Easter, or Bright Sunday of Christ, is one of the main holidays celebrated by Orthodox believers. This is the day when they rejoice at the resurrection of the Savior, which means the victory of Light over Darkness, Life over Death. It is no coincidence that this holiday precedes the longest Lent - the time given to Christians for purification, recognition of sins and their atonement, pacification of passions and deliverance from bad habits so that, renewed, they can fully rejoice at the onset of the Bright Day.

However, even those who did not fast, according to Orthodox canons, can also celebrate Easter - the doors of the temples are open to everyone who wants to rejoice in the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

When does the Easter service start?

Orthodox believers traditionally start preparing for one of the most important nights from the second half of the Easter week, from Thursday. It is on this day that they bake Easter cakes, make Easter. Early on Saturday morning, both must be taken to church to be consecrated. And on the night from Saturday to Sunday you have to go to Procession. This service gives rise to the feast of Christ's Bright Sunday, Easter.

During the evening service in the temples, readings of the writings about the holy apostles are held, which testify to the Resurrection of Christ. The Easter service itself begins at 23:00. During the solemn ceremony, the faithful, together with the priests, walk around the temple, which is a symbol of movement towards the Savior. After that, everyone returns to the temple, where the whole world offers thanksgiving prayers.

Rules of conduct during the Easter service

A worldly person who rarely attends church services, who decides to spend the festive Easter night in the church, needs to know some rules so that, firstly, involuntarily not offend the feelings of believers, and secondly, he himself does not experience embarrassment that can darken the whole bright holiday.

There are really few ground rules. And it's easy to remember them.

• clothes should be not only neat, but also modest. A woman should not come to church in trousers, only in a dress or skirt that is knee-length or longer. And, of course, no cleavage. The head must be covered.
• It is necessary to be baptized without gloves.
• You can't talk loudly in church mobile phone must be turned off.
• You can't stand with your back to the altar.

However, all these rules apply equally to all visits to the temple.

And one more important point. Christening and congratulating each other on the Resurrection of the Savior is possible only after the end of the service, so as not to interfere with those who pray in the temple.

The service in the church on Easter is especially solemn, as it marks the main event of the year for Christians. On the saving night of the Light Christ's Resurrection taken to be awake. From the evening on Great Saturday, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church, containing evidence in the Resurrection of Christ, after which the Paschal Midnight Office follows with the canon of Great Saturday.

Easter service begins with the procession at midnight from Saturday to Sunday. It is advisable to arrive at the temple a little earlier. But since not all people can come to church at midnight, in many churches two or even three Liturgies are usually served. They are usually repeated in the morning and afternoon on Sunday.

Everyone can participate in the service and bless Easter cakes, regardless of whether they are baptized. However, unbaptized people are not supposed to receive communion. Those wishing to participate in the procession must come to the temple sober. Appearing at a divine service in a state of intoxication is considered a manifestation of disrespect for the holiday.

Fasting ends after the end of the Divine Liturgy and communion. Every year the festive service ends around 4 o'clock in the morning. After that, believers can return home to break their fast, or, if they wish, do it right in the church. For those who missed the night service, the fast ends after the end of the Liturgy, which the parishioner was able to attend in order to take communion.

Features of the Easter Procession

The service on Great Saturday before Easter, which will be April 7 in 2018, begins a few hours before midnight. The clergy are at the throne, they light candles. The same is done by people who come to the temple for services. The singing begins in the altar, then the Easter chime adjoins it.

It is when the church bells begin to ring that night that the procession begins. The procession goes as if towards the resurrected Jesus Christ. Always at the beginning of the move there is a person who carries a lantern, followed by a cross, the image of the Virgin Mary. The clergy walk in two rows, and the choir and all the faithful also make the procession.

The temple goes around three times, and each time you need to stop in front of its closed doors. This tradition has its own symbolism - closed doors of the temple are a symbol of the entrance to the cave where the tomb of Jesus Christ was. Only after the clergyman says that Christ is Risen, the doors of the temple open.

The procession solemnly enters the temple through open doors and the service continues. This is already a festive service about the miraculous Resurrection of Christ and Easter has already arrived. A religious procession in any church on the eve of Easter is a must, this is a spectacular and mass event that allows you to truly feel the spirit of the holiday. Snowdrifts salad can be served on the festive table.

A few important rules on how to behave during the Easter service in the temple:

• In no case during the service should you turn your back to the altar;
• Turn off mobile phones at the entrance to the territory of the temple;
• If you take children with you, then you need to make sure that they behave quietly, understand the essence of what is happening, do not run around and do not distract people;
• During the reading, the priest often overshadows himself with the cross and the Gospel, it is not necessary to be baptized every time, but it is necessary to bow at such moments.
• Be sure to be baptized by every believer who is in the service in the temple, with the words: “Lord, have mercy”, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
• You need to cross yourself three times when entering the temple, and also three times when leaving the temple.
• During the Easter service, it is not customary to kiss three times and give each other colored eggs, this must be done after the service is over.
• Clothing should be clean and modest. You should not come to the temple in trousers for women, without a covered head.
• It is always necessary to be baptized without gloves.
• Also, please note that during the service, you can not talk loudly to each other or talk on the phone.

What time will the Easter service start at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior?

Every year, Christians look forward to this great holiday. Not everyone can get into the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Therefore, the Great Easter Liturgy can be watched live. This year the live broadcast will be at 23.30. You can watch it on Channel One.

Video congratulations on Easter

9.1. What is worship? The worship of the Orthodox Church is the service to God by reading prayers, hymns, sermons and sacred rites performed in accordance with the Charter of the Church. 9.2. What are worship services for? Worship as outer side religion serves as a means for Christians to express their inner religious faith and reverent feelings for God, a means of mysterious communion with God. 9.3. What is the purpose of worship? The purpose of the worship service established by the Orthodox Church is to give Christians the best way expressions of petitions addressed to the Lord, thanksgiving and glorifications; to teach and educate believers in truths Orthodox faith and rules Christian piety; to bring believers into mysterious communion with the Lord and communicate to them the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit.

9.4. What do the names of Orthodox services mean?

(common cause, public service) is the main divine service during which Communion (Communion) of the faithful takes place. The remaining eight services are preparatory prayers for the Liturgy.

Vespers- a service performed at the end of the day, in the evening.

compline- service after supper (dinner) .

Midnight Office – a service meant to be performed at midnight.

Matins – service performed in the morning, before sunrise.

Clock Services – commemoration of the events (by the hour) of Good Friday (the suffering and death of the Savior), His Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.

On the eve of major holidays and Sundays, evening service, which is called the all-night vigil, because among the ancient Christians it lasted all night. The word "vigil" means "awake." The All-Night Vigil consists of Vespers, Matins and the First Hour. In modern churches, the all-night vigil is most often performed in the evening on the eve of Sundays and holidays.

9.5. What worship services are performed in the Church daily?

- In the name of Holy Trinity The Orthodox Church performs daily evening, morning and afternoon services in churches. In turn, each of these three divine services is composed of three parts:

Evening worship - from the ninth hour, Vespers, Compline.

morning- from Midnight Office, Matins, the first hour.

Daytime- from the third hour, the sixth hour, Divine Liturgy.

Thus, from evening, morning and afternoon church services nine services are formed.

Due to the weakness of modern Christians, such statutory services are performed only in some monasteries (for example, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery). In most parish churches, divine services are performed only in the morning and evening, with some reductions.

9.6. What is depicted in the Liturgy?

– In the Liturgy, under the external rites, the whole earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted: His birth, teaching, deeds, sufferings, death, burial, Resurrection and Ascension to heaven.

9.7. What is called lunch?

– In the people, the Liturgy is called Mass. The name "mass" comes from the custom of ancient Christians after the end of the Liturgy to use the leftovers of the brought bread and wine at a common meal (or public dinner), which took place in one of the parts of the temple.

9.8. What is called lunch?

- Following the pictorial (Lunch) - this is the name of a short service that is performed instead of the Liturgy when it is not supposed to serve the Liturgy (for example, in great post) or when it is impossible to serve it (there is no priest, antimension, prosphora). The liturgy serves as some image or likeness of the Liturgy, is similar in composition to the Liturgy of the catechumens, and its main parts correspond to the parts of the Liturgy, with the exception of the celebration of the Sacraments. There is no communion during lunch.

9.9. Where can I find out about the schedule of services in the temple?

- The schedule of services is usually posted on the doors of the temple.

9.10. Why isn't there a censing of the temple at every service?

– Burning of the temple and worshipers happens at every divine service. Liturgical censing is complete when it covers the entire church, and small when the altar, the iconostasis and the people from the pulpit are censed.

9.11. Why is there censing in the temple?

- Incense raises the mind to the throne of God, where it goes with the prayers of the faithful. In all ages and among all peoples, the burning of incense was considered the best, purest material sacrifice to God, and of all the types of material sacrifice accepted in natural religions, the Christian Church withheld only this and a few others (oil, wine, bread). AND appearance Nothing is more reminiscent of the grace-filled breath of the Holy Spirit than the smoke of incense. Filled with such lofty symbolism, censing greatly contributes to the prayerful mood of believers and its purely bodily effect on a person. Incense has an uplifting, excitatory effect on the mood. For this purpose, the charter, for example, before the Paschal vigil prescribes not just burning incense, but the extraordinary filling of the temple with a smell from the placed vessels with incense.

9.12. Why priests serve in vestments different color?

– Groups learned specific color clergy vestments. Each of the seven colors of liturgical vestments correspond to spiritual meaning the event in honor of which the service is celebrated. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but in the Church there is an unwritten tradition that assimilates a certain symbolism to various colors used in worship.

9.13. What do they mean various colors priestly vestments?

On holidays dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the days of memory of His special anointed ones (prophets, apostles and saints) the color of the royal vestment is gold.

In golden robes serve on Sundays - the days of the Lord, the King of Glory.

On holidays in honor of Holy Mother of God and angelic powers, as well as on the days of memory of the holy virgins and virgins dress color blue or white, symbolizing special purity and purity.

Purple adopted on the feasts of the Cross of the Lord. It combines red (symbolizing the color of the blood of Christ and the Resurrection) and blue, reminiscent of the fact that the Cross opened the way to heaven.

Dark red color - the color of blood. In red vestments, services are held in honor of the holy martyrs who shed their blood for the faith of Christ.

In green clothes the day of the Holy Trinity, the day of the Holy Spirit and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) are celebrated, since green color- a symbol of life. Divine services are also performed in green vestments in honor of the saints: the monastic feat revives a person by union with Christ, renews his whole nature and leads to eternal life.

In black robes usually serve in weekdays. Black color is a symbol of renunciation of worldly fuss, crying and repentance.

White color as a symbol of the Divine uncreated light, it was adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany (Baptism), Ascension and Transfiguration of the Lord. In white vestments, Paschal Matins also begins - as a sign of the Divine light that shone from the Tomb of the Resurrected Savior. White robes are also relied upon for Baptisms and burials.

From Easter to the Feast of the Ascension, all divine services are performed in red vestments, symbolizing the inexpressible fiery love of God for the human race, the victory of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

9.14. What do candlesticks with two or three candles mean?

“These are the dikirium and the trikirium. Dikyriy - a candlestick with two candles, signifying two natures in Jesus Christ: Divine and human. Trikirion - a candlestick with three candles, signifying faith in the Holy Trinity.

9.15. Why in the center of the temple on the lectern, instead of the icon, sometimes there is a cross decorated with flowers?

– This is what happens during the Holy Week of Great Lent. The cross is taken out and placed on the lectern in the center of the temple, in order to inspire and strengthen those who are fasting to continue the feat of fasting as a reminder of the suffering and death of the Lord.

On the feasts of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Origin (Application) Honest Trees Life-Giving Cross The Lord's Cross is also brought to the center of the temple.

9.16. Why does the deacon stand with his back to those praying in the temple?

- He stands facing the altar, in which the Throne of God is located and the Lord Himself is invisibly present. The deacon, as it were, leads the worshipers and on their behalf pronounces prayer petitions to God.

9.17. Who are the catechumens who are called to leave the temple during the service?

- These are people who are not baptized, but who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. They cannot participate in the Church Sacraments, therefore, before the start of the most important Church Sacrament- Communion - they are called to leave the temple.

9.18. What date does carnival start?

- Maslenitsa is the last week before the start of Lent. It ends with Forgiveness Sunday.

9.19. Until what time do they read the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian?

- The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read until Wednesday of Passion Week.

9.20. When is the Shroud taken away?

– The shroud is taken to the altar before the start of the Easter service on Saturday evening.

9.21. When can one venerate the Shroud?

– You can venerate the Shroud from the middle of Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter service.

9.22. Does Communion take place in Good Friday?

- Not. Since the Liturgy is not served on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself.

9.23. Does Communion take place on Great Saturday, at Easter?

– Liturgy is served on Great Saturday and Pascha, therefore, there is also the Communion of the faithful.

9.24. How long does it last Easter service?

- In different churches, the end time of the Easter service is different, but most often it happens from 3 to 6 in the morning.

9.25. Why are the Royal Doors open during the entire Liturgy during Paschal Week?

– Some priests are awarded the right to serve the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open.

9.26. What days is the Liturgy of Basil the Great?

- The Liturgy of Basil the Great is served only 10 times a year: on the eve of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord (or on the days of these holidays, if they fall on a Sunday or Monday), January 1/14 - on the day of memory of St. Basil the Great, on five Sundays Great Lent ( Palm Sunday excluded), on Great Thursday and Great Saturday of Holy Week. The Liturgy of Basil the Great differs from the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in some prayers, their longer duration and more drawn-out singing of the choir, which is why it is served a little longer.

9.27. Why is the liturgy not translated into Russian to make it more understandable?

– The Slavic language is a blessed spiritualized language that the holy church people Cyril and Methodius created specifically for worship. People have lost the habit of the Church Slavonic language, and some simply do not want to understand it. But if you go to the Church regularly, and not go occasionally, then the grace of God will touch your heart, and all the words of this pure spirit-bearing language will become clear. The Church Slavonic language, due to its figurativeness, accuracy in the expression of thought, artistic brightness and beauty, is much more suitable for communication with God than the modern crippled spoken Russian language.

But main reason the incomprehensibility lies not in Church Slavonic, it is very close to Russian - in order to fully perceive it, you need to learn only a few dozen words. The fact is that even if the entire service were translated into Russian, people would still not understand anything in it. The fact that people do not perceive worship is a language problem in the least; in the first place - ignorance of the Bible. Most of the chants are highly poetic retellings of biblical stories; without knowing the source, it is impossible to understand them, in whatever language they are sung. Therefore, whoever wants to understand Orthodox worship should first of all begin by reading and studying Holy Scripture, but it is quite accessible in Russian.

9.28. Why are the lights and candles sometimes extinguished during worship in the temple?

- At Matins, during the reading of the Six Psalms, candles are extinguished in churches, except for a few. The Six Psalms is the cry of a penitent sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. The absence of illumination, on the one hand, helps to reflect on what is being read, on the other hand, it reminds of the gloom of the sinful state depicted by the psalms, and that external lightness does not suit the sinner. By arranging this reading in this way, the Church wants to incline believers to self-deepening, so that, having entered into themselves, they enter into a conversation with the merciful Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner (Ezek. , Savior, relationships broken by sin. The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the grief of the soul that has moved away from God and is seeking Him. Reading the second half of the Six Psalms reveals the state of a repentant soul reconciled with God.

9.29. What psalms are included in the Six Psalms and why these particular ones?

—The first part of Matins opens with a system of psalms known as the Six Psalms. The composition of the Six Psalms includes: Psalm 3 “Lord, that thou hast multiplied”, Psalm 37 “Lord, let not fury”, Psalm 62 “God, my God, I will morning at Thee”, Psalm 87 “Lord God of my salvation”, Psalm 102 “Bless my soul is the Lord”, Psalm 142 “Lord, hear my prayer”. The Psalms are chosen, probably not without intention, from different places of the Psalter evenly; in this way they represent it all. The psalms are chosen to have a uniform content and tone, which dominates the Psalter; namely, they all depict the persecution of the righteous by enemies and his firm hope in God, only growing from the increase in persecution and in the end reaching exultant calm in God (psalm 102). All these psalms are inscribed with the name of David, except for 87, who is the “sons of Korah”, and they were sung by him, of course, during the persecution by Saul (maybe psalm 62) or Absalom (psalms 3; 142), reflecting the spiritual growth of the singer in these disasters. Of the many psalms of similar content, it is these ones that have been chosen here because in some places they mean night and morning (ps. ”, v. 14: “I will learn from the flattering all day long”; ps. in the days I called out and in the nights before you”, v.10: “all day long my hands were lifted up to you”, vv.13, 14: “the food will be known in the darkness of your wonders ... and I call to you, Lord, and pray in the morning mine will precede Thee"; ps.102:15: "his days are like a green flower"; ps.142:8: "I hear you do me Thy mercy in the morning"). Psalms of repentance alternate with thanksgiving ones.

Six Psalms listen in mp3 format

9.30. What is a "polyle"?

- Polyeleos is the most solemn part of matins - the divine service, which is performed in the morning or in the evening; polyeleos are served only at festive matins. This is determined by the liturgical charter. On the eve of Sunday or the Feast of Matins, it is part of the All-Night Vigil and is served in the evening.

Polyeleos begins after reading the kathismas (Psalms) with the singing of laudatory verses from the psalms: 134 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and 135 - “Confess to the Lord” and ends with the reading of the Gospel. In ancient times, when the first words of this hymn “Praise the name of the Lord” sounded after the kathismas, numerous lamps (oil lamps) were lit in the temple. Therefore, this part of the All-Night Vigil is called the "multi-eleon" or, in Greek, polyeleos ("poly" - a lot, "oils" - oil). The Royal Doors are opened, and the priest, preceded by a deacon holding a burning candle, censes the throne and the entire altar, the iconostasis, the choir, those praying, and the entire church. The open Royal Doors symbolize the open Tomb of the Lord, from where the kingdom of eternal life shone. After reading the Gospel, all those present at the service approach the icon of the feast and venerate it. In memory of the fraternal meal of the ancient Christians, which was accompanied by anointing with fragrant oil, the priest traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of everyone who approaches the icon. This practice is called the anointing. The anointing with oil serves as an outward sign of participation in the grace and spiritual joy of the feast, communion with the Church. Anointing with consecrated oil on the polyeleos is not a sacrament, it is a rite that only symbolizes the invocation of God's mercy and blessing.

9.31. What is "lithium"?

- Lithia in Greek means fervent prayer. The current charter recognizes four types of litia, which, according to the degree of solemnity, can be arranged in this order: a) “litia outside the monastery”, laid on some of the twelfth feasts and on Bright Week before the Liturgy; b) lithium on great vespers connected with vigil; c) lithium at the end of the festive and Sunday matins; d) Litany for the dead after everyday Vespers and Matins. In terms of the content of the prayers and the order, these types of lithium are very different from each other, but they have in common the procession from the temple. This exodus in the first form (of those listed) of lithium is complete, and in the rest it is incomplete. But here and there it is performed in order to express prayer not only in words, but also in movement, to change its place in order to enliven prayerful attention; the further purpose of the lithium is the expression - removal from the temple - of our unworthiness to pray in it: we pray, standing before the gates of the holy temple, as if before the gates of heaven, like Adam, the publican, the prodigal son. Hence the somewhat repentant and mournful character of the lithic prayers. Finally, in the lithium, the Church proceeds from her grace-filled milieu to the outer world or to the narthex, as a part of the temple that is in contact with this world, open to all who are not accepted into the Church or excluded from it, with the goal of a prayer mission in this world. Hence the nationwide and ecumenical character (about the whole world) of lithic prayers.

9.32. What is the procession and when does it happen?

- A procession of the cross is a solemn procession of clergy and believing laity with icons, banners and other shrines. Religious processions are made in the annual, established for them special days: on the Bright Resurrection of Christ - the Easter Procession; on the feast of the Epiphany for the great consecration of water in memory of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, as well as in honor of shrines and great church or state events. There are also emergency religious processions established by the Church on especially important occasions.

9.33. Where did the processions come from?

- Just like the holy icons, the processions of the cross got their start from Old Testament. The ancient righteous often made solemn and popular processions with singing, trumpeting and jubilation. Narratives about this are set out in the sacred books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Numbers, Kings, Psalter and others.

The first prototypes of the processions were: the journey of the sons of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; the procession of all Israel after the ark of God, from which came the miraculous division of the Jordan River (Josh. 3:14-17); a solemn sevenfold circumambulation with the ark around the walls of Jericho, during which the miraculous fall of the impregnable walls of Jericho took place at the sound of sacred trumpets and the cries of all the people (Josh. 6:5-19); as well as the solemn nationwide transfer of the ark of the Lord by the kings David and Solomon (2 Kings 6:1-18; 3 Kings 8:1-21).

9.34. What does the Easter procession mean?

- The Holy Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with special solemnity. The Easter service begins on Holy Saturday, late in the evening. At Matins, after Midnight Office, the Paschal procession is performed - the worshipers, led by the clergy, leave the church to make a solemn procession around the church. Like the myrrh-bearing women who met the resurrected Christ the Savior outside Jerusalem, Christians meet the news of the coming of the Holy Resurrection of Christ outside the walls of the temple - they seem to be marching towards the resurrected Savior.

The Paschal procession is accompanied by candles, banners, censers and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ accompanied by a continuous ringing of bells. Before entering the temple, the solemn Paschal procession stops at the door and enters the temple only after the jubilant message has sounded three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs!” The procession enters the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing women came to Jerusalem with joyful news to the disciples of Christ about the risen Lord.

9.35. How many times does the Easter procession take place?

- The first Paschal procession takes place on Easter night. Then, during the week (Bright Week), every day after the end of the Liturgy, the Paschal procession is performed, and until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the same processions are performed every Sunday.

9.36. What does the Procession with the Shroud on Holy Week mean?

- This mournful and deplorable procession takes place in memory of the burial of Jesus Christ, when His secret disciples Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by the Mother of God and the myrrh-bearing wives, carried Jesus Christ who died on the cross. They went from Mount Golgotha ​​to the vineyard of Joseph, where there was a burial cave, in which, according to the custom of the Jews, they laid the body of Christ. In remembrance of this sacred event - the burial of Jesus Christ - the procession is performed with the Shroud, which represents the body of the deceased Jesus Christ, as it was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb.

The apostle says to believers: "Remember My Ties"(Col. 4:18). If the apostle commands Christians to remember his sufferings in chains, how much more strongly should they remember the sufferings of Christ. During the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, modern Christians did not live and did not then share the sorrows with the apostles, therefore, during the days of Passion Week, they remember their sorrows and lamentations about the Redeemer.

Anyone who is called a Christian, who celebrates the mournful moments of the suffering and death of the Savior, cannot but be a participant in the heavenly joy of His Resurrection, for, according to the words of the apostle: "But joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him"(Rom. 8:17).

9.37. On what emergencies are religious processions performed?

- Extraordinary religious processions are performed with the permission of the diocesan church authorities on cases of particular vital importance for the parish, the diocese or the entire Orthodox people - during the invasion of foreigners, during the attack of a devastating disease, during famine, drought or other disasters.

9.38. What do the banners with which the processions are performed mean?

- The first prototype of the banners was after the Flood. God, appearing to Noah during his sacrifice, revealed a rainbow in the clouds and called it "a sign of an everlasting covenant" between God and people (Gen. 9:13-16). Just as a rainbow in the sky reminds people of the covenant of God, so on banners the image of the Savior serves as a constant reminder of the deliverance of the human race on the Last Judgment from the spiritual fire flood.

The second prototype of the banner was at the exit of Israel from Egypt during the passage through the Red Sea. Then the Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and covered all the army of Pharaoh with darkness from this cloud, and destroyed it in the sea, but saved Israel. So on the banners, the image of the Savior is visible as a cloud that appeared from heaven to defeat the enemy - the spiritual pharaoh - the devil with all his army. The Lord always wins and drives away the power of the enemy.

The third type of banners was the same cloud that covered the tabernacle and overshadowed Israel during the journey to the promised land. All Israel gazed at the sacred cloud cover and with spiritual eyes perceived the presence of God Himself in it.

Another prototype of the banner is the copper serpent, which was erected by Moses at the command of God in the wilderness. When looking at him, the Jews received healing from God, since the bronze serpent represented the Cross of Christ (John 3:14,15). So while carrying banners during the procession, believers raise their bodily eyes to the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints; with spiritual eyes, they ascend to their Archetypes that exist in heaven and receive spiritual and bodily healing from the sinful remorse of spiritual serpents - demons that tempt all people.

A practical guide to parish counseling. St. Petersburg 2009.

Easter service, what time does it start and end, as well as others important aspects services on this holiday, we will consider in this material. Easter is the most important holiday Orthodox Church, and preparation for it begins in advance, even during Great Lent.

Rituals before Easter

If we talk about the correct rituals and traditions, then it should be noted that in temples, festive services begin a week before the holiday itself. During these days of Holy Week, people actively go to church, and priests are increasingly appearing in holiday clothes. A few days before Easter, the doors of the temple stop closing so that everyone can come to church at any time.

Of course, Holy Saturday is the most important day of Holy Week. It is on the night from Saturday to Sunday that Great Lent ends, which means that Easter is coming. It is on Saturday in temples, not only at night, but even in the morning, that the rite of consecration of food is held. Believers come to the temple with Easter cakes and colored eggs to sprinkle food with holy water. At this time in the temples you can put candles for the repose.

About the start of the Easter service

So, the Easter service, what time it starts and ends, we consider further. Here it should be noted that Orthodox Easter v current year falls on the first day of May. So, the Easter service begins exactly at midnight from Great Saturday April 30 to Easter May 1.

The largest and most numerous service in honor of Easter takes place, of course, in Moscow at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The patriarch goes out to the parishioners, putting on his best clothes, and he conducts the entire service: from the beginning to the very end. Great Ways, .

There are a lot of people in churches that night, and especially in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. TV broadcasts of the service are also held so that everyone can somehow take part in the service. Easter service is held according to Orthodox traditions until the dawn of the very day of the Resurrection of Christ.

Important stages of the Easter service:
From 23.00 to midnight on Great Saturday, the shroud is carried out.
Then comes the singing of the stichera in the altar.
Then a religious procession takes place around the temple.
Next, Bright Matins begins, when a censer and a special cross are used.
After this, matins are held, and specially prepared festive bread is brought out.
bell ringing, traditionally, completes the Easter service. People can already exchange holiday greetings: “Christ is Risen”, “Truly Risen”.

It should be understood that each stage of the festive service is extremely important and should not be ignored. Because all the singing and the procession itself have direct relation to the history of the resurrection of Christ, which every believer remembers on the day of Easter. This history and the traditions of how exactly to honor it have been formed over the years.

In all Orthodox churches and even small churches always hold an Easter service. Even despite the fact that the date of Easter is different every year and is specially calculated according to the lunar and solar calendar, and Jewish Easter is also taken into account (Orthodox Easter should not be earlier than Jewish Easter for a particular year).

Important! Easter service, what time does it start and end. The Easter service usually starts at midnight. But it is recommended to come to the temple about an hour in advance in order to take a seat there and definitely get to the service.

As for the consecration of festive food, it is carried out, of course, after the Easter service. But it is better to take care of this in advance, in the temples they begin to consecrate food in the morning on Holy Saturday. Because it is difficult to defend a long Easter service with a basket in your hands, plus, not always because a large number people get to quickly consecrate food immediately after the service and return home.

The first stages of the Easter service

Of course, every person who has carefully read this material up to now has already understood how important the Easter service is. It is also an important event for every clergyman: they even put on special elegant clothes to emphasize the peculiarity of the holiday.

Half an hour before midnight, that is, before the Resurrection of Christ, a shroud is taken out of the royal doors. After this event, the solemn Easter service is officially open: believers who have come to the temple can light candles, a magical and enchanting atmosphere is created in the temple at this moment.

During the service, you can hear the ringing of bells, which announce that Easter has come. The stichera is also sung three times, with each time the priest must raise his voice by one tone. During the singing of the third stichera, the priest moves to the center of the temple, moving away from the altar. Parishioners may sing along with the priest. Next comes the procession, when, to the sonorous singing of the clergy, everyone moves around the temple behind the festive column. Is it possible on Easter?

In our material on the topic, the Easter service, what time it starts and ends, it remains to highlight only the last point. When does the church service end? As a rule, this happens in the morning at 2-3 am. After that, the fast is already considered over, and at home, immediately after coming from the temple, you can break the fast with consecrated food. You can already eat meat, dairy products, eggs. But the Easter day itself begins, of course, in the morning, when the sun rises.

Easter service in the church in honor of the holiday begins somewhere around eleven o'clock at night on the day of Holy Saturday. There are chants, and at about midnight a solemn ceremony takes place. Priests in a large festive procession leave the temple, followed by believers. Three times the procession goes around the temple with songs, and then the priest announces that Christ is Risen. Believers begin to congratulate each other on the fact that Easter has come.

It is best to come to the temple a few hours before midnight, exactly church rule not here, and each parish will have its own exact beginning of the Easter service. But according to the rules for holding this festive service, a procession must be held somewhere at midnight, and somewhere at one thirty in the morning the morning festive liturgy in honor of Easter begins.

Important! Matins ends at about four in the morning. Previously, it was after this service that food was blessed, but now food is consecrated the day before on Great Saturday, so that at night there is no pandemonium and everyone has enough time and space to consecrate their Easter basket. However, the priests say that if it was not possible to consecrate the basket on Holy Saturday, you can come with it to the vigil and just go through the procession. This rite will allow you to consider your basket consecrated.

What time does the Easter service begin and end, basic rules:

1. On Great Saturday until midnight, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in churches. Among other things, they contain clear evidence of how Jesus Christ was resurrected. Then, around midnight, the procession begins, and then the Paschal Vigil. The procession is a symbol of the flock following towards the resurrected Savior.
2. At the end of Matins, at about four in the morning, special Easter verses are sung as believers congratulate each other on the onset of the holiday. You need to kiss three times, give Easter cakes and painted eggs, and also say the words “Christ is Risen”, to which you need to answer “Truly Risen!”.
3. Morning gradually turns into divine liturgy, passes the sacrament of communion. If you plan to take communion on Easter morning, then on the eve of Holy Week, you should find time to confess.

How to behave in the temple

It is worth remembering that in the temple you need to dress modestly, closed clothes. Women are recommended long skirt or a dress, after all, you are going to a festive service and you need to try to find suitable clothes for this. At the same time, men, entering the temple, must remove their headdress. But women and girls need, on the contrary, to cover their heads. This is not necessarily a scarf, a hat or hat is also suitable: but modest, without too much pathos. You came to the temple, not to the fashion podium.

Before entering the temple, you need to stop at its door and cross yourself three times, bowing each time to the very ground. Also remember that you need to turn your face towards the entrance to the temple and cross yourself with a bow three times when leaving the temple after the service. During the service, behave quietly and humbly, do not push around and spread joy around you, not irritation. If you take children with you to the vigil, then you need to explain to them separately how to behave in the temple: do not make noise, do not shout or laugh, stand in one place.

It is also worth recalling that when there is a divine service, you can not turn your back to the altar. Also note that women are always prohibited from entering the gates of the altar. As for men, this can be done with the special permission of the priest, and it is certainly better to postpone this event until calmer days, rather than the festive Easter service.