Throughout the entire Saturday before Easter, Easter cakes are blessed in churches. This ancient tradition to this day it is loved and observed by Christians. What time the consecration of Easter cakes begins and ends is important for every Orthodox Christian to know.

When is it customary to bless Easter cakes?

In 2018, the consecration of Easter cakes and easter eggs will begin on the morning of April 7. Usually this action takes place on the Saturday before the Great Holiday. Beginning at approximately 10 a.m. on Holy Saturday, believers line up at the nearest church with their Easter baskets.

Housewives carefully prepare Easter cakes for Easter, paint eggs, and make Easter eggs. This entire set for consecration is collected in a basket or bag and sent to the temple. In the morning, there are usually a lot of people who want to bless the Easter cakes quickly. But the consecration lasts all day until the evening, until approximately 21 o'clock, before the beginning of the all-night holiday service.

Interesting! There is nothing wrong with coming to the temple for consecration holiday products in the afternoon or late afternoon. The priests will perform the same ritual.

Many churches practice the blessing of Easter cakes on the street. For this purpose, special benches are installed in the temple courtyard. Believers line up at the benches in order and lay out their Easter cakes and Easter eggs. Many people place a candle in the center of the composition. The priest walks through the rows with prayer and holy water and sprinkles everyone.

The whole ritual takes very little time, but it happens that you have to stand in line because of the large influx of people who want to properly prepare for Great Easter.

On the evening of April 7, 2018, Easter services begin in each church. It will last all night and end by 4 a.m. on April 8. After the procession of the Cross in many churches, priests begin the Easter blessing of Easter cakes.

What to bring with you for consecration

Important! You can place a candle in the center of the Easter cake or Easter cake and light it before consecration. There is nothing to worry about if it does not burn or the wind extinguishes the flame.

Easter is one of the most important holidays in Orthodox Church. For true believers, nothing is more important than the resurrection of Christ. According to tradition, after the longest period of fasting and abstinence, special Easter dishes are prepared for Easter, which undergo the rite of consecration.

While fasting lasts, Christian believers eat food that does not contain animal products, which means that no meat, no butter, no eggs, no dairy products are present on the fasting table. Easter means the triumph of life over death, a bright holiday, when you can serve fast food to the table, in the preparation of which you used something that could not be eaten during Lent.

For festive table You can use many recipes to prepare a rich holiday table, but only traditional Easter dishes can be blessed. For consecration in Orthodox church You can bring Easter cakes, colored eggs, cottage cheese Easter, Cahors. It is wrong to bring other dishes to the Temple; meat and dairy products, pies, cakes, lard, fish or alcoholic beverages other than church wine - Cahors is not brought for prayer activities. If you want a blessing for such products, you can ask the priest to do this separately.

The rite of consecration of the festive Easter food itself takes place on the eve of Easter, on Saturday, inside the Temple or on the street, on its territory. Large tables are set up, on which everyone who comes places the food they brought. On a platter, tray or in Easter basket Easter cakes are placed, a festive one is placed in the center of each church candle, it is made of red wax, which burns throughout the prayer. Painted eggs are placed around the Easter cake, a plate with Easter is placed, and a bottle of Cahors is placed. You can also place a candle in the Easter curd mound. Napkins and towels with Easter symbols look very festive.

Everything on this table is pleasing to the eye, elegant eggs of various colors, Easter cakes and Easter with letter symbols Christ's resurrection, strewn with candied fruits, raisins and other edible decorations. Once the table is full, church priest begins to read a prayer, walks around the table and sprinkles holy water on everything that is located on it; the believers themselves also fall under the sprinkling, receiving a blessing. During the consecration of food, donations to the church are welcomed. Some of the Easter food or money that goes to the needs of the Temple is placed in the basket. Also, after sprinkling with holy water, believers can give each other festive Easter symbols with congratulations with the proclamation “Christ is risen!”

Being present during the consecration of Easter dishes is a wonderful reason to come to church with joy, bow to the Creator, and offer thanks. But if you do not bake Easter cakes yourself, then at the temple you can usually purchase them already consecrated. Such Easter cakes are consecrated after baking, directly on the shelves of the bakery, or in the temple, and then put up for sale. Only if you buy a ready-made Easter cake at the church, can you be sure of its correct prayer consecration.

During the day, the consecration ceremony takes place many times. The schedule of church services must mark the period during which the consecration of Easter foods takes place on Saturday before Easter.

One of the main Orthodox holidays is Easter. People prepare for this day in advance, preparing various events and dishes. The Easter menu will help you prepare original, and most importantly, appropriate dishes. You can read the recipes in more detail on the website http://lady-day.ru.

In 2018, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 8, so many believers already have questions about when and how colored eggs and Easter cakes shine. According to tradition, you must come to the temple on Holy Saturday, on the eve of the holiday. Well, this year it's better to do it on Saturday April 7.

• Is it possible to light other food
  • Festive table for Easter

When can Easter cakes and eggs be blessed?

Of course, on Holy Saturday, believers strive to get to church and attend the all-night service. On the pre-Easter Saturday in churches they begin to consecrate festive food. And if you were unable to do this on Saturday, then you need to come to the temple the next day to bless the eggs and Easter cake.

The tradition of consecration allows a person to tune in to the bright waves of the holiday. It is no secret that a special atmosphere develops in a gathering of believers, which can hardly be felt at home or even while watching a service broadcast on TV. That is why you should definitely visit the temple on such a day.

And it won’t be superfluous to do a favor, as much as you can afford it, and treat everyone in need with eggs and Easter cakes. Many may argue that the cake and eggs will be eaten by unscrupulous people who can earn their own food.

However, there is no need to worry here - each person decides for himself what to do. And if someone comes to church for the sake of gluttony, sin falls on his conscience.

Is it necessary to sanctify eggs and Easter cakes?

Along with the question of when exactly is the best time to bless Easter cakes and eggs, people often wonder how obligatory it is to do this. Although many people do not come to church, it is right to go to the temple and fulfill the ancient tradition.

The priests are sure that the consecration of food is a natural desire of a person, and even more so if we're talking about about the most important holiday of Christians - Easter. Here, for example, is the opinion of Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky.

Every believer can come to church on Easter, or at least ask a loved one to do it instead of him, to bring it into the house blessed eggs and Easter cakes. It is important to understand that these products are not just food, but real symbols of a bright holiday. The egg represents life, rebirth, and the Easter cakes are the image of the body of Christ.

In addition, kulich is a traditional Russian ritual bread that has a sacred meaning. It is no coincidence that it is believed that Jesus Christ treated his disciples to this bread at the Last Supper. During the consecration of the Easter cake, there should be a church candle in it.

Is it possible to light other food

Of course, believers may be interested not only in when Easter cakes and eggs shine on Easter. People are wondering: is it possible to illuminate other foods and drinks? The Church does not prohibit parishioners from lighting, for example, meat, wine, and meat products. You can also put salt, seasoning, and a piece of cheese in the Easter basket.

However, it will be correct if the believers wait for the priest in the fence. But as for eggs and Easter cake - these are symbols of the holiday. Therefore, you can go to church with them. The corresponding commentary is given by Hieromonk Job Gumerov.

Festive table for Easter

Along with the question of when Easter cakes and eggs shine on Easter, people are often interested in what dishes can be placed on the Easter table. After all, the festive menu on such a bright day is a culinary portrait of the celebration.

In addition, with the onset of Easter, the Lent, which has the most stringent requirements for food and drink restrictions. And after such a long hour of abstinence, the joy of the holiday only intensifies. Traditionally, along with Easter cake, there are other baked goods on the table, as well as meat dishes:

• boiled pork;
• baked veal;
• duck (poultry) stewed in sour cream;
• all kinds of pies, kulebyaki, sweet baked goods.

As for the traditional holiday drink, red wine is rightfully considered to be it. You need to prepare for the holiday in advance and purchase a church horse Cahors for the table, the Wordyou website informs. As already mentioned in the article, wine for the meal is served until the beginning of Easter - on Saturday.

Easter is a great holiday dedicated to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, people prepare for it in advance. In 2018, Easter falls on April 8; according to ancient custom, believers completed preparations in order to devote time to celebrating the greatest Orthodox event.

An important thing in preparation is the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs. The tradition is old and beloved by believers who want to enjoy not only tasty, but also blessed food after the difficult Lent.

When to sacred eggs and Easter cakes?

Traditionally, believers prepare baskets on Saturday morning. In addition to painted eggs and Easter cakes prepared with one’s own hands, various products that people have refused for centuries are brought to the temple to be blessed. Holy Week. Last day Holy Week They consider it Silent Saturday. Holy Saturday begins in church with a liturgy, during which they read scriptures about the burial of Jesus Christ.

At the end of the liturgy, the consecration of food begins. The procedure takes place at noon. Lasts from six to seven hours, depending on the temples. After the clergy change into black attire, the consecration is stopped.

Is it possible to shine Easter cakes and eggs?

It's definitely possible. The procedure for the blessing of eggs, Easter cakes and products is not limited to Holy Saturday. When the clergy put on light clothes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death, the liturgy begins, which continues throughout the night. On Sunday morning, sometimes until the first rays of the sun, the procedure for consecrating food continues. In many churches, eggs and Easter cakes are consecrated on subsequent days.

Fact. IN Ancient Rus' in many villages there were no churches; Orthodox Christians did not have the opportunity to bless food on Saturday or Sunday. Circumstances may prevent the traditional trip to church to bless eggs and Easter cakes. In such cases, according to the old tradition, Easter cakes are prepared on Thursday and taken to be blessed in church on evening service. They leave food on the table in front of the face of Jesus Christ next to a candle from Silent Saturday to Sunday.

The clergy call for blessing the Easter meal on Silent Saturday in order to serve food to the festive table on time and resist the temptation to break the fast prematurely.

What is important to know?

In 2018, Silent Saturday coincides with the Annunciation - this confuses people, because not many people know whether they bring Easter cakes and eggs to church to bless them. Parishioners can rest assured that the double holiday is not an obstacle to the standard procedure for the blessing of food before Easter. In order to get everything done, the church ministers plan the liturgy in such a way as to read the scripture for the Annunciation, pay attention to church hymns for Holy Saturday and do not shorten the time for consecrating the festive meal.

Blessing Easter food is half the battle. Believers will have to restrain themselves and test their willpower not to start the meal early. It starts after the end of the Easter liturgy. This is not Holy Saturday, not the night before Easter, and not even the period of the religious procession. They celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with blessed food on Sunday morning.

The Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on April 28, 2019. Many believers are interested in when it is correct to consecrate Easter cakes for Easter? We'll talk about this in detail here.

To the main thing Orthodox holiday prepare a lot delicious dishes, because according to tradition, the Easter table should be plentiful. One of the symbols of this holiday is Easter cake, which serves as a reminder of the meal of the resurrected Jesus Christ and the apostles.

Easter is celebrated after long days Great Lent. The strict forty-day fast, when it was forbidden to eat fast food, ends, and now believers can break their fast. Even in Soviet years these days you could buy Easter cakes in stores. In the old days, every home baked them themselves.

Housewives try to prepare the most delicious treat for this day: they choose the best products, do not skimp on eggs and butter, nuts and raisins. It is believed that if the dough for the Easter cake fits well and it comes out well, then prosperity will reign in the family.

When should Easter cakes be blessed?

These products are baked in advance and consecrated in church on the eve of Easter, on Holy Saturday. For convenience, all products are placed in a basket, which is placed on the common table in the temple for consecration.

Where and at what time are Easter cakes blessed? On Saturday, food is blessed in churches from morning until late evening, from 10.00 to 22.00.

What time does the blessing of Easter cakes end? It should be taken into account that on Saturday morning many people visit churches to bless food. And if you didn’t have time to do this, it doesn’t matter.

It is believed that it is better to bless colored eggs, Easter cakes and Easter on the night from Saturday to Sunday after church service, on which the acts of the Holy Apostles are read. It begins at 20.00, and at the end of the service, ending procession, food lighting also occurs.

Is it possible to consecrate Easter cakes on Easter Day?

In some churches, it is customary to consecrate food for the festive table not on Saturday, but early on Sunday morning. Therefore, before going to church to bless the Easter cakes, it is better to inquire in advance about the time and order of the Easter service.

Lent, which believers observe the day before, ends at 24.00, from the moment of the symbolic opening of the temple doors. And believers break their fast with colored eggs, a piece of Easter cake or Easter after the liturgy, at about 4 o’clock in the morning. Easter cakes and other dishes of the Easter table are eaten not only on Easter itself, but throughout Bright Week.