Many Orthodox people are interested in when to celebrate Christmas. In fact, Christmas is celebrated from December 4 to 25, and from January 6 to 7 - so when to visit the temple and how to do it, what traditions to observe?
We will talk about this in our article.

Why is Christmas celebrated on different days?

In the main Christian Churches the church calendar is divided: the Orthodox Church celebrates holidays and days of remembrance of saints according to the old style ( Julian calendar), Catholic - according to Gregorian (this is associated with astronomical phenomena).

Regarding the Nativity of Christ, the Gregorian calendar is more convenient: after all, the week of holidays begins on December 24-25 with Christmas and continues with the New Year, but the Orthodox should celebrate New Year modestly, calmly, to observe the fast. However, an Orthodox person can also have fun on New Year's Eve, trying not to eat meat or any particularly tasty things (if he is visiting). Likewise, children in Orthodox families should not be deprived of the New Year holiday and the joy of Santa Claus. It’s just that many Orthodox families try to emphasize the significance of Christmas with more expensive gifts, more active joint visits to events, etc.

Let us note that Christmas is celebrated on December 25 by a number of Orthodox Local Churches, but all Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on the same day (this holiday shifts depending on the phases of the moon). The fact is that only on Orthodox Easter does the descent of the Holy Fire take place in Jerusalem.

Nativity of Christ - the twelfth holiday

Each church holiday has a special edifying, educational meaning. Church holidays preserve the true purpose of holidays - it is a renewal of life, a reminder of special events, and not just drunken fun, unbridled fun.

Many church holidays became truly popular, signs were associated with them, they began to bring certain seasonal fruits for consecration, that is, God’s blessing in the church, and to pray for certain things related to the holiday.

In the annual church circle there are twelve holidays, called “twelve” (in Church Slavonic duodecimal). These are days dedicated to the most important events in the earthly life of Christ and Holy Mother of God, as well as the most important historical events of the Church.

The traditions of their celebration have developed over centuries, and today they are celebrated all over the world, and, due to their prevalence, even cover the lives of non-religious people. This is a church sermon, the glory of the name of Christ, which goes beyond the church fence.

In every Orthodox country, these holidays reflect traditions, national mentality and historical culture. Thus, in Russia and Greece, on various holidays, earthly fruits are brought for blessing. Elements of Slavic ritualism have been preserved, for example, in the traditions of caroling on Christmas Day in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Thanks to tolerance and love Orthodox Church many good ancient traditions have survived to this day.

These days are like spiritual bright milestones of the year. Remembering this or that event, praising the Lord and the Mother of God, we rejoice in God’s love for people and again look at ourselves from the outside, trying to be worthy of this love. Believers try to confess and receive communion on the twelve feasts.

The twelfth holidays are divided by content:

• Lord's (God's) - eight holidays,
• Theotokos - four,
• days of remembrance of sacred events.

It is interesting that Christmas refers to the Lord's holidays, and the priests' vestments on this day are the Theotokos, that is, blue and silver. This is a tribute to honoring the Mother of Christ, because this is also Her holiday.

What is celebrated on Christmas - history

On Christmas Day the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is celebrated. The Gospel tells that because of the population census, Joseph the Obrochnik and the Most Holy Theotokos were forced to come to Bethlehem, Joseph’s homeland. Due to a simple everyday detail - hotels for the poor were overcrowded and there was no money for expensive rooms - they were forced to take refuge in a cave along with their livestock and pets. Here the Virgin Mary gave birth to the Son of God and laid him in a manger, in straw. Simple shepherds, called by the Angels, came here to worship the Baby, and wise wise men, led by the Star of Bethlehem.

It is historically testified that at the time of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ there was a certain new star in the sky, a celestial phenomenon - perhaps a comet. However, it lit up in the sky as a sign of the coming into earthly life of the Messiah, Christ the Savior. The Star of Bethlehem, according to the Gospel, showed the way to the Magi, who, thanks to it, came to worship the Son of God and bring their gifts to Him.

On Christmas, they ask the Lord for the gift and upbringing of children, remember the simplicity of the Birth of the Infant God, and try to do good deeds during Christmastide - the week between the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany.

Christmas Eve before Christmas

The day before Christmas, January 6, is Christmas Eve. On this day, until the “evening star”, that is, until twilight, according to the Charter of the Church, they did not eat at all; they could only drink water or tea. Nowadays it is difficult to perform such a strict fast. Try, especially if you did not fast during the Nativity Fast, to make a small sacrifice to the Lord - abstain in the morning on this day from meat and dairy products, from fish (even from at least one thing, including sweets). Interestingly, there was a historical joke when Count Suvorov did not eat anything during dinner with Catherine the Second before Christmas. When she asked why, the courtiers explained that it was impossible to reach the first star. The Empress called the servants and bestowed an order - “a star to Count Suvorov.”

In fact, in the Charter and the saying “it is impossible until the first star” does not mean the appearance of heavenly stars, but the singing in the church of the words of the troparion, a prayer in honor of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, where the word star is mentioned.

“Your Nativity, our God of Christ, shone to the world as the light of reason: in it those who served the stars (magi) learned with the star to worship You, the Sun of Truth, and to know You, Coming from the heights of the East. Lord, glory to You."

That is why on Christmas Eve it is advised to fast until the evening Christmas service, visit the temple, and then break the fast at the festive table.

This is not as difficult as it seems: after all, this is exactly how many spend December 31, forcedly fasting: the wife, busy in the kitchen, does not have time to eat, and the family, looking into the refrigerator, hears from the mother: “Don’t touch it, this is for the New Year!” But fasting on Christmas Eve on the eve of Christmas has a deep meaning, a spiritual purpose that is different from simply “creating a festive mood.”

How to get ready for Christmas?

While waiting for Christmas, you should pay more attention to meaningful preparation for the holiday, and not to dinner. Prepare, for example, for Confession and Communion with prayer and remembrance of sins. Confess the day before, because on the night of January 6-7 and even in the morning of January 7, churches are crowded. It will be difficult to confess, but to receive communion is a double holiday, double grace.

If you do not plan to receive communion, read the Gospel aloud with the whole family or tell your children about the worship of the Magi, the singing of the Angels and the joy of the shepherds looking at the Infant Christ - the King of the World, humbly lying in the manger. The writer Ivan Shmelev wrote about the traditions of preparing for Christmas and festive pre-revolutionary customs in his amazing novel “The Summer of the Lord,” written from the perspective of a child. You can also read the Christmas chapters from it yourself on Christmas Eve.

How to enter the church

Many people who don’t yet know much about the Church get used to being “participants”—coming in when it’s convenient, lighting candles, and not praying during services. However, the Lord Himself speaks about church prayer during general worship: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.”

The original meaning of the word “Church” is a gathering of Christ’s disciples, Christians; translated as “meeting”. It is interesting that the first Christians often gathered not only in buildings; it is important that they were together even in the open air and could perform the Sacraments and pray.

Therefore, try not only to come to church on Christmas, but also to pray, and even better, to prepare and receive communion during the Liturgy. The main service in the church, the main sacrament, is the Liturgy. The most strong prayer- this is any commemoration of a person during the Liturgy and, of course, communion itself. The whole Church prays for a person during the Sacrament of the Eucharist. By receiving communion, people receive great strength and grace from God.

The Church blesses us to receive communion at least once a year: preferably about once a month.

Duration of church service

Please note that not every Orthodox church holds night services from January 6 to 7. There may be options, and you can go to the temple that is more convenient for you to visit, according to the schedule for which you are ready. Be sure to check at the temple stand

It must be said that temples and cathedrals open in different times, services are performed at different times depending on

• Region, location;
• Is it a church or a parish church at the monastery?
• Seasons - in small, rural churches.

Before Christmas there will definitely be a solemn Vespers service - the All-Night Vigil. The name is just a tradition; the service does not last all night, but for about 2-3 hours in different churches.

The all-night vigil begins either at 17:00 or 18:00. Sometimes - in rare cases, in a village, in a remote monastery - at 16:00. In monasteries, services for both the Liturgy and the All-Night Vigil last longer.

The next day in the morning, at approximately 9 or 10:00, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated, during which you can receive Holy Communion Christ's Mysteries. Accordingly, you can go to both services, or just one.

However, there is another option. On the evening of January 6, the service of the saint will begin at 23:30. Then during the night an all-night vigil, hours and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated.

The all-night vigil begins with Compline, at which prophecies and psalms are read, and in the middle the choir sings the solemn holiday chant “God is with us.” It includes singing verses from the prophetic book of Isaiah about how the great God himself, the Father of the next age, is now present with people. This chant begins with the words “God is with us, understand the Gentiles (that is, nations) and repent (submit to the power of God), as (because) God is with us.”

Immediately after Great Compline, the festive Christmas Vespers is celebrated. It begins with a litia, a part of the service in which bread, vegetable oil (oil), wheat and wine are blessed. Then the service of festive matins is performed, at which the choir performs many solemn chants. At Matins, a passage from the Gospel is read, telling about the event of the Nativity of Christ. Matins is joined by “hours” (short services consisting of the reading of three psalms and some prayers). Thus ends the festive All-Night Vigil. It will take about one and a half hours.

You will know that the All-Night Vigil has ended because afterward the priest will exclaim, “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This is how the festive Liturgy will begin. It will last about another hour and a half to two hours. If you get tired, you can leave the Liturgy.

Star of Bethlehem

Initially, the eight-pointed star on the icons signifies the Nativity or Bethlehem. It is historically testified that at the time of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ there was a certain new star in the sky, a celestial phenomenon - perhaps a comet. However, it lit up in the sky as a sign of the coming into earthly life of the Messiah, Christ the Savior. The Star of Bethlehem, according to the Gospel, showed the way to the Magi, who, thanks to it, came to worship the Son of God and bring their gifts to Him.

The Star of Bethlehem is an elongated rhombus inscribed in a square, this is how its eight rays are formed. Such a sign was theologically meaningful on the “Savior in Power” icon, becoming a sign of the power of Christ - it is no coincidence that the star of Bethlehem became His star.

The eight-pointed star of the Virgin Mary, the octogram is an equal-pointed star. She can be seen on most images of the Mother of God. On the one hand, this is an image of the Star of Bethlehem, on the other -

Most often, the icon of the Mother of God is painted on a golden background, symbolizing the Divine Light, or on a heavenly background, symbolizing Heaven, where She is located. The dark cherry outer robe of the Virgin Mary, maforium, has an image of gold embroidery of the three stars of the Virgin Mary: above the forehead and along the shoulders. They mean that the Mother of God, before, during and after the Birth of Her Son of God, remained and remained a Virgin, shining with the virtue of chastity and others.

On the icon of the Virgin Mary “The Burning Bush” Her image with her Son is inscribed in an eight-pointed star (but this is not the “star of the Virgin Mary”). This is a fairly late iconographic type; it carries the same symbolism as the icon of the Savior in Powers.

DIY Christmas or New Year's toy

Today, the eight-pointed star is one of the most beautiful and bright symbols of Orthodoxy. She illuminates and sanctifies many icon cases, church utensils, and jewelry of pious Christian women. There is no sin in using it in home decoration for Christmas; on the contrary, it is a very pious and beautiful custom. You can make it yourself by gluing, for example, a paper icon of the Nativity of Christ in the center.

The eight-pointed star reminds us of the power of God, and of the radiance of the Kingdom of God, and of our life path, along which we must follow the Bethlehem guiding star, like the Magi towards the Infant Christ. You need to be able to become a guiding star for people in this world with the help of good deeds.

May the Lord protect you with His grace, may the Infant Christ bless you!

In many capital churches, the all-night festive liturgy will begin on January 6, 2019 at approximately 17:00 Moscow time. However, the time of worship depends on the work schedule of a particular church. As a rule, the liturgy is celebrated on the night of January 6-7, however, there are churches in which the service is planned only on the festive morning of the Nativity of Christ.

In many Moscow churches, parishioners will be able to attend festive services starting in the evening of January 6, 2019. The Liturgy will be held in the following churches:

Church of Christ the Savior:

• January 6: confession - at 8:00 Moscow time, first all-night vigil - at 17:00 Moscow time,
• the second all-night vigil is at 23:00 Moscow time, after the end - the night liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki:

Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Alekseevsky:

• January 6: All-night vigil at 17:00 Moscow time.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Tushino:

• January 6 - all-night vigil at 17:00 Moscow time, confession at 23:00 Moscow time.

Znamensky Cathedral:

• January 6 - confession at 21:00 Moscow time, great service at 22:00 Moscow time.

Church of St. Philippa, Metropolitan Moskovsky in Meshchanskaya Sloboda (Gilyarovsky St., 35):

• January 6 - all-night vigil at 21:00 Moscow time.

Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yasenevo (Litovsky Boulevard, 7a):

• January 6 - all-night vigil - at 17:00 Moscow time, rule for Holy Communion - at 23:00 Moscow time.

Church of the Holy Righteous John the Russian in Kuntsevo (Yartsevskaya st., property 1-A, Molodezhnaya metro station):

• January 6 - all-night vigil at 17:00 Moscow time, 22:30 - second all-night vigil

History of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ

The parents of Jesus Christ, Mary and Joseph, lived in Nazareth, but due to the census they had to go to Bethlehem. After all, Joseph, a descendant of King David, needed to attend the census in the city from which his family came. Due to the large crowd of people, Joseph and Mary did not have enough room in the hotel, so they stayed in a cave.

On the night that Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, the time came for the Mother of God to give birth. During the birth of Jesus, an Angel appeared to the shepherds and showed them the place where the future Savior would be born. The shepherds walked to the cave, seeing a star in the east. Arriving at the birthplace, they worshiped Jesus and told Mary and Joseph what they had learned from the Angel.

The wise men brought gifts to Jesus and bowed to him as if he were a king. King Herod, fearful of the competition, wanted to kill Jesus, so he asked the Magi to reveal the Savior’s birthplace. However, according to the legend of the Angel, the Magi did not indicate the place where the Son of God was, so Herod, in order to find Christ, organized the massacre of newborns in Bethlehem.

After the tragic events in Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph and Jesus had to leave for Egypt, where they lived until the death of Herod. Thus, all Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the night of January 6-7, because it was on this day that the future Savior of all mankind was born.

One of the important Christian holidays has arrived - Christmas. Orthodox Christians prepared for this celebration for 40 days with prayers and fasting.

The Orthodox celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the night of January 6-7 - on this day the Nativity fast ends, and after the service in the church, believers sit down at the table. Attending the Christmas service is a separate important ritual for a Christian.

Features of Christmas Eve 2019, which fell on Sunday this year

The strictest day of the Nativity Fast is Christmas Eve, January 6th. Until the appearance of the first star (a reminder of the Star of Bethlehem, which the Magi once saw), it is necessary to abstain from meat food, entertainment and other pleasures. Particular attention should be paid to righteous thoughts and preparation for the temple service. Only after returning from the liturgy can you sit down to festive table, however, it is advisable to do without excesses - Christmas is not celebrated to eat and drink.

“Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, so Vespers, which is usually performed on this day in the morning and is combined with the liturgy, will also be performed in the morning, but after the liturgy,” says Vsevolod Chaplin. – On Christmas Day itself, the Liturgy of Basil the Great will be celebrated. It is more spacious, longer in time, served twice in the morning and at night. This is the main service, it is very important to come to it, confess, and partake of the holy mysteries.”

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', according to tradition, will lead the festive service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. We will broadcast a broadcast of the night service. Starts at 23.00 Moscow time.

When does the Christmas service begin in Moscow churches?

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of Christ on the night of January 6-7. Christmas is the second most important holiday after Easter.

On this night, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' usually leads the festive Christmas service in the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where thousands of believers will gather.

The holiday of Christmas, according to the teachings of the Church, symbolizes the reconciliation of man with God. Christmas foreshadows the redemptive feat of Christ and the renewal of human nature, struck by the fall of our ancestors.

What time does the Christmas service start in Moscow churches?

Cathedral of Christ the Savior. January 6: confession will begin at 8 a.m., the first all-night vigil will begin at 5 p.m., the second all-night vigil will begin at 11 p.m., and at the end of the all-night vigil, the night liturgy of St. Basil the Great will take place.

Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki. An all-night vigil will take place on January 6 at 5 p.m. On January 7 at 00.00 a solemn liturgy and confession will take place.

Temple of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Alekseevsky. An all-night vigil will take place on January 6 at 5 p.m. On January 7 at 00.00 there will be a Divine Liturgy, at 7 am - an early liturgy, at 10 am - a late liturgy.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Tushino. On January 6 at 17:00 there will be an all-night vigil, confession will begin at 23:00. On January 7 at 00.00 the beginning of the liturgy will take place, at 8.40 the late liturgy will take place.

Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yasenevo(Litovsky Boulevard, building 7a). On January 6, at 5 p.m., the all-night vigil will begin; the rule for Holy Communion will begin at 11 p.m. On January 7 at 00.00 the festive liturgy will begin, the late liturgy will begin at 8.40.

Liturgical instructions for January 6, 2019

32nd Sunday after Pentecost,before the Nativity of Christ, holy father . Voice 7th. Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ. The Eve of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Eve).

Prmts. Evgenia.

The service is performed according to the Mark chapter of the Typikon on December 24: “It is appropriate to know if the Week before the Nativity of Christ happens, holy fathers, Decembrium on the 24th day.” The service of the Week before the Nativity of Christ, holy fathers, is in the Menaion on December 1863.

Calendar notes:

Order of readings, according to the calendar:

Morning – Ev. 10th, John, 66 credits, XXI, 1–14. Lit. – Weeks before the Nativity of Christ: Heb., 328 chapters, XI, 9–10, 17–23, 32–40. Matthew, 1st part, I, 1–25.

At Vespers (performed separately from the liturgy): Heb., 303 ch., I, 1–12. Luke, 5 parts, II, 1–20.

At Great Vespers“Blessed is the man” - all kathisma.

On “Lord, I cried” stichera on 1064: Fathers, tone 6 – 6: “Appearing as the end of the world...”, “Adorned with glory...”, “Floated with joy...” (each stichera - twice), and forefeasts, the same tone – 4: “The never-setting Sun...” (twice), “Born on the shoulders of the Cherubim...”, “In a wordless manger...”. “Glory” - the fathers, the same voice: “Daniel, the man of desires...”, “And now” - the forefeasts, the same voice: “Nativity scene, be beautifully adorned...” (the dogmatist voice is not sung).

Entrance. Prokeimenon of the day, tone 6: “The Lord reigns…”, with verses (according to custom). Fathers' parimations – 3.

At the litia, the stichera of the forefeast, tone 5: “Nosishi Adam’s image...”, “The Child incarnated from Her...”, “This slavishly Pure One...” (see in the Menaion of December 24 on “Lord, I have cried”). “Glory” - the fathers, voice 3: “The Council of the Forefathers...”, “And now” - the forefeasts, the same voice: “Be adorned, O Bethlehem...” (see in the service of the fathers).

On the stichera are the stichera of the forefeast, tone 2: “To the house of Euphrath...”, “Bethlehem, land of Judah...”, “Come, all of you, Christ’s Nativity...” (with its own refrains; see in the service of the fathers). “Glory” - the fathers, the same voice: “Rejoice, prophets of honor...”, “And now” - the forefeasts, the same voice: “Now the time is drawing near...” (see in the service of the fathers).

According to the Trisagion - the troparion of the fathers, tone 2: “The greatness of the faith of correction...” (twice), and the troparion of the forefeast, tone 4: “Sometimes written...” (once; see in the Menaion on December 24).

At matins to “God the Lord” – Sunday troparion, tone 7: “Thou hast destroyed death by Thy Cross...” (twice). “Glory” is the troparion of the fathers, tone 2: “The greatness of the faith of correction...”, “And now” is the troparion of the forefeast, tone 4: “Sometimes it was written...” (see in the Menaion on December 24).

Kathismas 2nd and 3rd. Small litanies.

According to the 1st verse66 – sedal of the fathers, tone 4: “In the fathers, O God...”. “Glory, even now” – the same sedal.

According to the 2nd verse - sedalen of the fathers, tone 8: “Let us celebrate the holiday, verniy...”. “Glory, even now” – the same sedal.

Immaculate67 (see Typikon, chapter 17). "Angelic Cathedral..." Sedalen of the Fathers, tone 8: “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...”. “Glory, even now” - in the seat, the same voice: “From the bosom of the Fathers you descended...”. Powerful and prokeimenon - ordinary voice (in in this case– 7th). Sunday Gospel 10th. “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...” According to Psalm 50: “Glory” - “Through the prayers of the apostles...”. Sunday stichera, tone 6: “Jesus is risen from the grave...”.

Canons: fathers with irmos on 8 (irmos twice) and forefeasts (see in the service of the fathers) on 6.

Note. In the canon of the fathers (6th voice, irmos: “By the waves of the sea...”), the first two troparions in each song are Sunday, therefore the Sunday canon of the ordinary voice of Octoechos is not sung (see Typikon, December 24, Chapter Mark).

Bible songs “We sing to the Lord...”.

Catavasia “Christ is born...”.

According to the 3rd song - ipakoi of the fathers, tone 8 (once).

According to the 6th song - kontakion (“Rejoice, Bethlehem ...”) and ikos of the fathers, tone 1.

On the 9th song we sing “The Most Honest”.

According to the 9th song - “Holy is the Lord our God.” Luminary of the Fathers69: “From the seed is introduced...”. “Glory” is the luminary of the fathers: “The chosen Patriarchs...”, “And now” is the luminary of the forefeast: “Rejoice, O Bethlehem...” (see in the service of the fathers).

“Every breath…” and psalms of praise.

On praising those stichera on 6: Fathers, tone 5 – 3: “Lift up your voice...”, “Come, you who are sometimes seated on the fire, Elijah...”, “I have appeared from time immemorial on the earth...”, and forefeasts, tone 4 y – 3: “Isaiah’s voice is being fulfilled...”, “Having written from the servant of the Lord...”, “The bright and animated cloud...”. “Glory” - the fathers, tone 8: “The estate of the lawful teachings...”, “And now” - “Blessed art thou...”.

Great doxology. According to the Trisagion - the Sunday troparion: “Today is salvation...”.

Before the 1st hour on “Glory, and now” - the 10th Gospel stichera.

Note. The reading of the hours of the evening is moved to Friday (December 22). On Christmas Eve of the Nativity of Christ (December 24), the usual three-psalm hours are celebrated.

On the clock is the Sunday troparion, tone 7: “Thou hast destroyed death by Thy Cross...”. “Glory” is the troparion of the fathers: “The greatness of the faith of correction...”. The kontakia of the fathers: “Rejoice, O Bethlehem...”, and the forefeasts: “Virgin today is the Eternal Word...” (see in the Menaion on December 24, at Matins according to the 6th song of the canon), are read alternately.

Note. According to V. Rozanov (see. his"The Liturgical Charter of the Orthodox Church", p. 279), the troparions on the clock are read as follows: “the Sunday troparion at all hours, Glory- the fathers and the forefeast days alternately (the troparion of the forefeast day is silent, but it should be by analogy with other days before the feast).”

Liturgy St. John Chrysostom.

Blessed are the fathers72, canto 3 – 4 (with Iirmos), and the forefeasts, canto 6 – 4.

At the entrance: “...Risen from the dead...”.

At the entrance - the Sunday troparion, tone 7: “Thou hast destroyed death by Thy Cross...”, troparion of the fathers, tone 2: “The greatness of the faith of correction...”, troparion of the forefeast, tone 4: “Sometimes written...” (see . in Menaia on December 24). “Glory” is the kontakion of the fathers, tone 1: “Rejoice, O Bethlehem...”, “And now” is the kontakion of the forefeast, tone 3: “Virgin today, the Eternal Word...” (see in the Menaion on December 24, at Matins on 6th song of the canon).

The Trisagion is sung.

Prokeimenon – Song of the Fathers, tone 4: “Blessed art thou, O Lord God our father...”, verse: “For thou art righteous in regard to all...”.

Apostle - Weeks before the Nativity of Christ (Heb., section 328).

Alleluia - Fathers, tone 4: “O God, our ears have heard...”, verse: “Thou hast saved us from those who oppress us...”.

Gospel - Weeks before the Nativity of Christ (Matthew, ch. 1).

It is sung “It is worthy to eat...”.

Communicated - Sunday: “Praise the Lord...”; and the fathers: “Rejoice, you righteous ones...”

Sunday holiday: “Risen from the dead...”.

Note. “Be aware: If the eve of Christ’s Nativity happens on Saturday or Week, there will be no fasting...” (Typikon, December 25, 2nd “see”). This prescription of the Charter means that on Christmas Eve, which coincides with Saturday or Sunday, after the Liturgy (before Vespers), it is allowed to eat a little food without oil: “After absolution [the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, - Comp.] We eat a little bit of bread, and we taste little of the wine, and we go to our own cells. At the hour of the 7th day we begin Vespers” (Ibid.; cf.: Typikon, January 6, 2nd “see”).

According to established church practice, immediately after the end of the Liturgy, 9th hour And Great Vespers holiday of the Nativity of Christ. According to the Charter, worship should begin “at the hour of the 7th day,” that is, in our opinion, at 1 o’clock in the afternoon (see Typikon, December 25)73. Thus, according to the Typicon, Great Vespers is celebrated separately in order to ensure a more solemn service for it. There is a ringing during the great campaign and during all the hard times(cf.: Typikon, December 25).

After completing the 9th hour, the priest pronounces the initial exclamation of Vespers: “Blessed is our God...”. Reader or choir: “Amen.” Reader 75: “Come, let us worship...” (three times).

Note. If the 9th hour before Vespers was not celebrated, then at the beginning of Vespers the usual beginning should be read. Priest: “Blessed be our God...” Reader or choir: “Amen.” Reader: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee,” “O Heavenly King...”, Trisagion. According to “Our Father...” the priest exclaimed: “For Thine is the Kingdom...”. Reader: “Amen”, “Lord have mercy” (12 times), “Glory, even now”, “Come, let us worship...” (three times).

Psalm 103 (read). (The priest, during the opening psalm, according to custom, reads the prayers of light in front of the royal doors.) Great Litany.

“Blessed is the man” – 1st antiphon. Small litany (exclamation: “For Thy power ...”).

On “Lord, I cried” the stichera of the holiday, tone 2 – 8 (each stichera – twice). “Glory, even now” - the holiday, the same voice: “To Augustus, the sole ruler of the earth...”. (The usual incense is performed.)

Entrance with the Gospel. "Quiet Light." Prokeimenon of the day, tone 8: “Behold, now bless the Lord...”, verse: “Those who stand in the temple of the Lord...”76.

Reading of the eight parimia of the holiday. After the 3rd parimia, according to custom, the royal doors open. The reader proclaims: “Tone six” and himself sings the troparion: “Thou art secretly born in a den...”. According to the Rule, both troparia and psalm verses should be sung. But usually, according to established practice recorded in Synodal music publications, only the last words of the troparion are sung. Therefore, the performance of these troparions with verses is performed in the following order:

Reader proclaims the troparion: “You were born secretly in a den, but Heaven preached You to everyone, like a mouth, offering a star, Savior, and brought You the wise men who worship You by faith,” and he himself sings: “With Him, have mercy on us.”

Singers

Reader says verse 1: “His foundations are on the holy mountains, the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the villages of Jacob, the glorious words spoken about you, the city of God. I will remember Rahab and Babylon, who lead Me. And You will bring the wise men who worship You with faith.”

Singers they sing the end of the troparion: “Have mercy on us.”

Reader says verse 2: “And behold the foreign women, and Tyre, and the people of Ethiopia, were there. Mother Zion says: Man, and Man was born in him, and He is the foundation and the Most High. And You will bring the wise men who worship You with faith.”

Singers they sing the end of the troparion: “Have mercy on us.”

Reader says verse 3: “The Lord declares in the scripture the people and the princes who were in it, that those who rejoice have their dwelling place in You. And You will bring the wise men who worship You with faith.”

Singers they sing the end of the troparion: “Have mercy on us.”

Reader says: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And You will bring the wise men who worship You with faith.”

Singers they sing the end of the troparion: “Have mercy on us.”

Reader says: “And now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. And You will bring the wise men who worship You with faith.”

Singers they sing the end of the troparion: “Have mercy on us.”

Reader proclaims the troparion: “You were born secretly in a den, but Heaven preached You to everyone, like a mouth, offering a star, Savior, and brought You the wise men who worship You by faith,” and he himself sings its ending: “With Him, have mercy on us.”

The royal gates are closed. The troparion for the 6th parimia is also performed. On the choir the final words are sung: “Giver of Life, glory to Thee.”

At the end of the 8th parimia, the royal doors open. Small Litany. Exclamation: “For You are Holy, our God, and to You we send glory...” Chorus: "Amen." (The Trisagion is not sung.) Deacon: “Let us hear.” Priest: “Peace to all.” Reader: “And your spirit.” Deacon: "Wisdom." Reader: Prokeimenon, tone 1: “The Lord spoke to Me: You are my son, I have given birth to You today”; verse: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the tongues of Your inheritance, and Your inheritance - the ends of the earth.”

Apostle - Heb., credit. 303.

Alleluia, tone 5: “The Lord spoke to my Lord: sit at My right hand, until I will make Your enemies Your footstool”; verse: “The Lord will send a rod of power to You from Zion, and rule in the midst of Your enemies”; verse: “From the womb before the morning star I gave birth to Thee, the Lord swears, and will not repent.”

Note. There is a tradition of censing before reading the Gospel (as at the full Liturgy).

Gospel - Luke, beginning 578. (According to custom, the Gospel is read by the deacon on the pulpit.)79 After the reading of the Gospel, the royal doors are closed.

A special litany: “Rtsem all...”. “Vouchsafe, Lord.” Litany of supplication: “Let us fulfill the evening service...”, exclamation: “For He is Good and Lover of Mankind...”; prayer of adoration and exclamation: “Be the power of Your Kingdom...”80.

Then the deacon: “Wisdom.” Chorus: “Bless.” Priest: “Blessed be he...” Chorus: “Amen. Establish, O God...” Priest: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.” Choir: “Most honorable Cherub...” Priest: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God...” Chorus: “Glory, even now,” “Lord, have mercy” (three times), “Bless.” The dismissal (short holiday) is pronounced in the open royal doors81: “Who was born in the den and reclined in the manger, for our salvation, Christ, our True God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, for He is Good and Lover of Mankind.”

After the dismissal of Great Vespers, a burning lamp is placed in the middle of the church, and near it the clergy who emerge from the altar sing the troparion of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, tone 4: “Thy Nativity, O Christ our God...”, “Glory, and now” - kontakion of the holiday, tone 3rd: “Today a virgin gives birth to the Most Existent...”. (Greatness is not sung.) Then the long-term ones are sung: “Great Master...”82.

Note. “And we enter into the meal and eat completely: we do not eat fish, but with wood oil, and boiled with juice, or kutia with honey: we also drink wine for the glory of God: in poor countries we drink ́vo; Reading is also suggested - the teaching of Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, which begins: As we hope in Jesus Christ..."(Typikon, December 25, 2nd “zri”).

63 See: Menaion-December. M., 2002. Part 2. pp. 50–73.

64 The verses of Octoechos are not sung.

65 The stichera on the Octoechos poem are not sung.

66 The Sedalny Oktoechos are not sung.

67 Psalm 118 (17th kathisma) is sung in the 5th tone, regardless of the weekly tone, and immediately after it the troparia “The Council of Angels...”. In parish practice, the polyeleos are usually sung instead of the Immaculates at Sunday all-night vigils.

68 In those churches where the prescription to combine the canon with the singing of biblical prophetic songs remains difficult to fulfill, it is permissible to use the chorus for the Sunday troparions of the canon of the fathers: “Glory, Lord, to your holy Resurrection.”

69 The Sunday Exapostilary of the Octoechos is not sung.

70 Stichera of praise are sung with the corresponding verses of psalms of praise (from the mark “to 6”), additional verses (“Blessed art thou, O Lord God our father...”, “For thou art righteous in regard to all...”), indicated in the Menaion to the stichera of the fathers, are omitted . The verses of Octoechos are not sung.

72 The blessed Octoechos are not sung.

73 There is an opinion that the articles of the Typikon under December 25 have a Russian edition, therefore the calculation of time is presented according to modern accounts. See: The Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. St. Petersburg, 1993. P. 44.

74 For the troparions and kontakion at the 9th hour, see above.

75 According to the Charter, “Come, let us worship...” and the opening (103rd) psalm is read by the primate, according to established practice - by the reader.

77 In the Apostle: “...the footstool of Thy feet.”

78 "B" Moscow Church Gazette, 1900, No. 50, in article On the reading of the Apostle and the Gospel at Vespers on the eve of the Nativity of Christ on Saturday and Sunday(for this article, see “Liturgical Instructions” for 2001, pp. 632–641. – Comp.) it has been noticed and thoroughly proven that there is an error in our Charter and that it must be corrected in this way: on the eve of the Nativity of Christ Always should be read from the Epistle to the Hebrews, beginning 303 and the Gospel of Luke, beginning 5, and if the evening service occurs on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then read at the Liturgy of Basil the Great, merging into one composition with the evening service; if the evening service takes place on Saturday or Sunday, then at Great Vespers, celebrated separately from the Liturgy of Chrysostom. Consequently, the holiday readings (Heb. 303 and Luke 5) should never and under no circumstances be canceled and replaced by others.

On the Saturday before the Nativity of Christ, if it is also the Saturday before the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, before the Nativity of Christ, that is, if it happens between December 18 and 23, Gal. 205 and Lk. 72. If this Saturday follows the Week before the Nativity of Christ, that is, if it happens on December 24, then Gal. 207 and Matt. 53; at Vespers, as stated above, Heb. 303 and Lk. 5; as for Gal. 205 and Lk. 72, then in this case they are read on the Saturday preceding the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, before the Nativity of Christ" ( Rozanov V. Liturgical Charter of the Orthodox Church. pp. 379–380).

79 At the same time, the liturgical dialogue between the deacon and the priest before the reading of the Gospel (“Bless, master, the evangelist...”, “God, through the prayers of the glorious saint...”) is not pronounced. After the alleluia - “Wisdom, forgive me, let us hear the Holy Gospel...”, and then according to custom.

80 Wed: Rozanov V. Liturgical Charter of the Orthodox Church. P. 84.

81 The royal doors are opened to pronounce the dismissal.

The strictest day of the Nativity Fast is Christmas Eve, January 6th. Until the appearance of the first star (a reminder of the Star of Bethlehem, which the Magi once saw), it is necessary to abstain from meat food, entertainment and other pleasures; special attention should be paid to righteous thoughts and preparation for service in the temple. Only after returning from the liturgy can you sit down to the festive table, but it is advisable to do without excesses - Christmas is not celebrated to eat and drink.

- This year we will have interesting feature. Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, so Vespers, which is usually performed on this day in the morning and is combined with the liturgy, will also be performed in the morning, but after the liturgy, says Vsevolod Chaplin. – On Christmas Day itself, the Liturgy of Basil the Great will be celebrated. It is more spacious, longer in time, served twice in the morning and at night. This is the main service, it is very important to come to it, confess, and partake of the holy mysteries.

– What to do if, for example, in a family one has observed fasting and is going to church service, but the other does not share the faith? Is it worth persuading them to go to church together?

We need to treat each other without malice, but also without allowing indifference to the most important thing - the issue of faith. You can drink a glass or two on New Year’s Day, and you can also eat lean food. And if someone really loves a believing family member, they could go to church with him. Just, as they say, for company.

– How should a person who has come but does not know what to do during the service behave in church?

It's better to just watch what others are doing and either do the same or just not attract attention to yourself. You should behave respectfully. We must remember that order and cleanliness in the temple are often maintained by elderly people, who these days are very overworked and can simply collapse from fatigue.

- Well, what if you don’t know prayers?

If you want to know what exactly happens at a service, buy a brochure. Nowadays, almost any worship service, at least in general outline, as explained in popular literature, there are often leaflets in the temple that can be taken for free. It tells about the meaning of the holiday. So there is enough information. If you really want to study carefully spiritual meaning Christmas holiday - download sermons from the Internet! There is detailed description worship services.

In general, for an inquisitive mind and for someone who believes, understanding what is happening in the temple is, as they say, a matter of two clicks.

– Many people associate Christmas Eve and Christmastide with fortune telling. How acceptable is this according to the church?

Fortune telling is self-deception. If a person knew the future, his life would lose meaning. He would stop doing good, would stop thinking about meeting God and moving into eternity. He would have believed that there was still a lot of time ahead, and this meeting could be planned, but in the meantime, you can sin as much as you want. It is no coincidence that the Lord hid our future from us, and especially the time of our death. Most predictions are from a crafty deceiver, from a demon.

Forefest of Christmas

January 2the beginning of the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ, which lasts until January 6.
In theselast days of fasting - with2 to 6In January, the fast is intensified: fish is prohibited on all days, food with oil is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday.

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

Christmas Eve
Christmas Carols

January 6 – Forever Nativity of Christ , or Christmas Eve, - last dayNativity Fast , eve Nativity of Christ.

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 following Vespers, a candle is brought into the center of the church and the priests sing a troparion before itChristmas.

On the very same day Christmas Eve fasting is no longer as strict as in the previous days of the strictest week Nativity Fast.

The service of Vespers is connected with the Liturgy and is served in the morning, which is whyWe fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the church and before the candle the troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung.

Many on this daytake communion. It would be good if those who cannot attend church services and who work honor this day with a stricter 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 receive communion at the night Liturgy, according to church tradition, eat food at last time no less than six hours before the time of Communion, or from approximately 6 p.m. And here the point is not in a specific number of hours, that you need to fast for 6 or 8 hours and not a minute less, but in the fact that a certain limit is established, a measure of abstinence,helping us to keep it in moderation.

Sick people, of course, must fast to the extent that this is consistent with taking medications and with doctor’s orders. It's about It’s not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. The disease is already hard post and feat . And here a person should try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength.

As a rule, believers try to meet Christmas at the night holiday liturgy. But in many churches there is also an all-night vigil and Liturgy in usual time- 5 pm and in the morning.

To attend a night service or a morning service - you need to watch it within your strength. Celebrating a holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and emotional. T ceremonial night services contribute to a deeper prayerful experience and perception of the Holiday.

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

In the Orthodox Church, in the evening hours are celebrated, calledRoyal, because for a long time kings were present at this service, worshiping the newbornTo the King of Kings.

Royal watchbegin and take place with the open royal doors, in the middle of the temple, in front of the Gospel, placed on a lectern, as if as a sign that nowSaviorno longer lurks, as it once did in the darkness of the den, but shines for all nations. Before the Gospel, incense is burned in remembrance of the incense and myrrh brought by the Magi to the newborn Christ.

The day itself Nativity of Christ in the flesh, as the most important and solemn, in the liturgical books of the Orthodox Churchcalled Easter, a three-day holiday.

On this day, according to the voice of the Church,“All kinds of joy are filled. The angels rejoice in heaven, and men rejoice: all creation plays for the sake of the Savior of the Lord born in Bethlehem: as all flattery of idols ends and Christ reigns forever.”

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

Kutya was cooked from wheat, peas, rice, and peeled barley. Seasoned with honey, poppy seed, hemp, sunflower or other vegetable oil. Grain was a symbol of resurrection life, and honey or sweet seasoning meant the sweetness of the blessings of a future blessed life.

The order of meals was regulated by strict rules: first, appetizers (herring, fish, salads) were served, then red (slightly warmed) borscht, mushroom or fish soup. To the borscht, mushroom soup Usha or pies with mushrooms were served, and among the 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, without meat base, without milk and sour cream. Didn't servedishes so that the hostess is always at the table.

Traditional ritual and ceremonial dishes
KUTIA

KUTIA. Recipes Kutya. Preparation Kutya. TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN...

preparing a big family dinner. The whole family sets the table.

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

and on the straw there is a snow-white tablecloth.

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

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

They will also greatly decorate your table.

Kutya is placed in the center.

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

This set also included drinks, which depended purely on the taste and capabilities of the owner.

Culinary recipes for Christmas, dishes, menu. Kulinar.ru - more than 95...

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

Christmas Holidays

The holidays began with Christmas- holidays that lasted until Epiphany (January 19).All this time, Christmas rituals, fortune telling, entertainment, and mummers walking through the courtyards and streets took place. On Christmas Day, early in the morning, before dawn, the ritual of seeding the huts was carried out. The shepherd walked with a bag of oats and, entering the house, threw a handful of grain in all directions with the sentence: “For the living, for the fertile, and for health.”

Girls didn't tell fortunes at Christmas. There was a sign: if a stranger’s woman enters the house first, the women in that family will be ill all day. To avoid any troubles, the peasants observed fairly strict prohibitions. On Christmas Day it was forbidden to do household chores. It was impossible to sew, otherwise someone in the family would go blind. You can’t weave bast shoes, otherwise you’ll end up crooked. But you cannot hunt in the forest until Epiphany, because then a misfortune will happen to the hunter.

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

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

Second day of Christmas, which is called the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary,dedicated to the glorification of the Mother of Christ, Holy Virgin Maria. 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 in Bethlehem to be beaten, hoping to destroy the Savior as well. But an angel appeared to Joseph and ordered him to hide in Egypt. After the death of Herod, Joseph and his Family returned and settled in Nazareth.

From that day on, girls' fortune-telling and mummers' performances continued until Epiphany. Costumers in fur coats turned inside out, wearing masks or with faces stained with soot walked from house to house, singing songs and acting out various performances and scenes for an appropriate reward. Sometimes they took a horse or a bull with them.

And the girls were guessing. They guessed differently every day, and whoever knew what methods guessed that way.

Third day of Christmas called Stepan's day.According to custom, on Stepanov’s day they cut stakes, placed them in the corners of the yard, sticking them into the snow so that evil spirits scare away. Stepan is seasoned in danger, therefore he is not afraid of any evil spirits and on this day he uses stakes to fence himself off from them. Stepan is associated with the image of a peasant farmer, and therefore a boy born on this day will be a kind, caring, zealous and strict owner. Even on this day, the whole village chose a shepherd, concluded an agreement with him, and arranged a treat.