The Christmas service in 2019 will traditionally be held from January 6 to 7 in all Orthodox churches with solemn divine liturgy. It is held according to the services of the daily cycle and consists of several parts: morning, evening, compline, midnight, hours and the Christmas Liturgy itself.

Christmas service and television

The 2019 Christmas service will combine the morning and evening services into the All-Night Vigil Prayer. That is, in a prayer that lasts all night. Such a prayer occurs only 2 times a year, at Christmas and the Feast of Holidays - Easter.

Since the renaissance Orthodox faith, over the past 20 years, a tradition has developed in Russia of the congratulatory television address of the Patriarch of All Russia before the start of the Christmas service, and it will be the same in 2019.

The patriarchal service, with an all-night vigil, held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, is broadcast on Channel One, Russia 1, as well as on Orthodox channels"Spas" and "Union". The time of the Christmas service in 2019 is 23:00, January 6.

It is best, of course, to celebrate Christmas directly at the service, and not at the TV screen. This broadcast, to a greater extent, is organized for believers who do not have the physical opportunity to attend the festive Liturgy. But the circumstances of life are such that the Word of God, heard even by chance, by an unbeliever, sometimes surprisingly begins to change his life.

Pilgrimage at Christmas

If possible, the Christmas service in 2019 can be held in the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, the famous spiritual monastery that has given many pious elders. Including the famous spiritual elder John Krestyankin. Every year on Christmas, pilgrimage tours are organized from Moscow and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) to attend the festive Liturgy.

It is important that believers feel divine grace in the temple

But it is not so important to celebrate the bright feast of the Nativity of Christ in a large spiritual monastery or a small church. It is important that believers feel divine grace in the temple. An example of such a temple is the temple of Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Oktyabrsky, Perm Region. The village itself has an 80-year history, but there was no temple of its own.

By the grace of God, the inhabitants of the village improved the territory on which a small temple complex and on Christmas Eve 2006 rector Fr. Andrei (Vorobiev) conducted the first Christmas service. The place is glorious with a holy spring, to which an increasing number of believers come from year to year.

The exact timetable for holding the Christmas service in 2019 is drawn up and determined in advance by the rector of the church in accordance with the main instructions of the Patriarchal Service.

On January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25, and for them, in the Christmas service in 2019, the address of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England is significant.

For royal family The queen's Christmas address is a traditional gesture, more for organizing the outward trappings of the holiday than for a spiritual farewell.

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. How not to be frightened by the difficulties of a real “all-night vigil” and feel the joy of the holiday at a long Christmas service - this was told in an interview for the Nachalo magazine by the abbot of the Kiev Trinity Ioninsky Monastery, Bishop Iona (Cherepanov) of Obukhovsky.

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?

Read the answers to these and many other questions in the material.

Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov)

Part I.
Why do people pray for so long? or Where did the tradition of night worship come from?

And the first question in connection with this is why such long services are needed?

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 lengthy, including nighttime, 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 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 all the same, 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 would be pleasing to God and useful for us ...

Do you experience fatigue during long nights of worship?

What you have to struggle 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, in the evening there is a 1-hour break, and then continues all night until 5 in the morning. Then 2 hours to rest, and by 7 am the Liturgy begins, which ends by 1 pm.

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 glorify 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 the words of liturgical texts, who seriously understood the course of the service, are, unfortunately, a minority. And the bulk are those who came either because 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 unaware of 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 the Right Way: 10 Tips from an 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 holiday 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 Rule of the Church. Vespers used to begin in the afternoon and continue 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.

2. When preparing to go to the night Liturgy, worry in advance about not being so sleepy.

In Athos monasteries, in particular, in Dohiar, Archimandrite Gregory, the abbot of the Dochiar monastery, 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.

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

Where did the custom of not eating food on Christmas Eve, January 6, "until the first star" come from? As I have already said, before Christmas Vespers began in the afternoon, passed into the Liturgy of St. 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, “up to 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 I am asked 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 it is blessed to eat food, as it should be according to the charter, 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 instructions in the charter how many hours before communion one should not eat.

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 the 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.

4. Find out about the date and time of confession and agree in advance. In order 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 go to confession 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 really worthily meet the coming of Christ the Savior into the world.

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

I am often asked how to connect the presence at services on Christmas Eve and Christmas with the tradition of a feast on Christmas Eve, when 12 meatless dishes. I will say right away that the tradition of "12 straves" is somewhat mysterious for me. Christmas, like Epiphany Christmas Eve, is a fasting day, moreover, 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 to do with either the Gospel, or the liturgical charter, or the liturgical tradition. Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, in the media on the eve of Christmas in in large numbers materials appear 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 from the true meaning of the great holiday of the advent of our Redeemer into the world .

I am always very hurt by the profanation of holidays, when their meaning and significance 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 all the same better people give immediately benign food, 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, these are comics on the topic of Orthodoxy. They have practically nothing to do with the meaning of the holiday, or with the gospel event.

6. Don't turn Christmas into a culinary feast. This day is, first of all, 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 being performed, 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 throughout Lent, missed the Christmas Vespers and the Liturgy of St. 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.

7. 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. And, indeed, knowledge gives strength not only in moral terms, but also literally - in the physical. 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 act very practical, 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.

I definitely recommend that you also find the Psalter translated into your native language. 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 on 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 believe that it is impossible to follow the Liturgy in the church from 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.

8. Temples are overcrowded on holidays. 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 light 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 to the temple, because we know - from Old Testament that people in ancient times necessarily paid tithes for the maintenance of the Temple and the priests serving under 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.

9. 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 Liturgy in the morning.

This practice has developed in our monastery. At night at 23:00, Great Compline begins, followed by Matins, which passes into the 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, who have 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 baby Christ.

10. Be sure to take communion!

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.

And, 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 were preparing. He says: drink from me all! If we come to the Liturgy and do not take 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 took place, which has never happened 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… And 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.

Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov)

Christmas for a Christian is much more than a decorated tree and gifts. This day is considered the second most important after Easter, which is called the "Feast of Holidays". The Nativity of Christ is at the same time a global event that does not lose its importance despite the past centuries, and is very personal for everyone. Orthodox person celebration. After all, Christ was born for everyone and for everyone.

Those who are well acquainted with Christianity understand that the incarnation of God on earth is a unique event that brought man closer to the creator. This holiday is filled with amazing joy and peace, but at the same time some sadness, because this baby was born for a difficult mission.

Therefore, the main thing in the celebration of Christmas is by no means a table bursting with dishes, although this is an important part of any holiday, but a Christmas service.

Many of those who come to this night service concerned about how long the Christmas Divine Liturgy lasts, what is read and sung at this service. This article is intended to answer such questions.

What is the Christmas service?

The service begins late in the evening on Christmas Eve, that is, January 6th. At 11 pm, a festive service begins, which lasts until 3-4 am. From the All-Night Vigil, Hours and Divine Liturgy Basil the Great and a Christmas service is taking shape. The liturgy is usually served in the morning, but the festive liturgies take place at night, immediately after the All-Night Vigil and the Hours. The same happens at Easter.

All-night vigil Includes Matins and Compline. Do not be surprised that the names of the services do not correspond to the time of day. There is a daily cycle of services in the church, but on great holidays, the morning and evening services are combined into the All-Night Vigil. Matins is celebrated according to the order of the great feasts. It sings the canon "Christ is born ..."

Actually, the liturgy does not last so long and completes the entire cycle of festive services. Most likely, people who ask the question how long the Christmas Liturgy lasts in the temple have in mind the Christmas service as a whole. After all, those who pray come all night, and not at the end.

The text of the Christmas liturgy is in many respects similar to the texts of the liturgies on ordinary days. The Christmas one is distinguished by the festive antiphons sung on it: “The Lord sends the rod of power from Zion, and rule in the midst of Your enemies. With Thee began on the day of Thy power in the lordship of Thy saints.

Communion at Christmas

It is celebrated at the Christmas Liturgy and Communion. For many Christians, a very joyful event is not only the presence at the festive services, but also Communion at them.

Confession at this service does not take place in all churches, because it is long and intense, many people come to the church, and in some places only one or two priests serve.

Most often, confession before the Christmas Liturgy is held in advance, 1-2 days in advance. In some churches there is even an opportunity to take communion twice after one confession. For example, confessions are made on the evening of January 3rd, and communion takes place at liturgies on the morning of 4th and at night of 7th. It is important to read the Eucharist to Holy Communion both times.

Getting ready right

How to prepare for the Christmas Liturgy? Christmas Eve is held in strict fasting, it is not necessary to starve to the first star. This tradition has been going on since the time when Vespers began after dinner, and after it the Liturgy of Basil the Great followed, which ended already at dark time. After it, it was possible to eat food, and this is precisely what “until the first star” meant.

So it is much more important to visit the temple on January 6, if possible, and not to starve. The opposite tradition - to cook 12 Lenten dishes on this day - is also not established by the church, and it is better to spend this day calmly, prayerfully and with concentration, and not in a fuss. But you can cook sochivo - a dish of wheat grains and honey. The best preparation for the Christmas Liturgy in the church will be reading spiritual literature, studying the upcoming service. This will give strength in a long service, because everything that is sung and read will become clear.

But putting candles and kissing the icons when the temple is full is not at all necessary.

Holiday symbolism

All the Christmas traditions, which were later transferred to the celebration of the New Year, have a deep meaning. For example, a Christmas tree is a symbol eternal life thanks to its evergreen needles. On top of it is put on an eight-pointed star, usually silver or gold, which is reminiscent of Bethlehem. It's in Soviet time it was replaced by five-pointed and red. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to put a burning candle on the windowsill - a sign that we are waiting for Christ, lighting the way in the winter darkness.

Gifts of the Magi

At the Christmas Liturgy, an excerpt from the Gospel of the Adoration of the Magi is read. By the way, the custom of giving gifts at Christmas is connected precisely with this episode. Holy Scripture. Just as the Magi presented their gifts to the Christ Child, so we also give gifts to each other. These gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh (myrrh) - are symbolic. Gold was presented to the Child as a King, frankincense - as God, myrrh - as a Man who will suffer and die, because this substance was used to embalm the buried bodies.

Symbols of preparation for Christmas

To dive deeper into the meaning of the holiday, let's go back a little. Christmas Eve, that is, special church services preceding the holiday, lasts from January 2 to January 6. For other holidays, the prefeast lasts only 1 day. And interestingly, church services in the period leading up to Christmas have a parallel with the texts of the services Holy Week. This reminds us that the Incarnation of the Savior is the first step towards His redemptive mission.

Moreover, the very birth in the form of a defenseless child is a huge step of God towards people, a temporary renunciation of his unlimited power, as it is called in Theology - kenosis (from the Greek. Condescension).

The Baby was born not in the royal chambers, but in a manger; Mary and Joseph did not even find a place in a hotel. The world did not meet him well. Persecution of the future Messiah began from birth. King Herod, who learned from the Magi about who was born in Bethlehem, arranged for the massacre of babies, because he was afraid that the new King would take away his power. Mary and Joseph with the baby managed to escape to Egypt.

Peace in the soul

No one was aware that Jesus was not born for earthly power. “My kingdom is not of this world,” said the Savior. The Kingdom of Heaven will not come on earth until the end of time. But we can open our hearts to Christ, and then He will reign in our hearts and there will be peace. After all, according to Christ, "the Kingdom of God is within you."

You can strive for this at any time of the year and at any period of life, and Orthodox holidays will remind of the most important thing - about God, about love, about our own soul. If the Nativity of Christ left just such a trace in a person, it means that it was not in vain for him and he met him correctly, regardless of whether he observed any traditions.

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 being established, 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 clockstart and end with open royal doors, in the midst of the temple, before the Gospel laid on the lectern, as if in 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, appetizers (herring, fish, salads) were served, then red (slightly warmed) borscht, mushroom or fish soup. To 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 vegetable oil, no meat base, no 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 in modern apartments you can’t bring hay, and it’s not so easy to get it in the 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 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 dark forces hiding from him 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 short fur coat was girded with an embroidered belt, put on a head fur hat, on the feet - felt boots. 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, 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 appropriate rewards. 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.

Christmas is one of the main holidays in the Orthodox world. It is second in importance after Easter.

It is known that on the eve of January 7, a service called the All-Night Vigil is held in the temple. Orthodox believers come to church in order to defend the service, during which all parishioners can take communion. Litiya is also performed, that is, the minister illuminates the bread, wine and people who came to the temple. Previously, Christmas was identified with Lent, which lasted for 40 days. It was a kind of test before the great feast of the birth of Jesus Christ and, of course, communion in the temple. Today, each person decides for himself whether he should fast, whether he should come to the temple, whether to confess, whether to make offerings to the church. All this is voluntary.

Christmas Eve Features

Christmas Eve is the hardest day of the forty-day fast. Believers can eat compote, jelly, lean cereals. At this moment, a service is held, which is called the Liturgy of Basil the Great. The clergy read passages from the Old Testament to the parishioners, pointing out in particular the coming of Christ to earth as our Savior. After the service, a symbolic image is brought into the center of the hall star of bethlehem who ascended to heaven at the time of the birth of the Son of God.

The All-Night Vigil, which marks the feast, consists of Great Compline and Matins. The first part lasts over 60 minutes and is divided into 3 parts. Special, festive chants are sung at the service. Then the vigil smoothly turns into Matins.

History reference

The rules of conduct for holding a solemn service on Christmas Eve were established back in the distant fourth century. In the fifth century, famous clergymen wrote hymns that are still used in churches during solemn services and liturgies. That is, the roots of customs go back many centuries.

Is it obligatory to attend a service on Christmas Eve today?

No, not necessarily. The presence in the church on the night of January 6-7 is a personal matter for every Orthodox believer. Some families come to the temple with small children, experiencing special awe and respect for the ancient holiday. Someone, due to their health, simply cannot attend the service and watches everything that happens on TV. Fortunately, broadcasts from temples that are broadcast live are not prohibited these days. Therefore, we can say that if there is a desire to watch everything that happens, this can be done not only in person, but also in absentia, using a television broadcast.