“You should not give treats to pets from the Easter table”

On Sunday, April 8, Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday of Easter Sunday. Easter on the night from Saturday to Sunday is celebrated in different ways: some go to church, while others simply cover festive table Houses. Even children know that on this day they should congratulate loved ones with the words “Christ is Risen!” However, behind the external paraphernalia, many forget the true meaning of the holiday. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told how to celebrate Easter correctly.

– After graduation Soviet era Easter is perceived by many as a secular holiday: colored eggs are considered the same symbols as tangerines on New Year. But if a person did not observe Great Lent, is it even possible for him to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection?

He needs to try to understand the meaning of the holiday. Even if someone did not fast, he can celebrate on Easter, but the main thing in the celebration is participation in worship, meeting with Christ. This holiday reminds us that you can enter the Kingdom of God only if you believe in Christ. The other paths do not lead out of hell; a person is doomed for eternity if he is not a Christian - as it were a good man he was not.

This is the point: Easter is completely not tolerant, not politically correct and not inclusive - after all, Christ was resurrected in order to give people the only way to eternal life. This is the main thing, not tables and not visiting people, especially not drunkenness and not entertainment. If you don’t have the strength to come to the service at night, you can come in the morning, but without the service the holiday loses its meaning.

For most people, Easter ends with dinner on the night from Saturday to Sunday or with Sunday breakfast - the Easter cake is eaten, the egg is broken, you can return to ordinary life. How does the church recommend spending Easter?

On this day, after the service, people either relax or go to visit. Many come to the temple on the evening of the first Easter day when the solemn Vespers are celebrated. This day is well suited to ask for forgiveness from those you have offended, or from those who have offended you. It would be good to renew relationships with people with whom they were senselessly lost. You can visit sick, lonely people, for example, in a nursing home or orphans. All 40 days during which Easter is celebrated are good for good deeds.

It is necessary to find agreement around Christ - an unbeliever husband must be sanctified by a believing wife, she leads him and strives to lead her entire family to Christ.

– After the Easter Liturgy, are all the restrictions of Lent lifted? Are intimate relationships between spouses allowed again?

Yes, after returning from the temple you can eat meat and dairy. This applies to all norms - the fast is over, which means you can return to marital relations.

– A topical question about wine for Russian people: we know that Cahors should be at the Easter meal. Does it need to be consecrated?

People often bless wine; this is allowed, but not required. It can be used - for the glory of God. But it is important not to overdo it when celebrating the end of Lent: an extreme degree of intoxication never, including on Easter, does not make a person beautiful.

– Sometimes pet owners ask: is it possible to treat a cat with an Easter egg, and a dog with a piece of ham? Wouldn't this be sedition?

This should not be done. Sanctified Easter eggs- this is a shrine; Even the shells from them are not thrown into the trash by pious people, but are saved to be burned later, and the ashes are poured, for example, under a tree. Therefore, animals should not be given Easter food.

How are church services going on Easter?

On the morning of Holy Saturday, which this year falls on April 7, services begin in churches. After it, from noon to one o'clock in the afternoon until six to eight o'clock in the evening (the schedule can be checked in a particular temple), believers bring Easter cakes, Easter cakes, colored eggs and other food for the Easter table to be blessed.

At half past eleven in the evening the Easter Midnight Office begins - the priests take the Shroud (the canvas depicting the position of the body of Christ in the tomb) to the altar and place it on the throne. There she will remain for 40 days - until the Ascension of the Lord.

Before midnight, the bells solemnly ring, and at midnight the royal gates open and the procession of the Cross begins. At its end, the priests sing the troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead!”

This is followed by Easter Matins, after which everyone celebrates Christ - kisses three times, gives each other colored eggs and says: “Christ is Risen!” - “Truly he is risen!” Starting from three in the morning on Sunday, you can also consecrate Easter food; the consecration will continue during the day - from 11-12 to five-six o'clock in the evening, as well as on Monday and Tuesday.

When can you start breaking your fast? After the end of the Divine Liturgy, which ends around three in the morning - four in the morning.

Folk customs

Despite the fact that Easter is a religious holiday, and the church does not approve of superstition, many Orthodox Christians continue to believe in the secrets of their ancestors. For example:

If a girl wants to get married this year, during the church service she must say to herself “The Resurrection of Christ! Send me a single groom!”

A baby born on Easter is predicted to have fame and a great future.

A person who dies on Easter is considered to be marked by God - he immediately goes to heaven. They bury him with red paint in his right hand.

A piece of Easter cake can be crumbled to the birds - they will bring good luck and wealth to the house.

There are many stars in the sky Easter night- to frost.

The shells from colored eggs can be put in an amulet and worn together with a cross - as a talisman.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easter 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 Lent.

Rituals before Easter

If we talk about the correct rituals and traditions, it should be noted that in churches festive services begin a week before the holiday itself. During these days Holy Week people actively go to church, and priests increasingly appear in festive 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, the most important day of Holy Week is Holy Saturday. It was on the night from Saturday to Sunday Lent is ending, which means Easter is coming. It is on Saturday that in churches, not only at night, but even in the very morning, the ritual of consecrating food is held. Believers come to the temple with Easter cakes and colored eggs to sprinkle the food with holy water. At this time, in churches you can light candles for the repose.

About the beginning of the Easter service

So, we consider the Easter service, what time it starts and ends. It should be noted here that Orthodox Easter V this year falls on the first day of May. So, the Easter service begins exactly at midnight with Holy Saturday April 30 to Easter May 1.

The largest service in honor of Easter, with the largest number of parishioners, takes place, of course, in Moscow in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Patriarch comes out to the parishioners, wearing his best clothes, and he conducts the entire service: from the beginning to the very end. Great ways...

On this night there are a lot of people in churches, and especially in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Television broadcasts of the service are also carried out so that everyone can take part in the service in some way. The Easter service is held according to Orthodox traditions, before the dawn of the very day of the Resurrection of Christ.

Important stages of the Easter service:
From 23.00 to midnight on Holy Saturday the shroud is taken out.
Then comes the singing of the stichera at the altar.
Then a procession of the cross takes place around the temple.
Next begins Bright Matins, when a censer and a special cross are used.
After this, matins is held, and specially prepared holiday bread is brought out.
The ringing of bells traditionally ends the Easter service. People can already exchange holiday greetings: “Christ is Risen,” “Truly He is 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 are directly related to the story of the resurrection of Christ, which every believer remembers on the day Happy 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 must hold an Easter service. Even though the date of Easter is different every year and is specially calculated according to the lunar and solar calendar, and the Jewish Passover is also taken into account (Orthodox Easter should not be earlier than the Jewish Passover during a particular year).

Important! Easter service, what time does it start and end? The Easter service usually begins at midnight. But it is recommended to arrive at the temple about an hour in advance in order to find a place there and be sure to get to the service.

As for the blessing of holiday food, it is carried out, of course, after the Easter service. But it’s better to take care of this in advance; in churches, food begins to be blessed on the morning of Holy Saturday. Because it’s difficult to stand through a long Easter service with a basket in your hands, plus, not always because large quantity people are able to quickly bless the 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. This is also an important event for every clergyman: they even wear special elegant clothes to emphasize the specialness of the holiday.

Half an hour before midnight, that is, before the Resurrection of Christ, the shroud is taken out of the royal doors. After this event, the solemn Easter service is officially open: believers who came to the temple can light candles, and 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 arrived. The stichera are also chanted three times, 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 can sing along with the priest. Next comes the religious procession, when everyone moves around the temple behind the festive column to the ringing singing of the clergy. Is it possible on Easter?

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

What time does the Easter service in the church begin? This is the right question that many believers ask themselves on Holy Saturday. If you decide to attend the Easter service this year, you should find out in advance exactly when it begins in a particular church. Although, there are their own church canons, which all churches try to adhere to.

Important information about the Easter service

Easter prayers begin on Holy Saturday. Let us remind you that this is the last day of Lent, which always happens right before Easter. Every year, accordingly, the date Holy Saturday will also be different, because it depends directly on the date of Easter. People gather for the service in advance and the onset of Easter itself is midnight, celebrated in the church. How to prepare.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday, that is, on the night of Easter, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in churches. They talk about how they witnessed the bright resurrection of Jesus Christ. It ends exactly Saturday service procession of the cross, which is a harbinger of the matins. The procession goes around the church.

The service in honor of the onset of Easter lasts, as a rule, from late Saturday evening until 2-3 o'clock in the morning on Sunday. If you plan to take children with you, then you need to be absolutely sure that during the long service they will not be capricious or distract the people who came to the temple to pray.

After the religious procession ends, this usually happens around midnight, and Matins begins. Then it goes into the Divine Liturgy, after which you can partake of the sacraments of Christ. If you decide to receive communion after the Easter service, then you need to confess in advance and receive a blessing from the priest for this. Of course, if you ignore these rules, no one will be denied communion. But we should remember that the true essence of this sacrament is to receive communion with a pure body and spirit, and not to turn everything into just a show for show.

Some important rules How to behave during the Easter service in church:
Under no circumstances should you turn your back to the altar during the service;
Cell phones turn it off at the entrance to the temple territory;
If you take children with you, 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;
While reading, the priest often crosses himself with the cross and the Gospel; it is not necessary to be baptized every time, but you must bow at such moments.
Every believer who is at a church service must be baptized with the words: “Lord, have mercy,” “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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 each other three times and give each other colored eggs; this must be done after the service is over.
Clothing should be clean and modest. Women should not come to church wearing trousers and without covering their heads.
It is always necessary to be baptized without gloves.
Please also note that you are not allowed to speak loudly to each other or talk on the phone during the service.

Advice! It happens that a person is baptized, seemingly out of place. There is no need to worry or be nervous about this, because you can be baptized at any time and general rules behavior in the church, this, of course, does not contradict. If the gesture was made out of impulse of the soul, then there is nothing reprehensible in it.

When does the service start?

So, what time does Easter service start in church? This is the most important night for every Orthodox believer, preparation for which begins on Thursday evening. On this day, Easter cakes are baked and eggs are painted. IN Good Friday They don’t do anything; on Saturday they always go to church with a basket to bless the food. Then in the evening they return to the temple to defend the festive service in honor of the Light Christ's Resurrection. How to cook .

As a rule, the service begins on Saturday around 23.00 and ends on Sunday morning, somewhere at 2-3 am. After the first hour of the service, a procession of the cross takes place around the temple, after which the priest announces to everyone that Easter has come and Christ is Risen.

During the evening service on Holy Saturday, the priests talk about what the holy apostles, who were real witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ, wrote. Divine services begin at 23.00, so by this time you can gather in the temple. After procession everyone returns to the temple, the service and prayers continue.

Of course, a worldly person who decides to spend the festive Easter night in church and take part in the Divine service must behave correctly. Rules of conduct that will help you feel at ease have already been discussed in our material. Be sure to read the code of correct behavior in church again so that only pleasant moments and memories remain from the festive service. What date .

Now you can figure out what time the Easter service in the church starts. The service itself begins at 23.00, but on this night many believers come to churches, so in order to get inside and take a comfortable place there, you should come to the temple in advance. Moreover, there is always something to do there: pray, light candles, think about the upcoming Easter, about what happened to you, to your spiritual life during such a long fast and such a long period of preparation for Easter.

The Easter service is one of the most beautiful and solemn. Priests dressed in light festive clothes, the singing of the church choir, the ringing of bells in the air... All this creates a unique atmosphere and penetrates the soul with majestic and important words for every believer: “Christ is Risen!”

Beginning of the Easter service

The service begins shortly before midnight. Its first part is called “Midnight Office” with the canon of Holy Saturday. During it, the Acts of the Apostles are read. After this, the church ministers carry the shroud from the middle of the church to the altar and place the shroud on the throne - the image of Christ in the tomb.

At the same time, the choir and priests sing: “I will arise and be glorified.” The Shroud will remain on the Great Throne until the giving of Easter, that is, until the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

Just before midnight, the bell ringing - Blagovest - is born and gains strength. He announces that the bright holiday has begun.

The priests sing three times, first very quietly, and then louder and louder: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels are singing in heaven, and grant us on earth with a pure heart to glorify Thee.”

The first time they sing with the Royal Doors closed and the curtain drawn (katapetasma); the second time - louder, with the Gates closed, but with the curtain open; the third - at the open Royal Doors and only half of the text. The second half is sung by the choir.

Matins and procession

At exactly midnight, Matins begins. To the sounds of the Blagovest, clergy with a cross, banners, icons, incense and Easter lamps leave the altar and walk through the entire church to the exit. This is a religious procession.

A lantern is carried ahead, followed by a large altar cross, an image of the Virgin Mary, and then they go in pairs: banner bearers, singers, candle bearers with large candles, deacons with censers and smaller candles, and priests.

The last pair of priests carries the Gospel and the icon of the Resurrection. The procession is closed by the primate of the temple with three crossed and tied candles (trisveshnik) and another cross.

The priests and parishioners walk around the church counterclockwise three times. The laity hold lit candles in their hands. The stichera sounds again, verse six: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and grant us on earth to glorify Thee with a pure heart.” And the jubilant Easter peal, which replaced the Blagovest, flies over the church, symbolizing the joy of the news that Christ has risen.

During the religious procession, the priests repeatedly greet the parishioners with the words: “Christ is Risen!”, each time repeating them three times in a row. And the laity respond in a harmonious chorus: “Truly He is Risen!”

How is Easter service held in church?

After going around the church three times, the procession enters the vestibule and stops in front of closed doors temple. The ringing of the bells stops, and the priest, having accepted the censer from the deacon, sprinkles the icons and parishioners with holy water. The rest of the ministers sing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.” The primate reads verses from the prophetic psalm: “May God rise again,” to which the parishioners respond: “Christ is risen.”

After this, the stichera sounds, and again: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.” The priest uses a censer to depict the sign of the life-giving cross on the gate, and the gate opens.

Continuation of Matins

The Easter procession enters the church, festively decorated with flowers and numerous lit candles. The Easter service continues with the second part of Matins. During it, the Easter canon is sung and the “Word of St. John Chrysostom” is read, reminding believers about the meaning of Easter . The Matins concludes with the singing of the Easter stichera: “Let us embrace each other, saying: brethren! and we will forgive all those who hate us through the resurrection.”

Then the parishioners approach the priest, kiss the cross and bow to Christ ( approx. ed. - kiss three times) with the priest. Many churches give out blessed paints (approx. ed – colored eggs).