fathers say that in order to retain grace, you need to try to protect yourself from talking, especially laughter, and try to spend time after communion in prayer. And then a festive feast, even with brothers and sisters in Christ... People are afraid of losing their prayerful mood..

Those rules that the hermit fathers offered to monastics cannot be fully transferred to worldly life, and even more so they cannot be transferred to major holidays. We are talking about ascetics - ascetics, especially richly endowed with the grace-filled gifts of God. For them, the outer part is secondary. Of course, the spiritual life is in the first place for the laity, but we cannot draw the same clear line between the spiritual and the earthly here.

The apostle Paul commanded us Always rejoice. Incessantly pray. In everything give thanks to the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). If we meet the holiday with joy, prayer and gratitude to God, then we fulfill the apostolic covenant.

Of course, this issue must be considered individually. Of course, if a person feels that he is losing his fertile mood behind a noisy celebration, then perhaps he should sit down at the table for a while, leave earlier, preserving spiritual joy.

– Father Alexander, isn’t it worth it here for us to distinguish between two states in ourselves – when we are really afraid to spill the feeling received in the temple, and when by our refusal to participate in the holiday we can upset our neighbors, and often refuse to share joy with a non-peaceful heart. Relatives resigned themselves to the fact that their zealous family member flatly refused to celebrate the New Year with them, it would seem that the fast was over, the person should “return” to the family, share the joy of the holiday together, and he again slams the door and says “What a “sit with us”, I have a great holiday, such grace, I will lose all my prayer mood with you!!”

In this case, a person will hardly harm his prayerful state, since such behavior indicates that a person does not stay in it. The state of contemplation, prayerfulness is always associated with a surge of spiritual joy, grace, which the Lord generously pours out on His slaves. And such an attitude towards neighbors is more like hypocrisy and hypocrisy.

– Is it obligatory to attend the evening service on the very day of the holiday - the evening of the Christmas holiday?

- Everyone should decide for himself. After the night service, you need to recuperate. Not everyone, due to age, health and spiritual level, is able to go to the temple and take part in the service. But we must remember that the Lord rewards for every effort that a person makes for Him.

The evening service on this day is not long, especially spiritual, solemn and joyful, the Great Prokeimenon is proclaimed at it, so, of course, it’s good if you can visit it.

Congratulations to all readers of our site on the upcoming holiday Christmas!

Questions prepared by Lidia Dobrova and Anna Danilova