Today, January 6, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, or Christmas Eve. This is the last day of the Nativity Fast and the eve of the Nativity of Christ.

The name Christmas Eve comes from the word “sochivo” (wheat grains soaked in the juice from the seeds). It was customary to treat yourself to Sochivo on Christmas Eve after the appearance of the first star. The tradition of fasting “until the first star” is associated with the legend about the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ. On Christmas Eve, at the end of the liturgy and at the evening service, a candle is brought into the center of the church, and the priests sing a troparion to the Nativity of Christ before it.

What is the church service like on this day?

The Christmas all-night vigil (evening church service) lasts approximately three hours. Then the liturgy is served, and after the service the celebration of Christmas begins. People greet each other with "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays."

If Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the festive all-night vigil is served on Friday. On Christmas Eve itself, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, and on Christmas Day, in this case, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated.

How do you fast on Christmas Eve?

According to the church charter, the Typikon, fasting is prescribed until the end of Vespers. Those who receive communion at the night liturgy, according to church tradition, must abstain from eating for at least six hours before communion.

On Christmas Eve, it is customary to abstain from food until the first star appears. The custom of fasting “until the first star” is associated with the legend about the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star notified the wise men about the birth of the king of the Jews. The star marked the Nativity of Jesus; it is usually called the “star of the Nativity” and Bethlehem - after the place of His birth.

What traditions exist for celebrating Christmas Eve?

According to Russian traditions, on Christmas Eve the whole family fasted, and only with the first star did everyone sit down at the table, on which, among other Lenten dishes, there must be kutia, as well as compote (uzvar) or jelly; In wealthy families, the table was also decorated with figured marmalade.

In some regions, there is a tradition of baking animal figurines for the holiday. In the evening, closer to midnight, caroling began with songs and carols.

What is a nativity scene?

The Nativity scene (the original meaning is a cave, a hidden place) is a representation of the scene of the Nativity of Christ through the means of various arts (sculpture, theater, etc.).

IN Russian Empire, especially in Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, the “vertep theater” was widespread - a folk puppet theater presenting Christmas scenes, sometimes also with the participation of human actors.

A nativity scene in such a theater was a special box in which a puppet show was shown. Inside the box there was usually a two-tiered scene: in the upper part they showed the worship of the newborn baby Jesus, in the lower part there were episodes with Herod, after whose death the everyday part of the performance followed.

The main decoration of any nativity scene (large or small, with sculptures or actors) is a manger with the baby Jesus, and the main characters are righteous Joseph with a long beard, the Holy Virgin Mary and King Herod. In addition, the nativity scene may contain wise men, angels, shepherds with sheep and various animals (for example, an ox and a donkey, which, according to legend, warmed Jesus with their breath).

Based on materials from the publication "Arguments and Facts". Photo from the site www.aif.ru.

Christmas Eve (Nativity Eve) is the last day of the Nativity Fast, the eve of the Nativity of Christ. The date of the holiday is January 6.

Christmas Eve - the holiday before Christmas

January 6 – Forever, or, – last day, 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. On the morning of 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 it. Christmas. Services and Christmas Eve post have a number of features, so these days our website receives a lot of questions about how to properly conduct Christmas Eve. We asked Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko to answer these questions.

How to fast on Christmas Eve?

– Father Alexander, the most frequently asked question by our readers is how to fast on Christmas Eve, until what time should you abstain from eating food? What does “fasting until the first star” mean? Is the measure of abstinence the same for those who work and those who do not work on this day? How long does the fast last before communion?

Indeed, the Typicon prescribes fasting until the end of Vespers. However, the service of Vespers is connected to the Liturgy and is served in the morning, which is why we fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the church and the troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung before the candle.

It is obvious that the people in the church are fasting; many take communion on this day. 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 for the last time no less than six hours before the time of Communion, or from about 6 pm. 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 that helps us keep the measure.

– Father, many questions come from sick people who cannot fast, asking what to do?

Sick people, of course, must fast to the extent that this is consistent with taking medications and with doctor’s orders. The point is not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. Illness is already... And here a person should try to determine the measure of fasting according to his own strength. Any thing can be taken to the point of absurdity. For example, imagine that a priest who comes to give communion to a dying person will ask when the person last ate?!

– As a rule, believers try to meet at the night festive liturgy. But in many churches there is also an all-night vigil and Liturgy at the usual time - 5 pm and in the morning. In this regard, they often ask whether it is not a sin for a young man, not infirm, without children, to go to service not at night, but in the morning?

Attending a night service or a morning service is something you should be able to watch. Celebrating a holiday at night is, of course, a special joy: both spiritual and emotional. There are very few such services a year; in most parish churches, night liturgies are served only on Christmas and - especially solemn services are traditionally performed at night. But for example, on Mount Athos Sunday all-night vigils are celebrated at night. And still there are not many such services, just over 60 per year. The Church establishes this, taking into account human capabilities: the number of night vigils per year is limited.

Solemn night services contribute to a deeper prayer experience and perception of the Holiday.

– The festive Liturgy has ended, the festive feast begins. And here we are asked two questions. First, is it possible to celebrate Christmas first in the parish, and not immediately organize a family celebration?

– The second question is related to the fact that Christmas Liturgy many take communion. And people feel some embarrassment: you have just received communion, in the books of the holy fathers it is written that in order to retain grace you need to try to protect yourself from conversations, especially laughter, and try to spend the time after communion in prayer. And then there’s a festive feast, even if it’s with brothers and sisters in Christ...People are afraid of losing their prayerful mood..

The rules that the desert fathers proposed to monastics cannot be fully transferred to worldly life, much less they cannot be transferred to major holidays. We are talking about ascetics - ascetics, especially richly endowed with the grace-filled gifts of God. For them, the external part is secondary. Of course, spiritual life comes first for the laity, too, but we cannot draw the same clear line between the spiritual and the earthly here.

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.

Of course, this issue needs to be considered individually. Of course, if a person feels that behind the noisy celebration he is losing his gracious mood, then perhaps he should sit down at the table for a while and leave earlier, maintaining spiritual joy.

– Father Alexander, shouldn’t we here differentiate between two states within ourselves – when we are really afraid of spilling the feeling we received in church, and when by refusing to participate in the holiday we can upset our neighbors, and often refuse to share joy with an unpeaceful heart. The relatives came to terms with the fact that their zealous family member flatly refused to meet with them. New Year, it would seem that the fast is over, the person should “return” to his family, share the joy of the holiday together, but he again slams the door and says “What a “sit with us”, I have a great holiday, such grace, I will lose all the prayerful mood with you !!”

In this case, a person will hardly harm his prayerful state, since such behavior indicates that the person does not abide in it. The state of contemplation and prayer is always associated with a surge of spiritual joy, grace, which the Lord generously pours out on his slaves. And such an attitude towards one’s neighbors is more like hypocrisy and pharisaism.

– Is it necessary to attend the evening service on the day of the holiday itself - the evening of the Christmas holiday?

– Everyone must decide for themselves. After the night service you need to recuperate. Not everyone, due to age, health and spiritual level, is able to go to church and take part in the service. But we must remember that the Lord rewards for every effort that a person makes for His sake.

The evening service on this day is short, especially spiritual, solemn and joyful; the Great Prokeimenon is proclaimed at it, so, of course, it’s good if you manage to attend it.

Congratulations to all readers of our site on the upcoming holiday Christmas Nativity!

Questions prepared by Lidia Dobrova and Anna Danilova

15.12.2014

Fasting before Christmas is a time intended for quiet reflection and prayer, in preparation for one of the most joyful holidays in the Christian religion.

However, some, carefully observing the ban on eating food before the first star appears in the sky, cannot answer the question of why it is customary to do this. Not only believers, but also history buffs, as well as everyone interested in traditions and customs, will be interested to know how this strict Christian rule came about.

To clarify the circumstances of its occurrence, one will have to turn to biblical legends. And they tell the story that Joseph and Mary, shortly before their expected due date, went to Bethlehem. The reason was the population census undertaken by the authorities. Since Joseph was from Bethlehem, he went there, and his wife went with him.

Unable to find shelter in Bethlehem, the couple wandered for a long time in search of a place where they could rest. All this time they did not eat anything. Finally they discovered a cave where they took refuge. There, after some time, Christ was born. The birth of the Divine Child was announced by the Christmas star. This is the legend...

Since then, Christians, in memory of the suffering of the mother of Christ, have observed fasting strictly until the appearance of the first star. In this way, they can become more deeply imbued with the experiences and feelings that foreshadow the birth of Jesus. A certain mystical community with Mary and her Son arises, and the connection between those distant events and modernity is more fully felt.

Christian priests recommend fasting for the purpose of physical and spiritual cleansing and getting rid of sinful thoughts. The appearance of a star in the sky symbolizes the moment of the birth of Jesus. Now you can rejoice and eat food: soon after the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, the wise men came to the cave to Mary and Joseph, bringing gifts with them.

True, the first food should still be lean: kutia and uzvar. The time to feast will come a little later. Nowadays, not only believers, but also many people who adhere to atheist beliefs, try to observe the ancient custom. Firstly, it is respect for one’s history and people’s memory, and secondly, strict fasting really cleanses the body and clears the head.

As with many old customs, there is deep wisdom in this. True, for those who have health problems, it is better to abstain from fasting, but others can try to endure it - perhaps this will change not only many thoughts, but also some life goals.

Nika Kravchuk

Christmas Eve: is it necessary not to eat until the first star and cook 12 dishes?

How to spend Christmas Eve? Is it possible to eat food before the first star appears in the sky? What does the tradition of preparing 12 Lenten dishes symbolize and does it justify itself? Why is it so important to prioritize: worship services first, and then cleaning and cooking? Read about all this below.

What does it mean not to eat “until the first star”?

Christmas Eve is the evening before the Nativity of Christ. The word “Christmas Eve” itself comes from the name of the dish that was traditionally eaten that evening - sochiva. Sochivo was prepared from soaked wheat grains with the addition of honey, nuts and dried fruits. This dish is also called kutya.

January 6th is a special day for every Orthodox Christian, last chance get ready for Christmas. Believers rush to churches and observe strict fasting: the monastery charter presupposes dry eating with abstinence from boiled food and butter.

People say that on this day you are not supposed to eat food at all until the first star rises in the sky. What does it mean? Are there such instructions in liturgical books? To answer these questions, you need to look at the features of services on Christmas Eve.

On the morning of January 6, the Liturgy is served in Orthodox churches, followed by the evening liturgy. Then a candle is brought to the center of the church, in front of which the priests sing a troparion for the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The candle burning in the middle of the temple symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the Infant God.

According to the Typikon, believers do not eat food until the end of Vespers - in fact, until they light the star candle and sing the Christmas troparion. It was in this understanding that the expression about not tasting food “until the first star” arose, and in fact - until lunch.

But, as experience shows, there are significantly fewer people who come to church on Christmas Eve than those who take the expression literally. Thus, a tradition arose among the people of not sitting down to the table until the “first star” rose in the sky, reminiscent of an amazing sign for the wise men from the East.

So what should you do: eat food after lunch or wait until the evening? Bishop Jonah Cherepanovsky, rector of the Ionian Monastery in Kyiv, advises his flock: if you were at a service, you can calmly come home and sit down to a meal. If you did not carry out the feat of prayer during divine services and exchanged church services for preparing 12 dishes and a festive table for Christmas, then at least carry out the feat of fasting. There is only one “but”: strict regulations do not apply to patients, children, elderly people and pregnant women.

Why are 12 dishes prepared?

Folk traditions require preparing 12 Lenten dishes on Christmas Eve. There is even a “pious” explanation: according to the number of apostles. This tradition is especially popular in Ukraine: here they always cook kutya, prepare dumplings, cabbage rolls with mushrooms, borscht and other dishes.

In the evening, the whole family sits down at the festive table and has dinner together. On the one hand, this is a good tradition - it unites relatives, gives a festive atmosphere, and reminds them of the upcoming holiday. But on the other hand, it contradicts the regulations on the severity of fasting. In what sense if there is not a single savory dish on the table? Let's try to explain.

On the last day before Christmas, fasting is the strictest.

The last seven days of the Nativity Fast are the strictest. At this time, even on weekends, fishing is prohibited. If you fast according to the rules, then on Christmas Eve you cannot eat fish, butter, or even thermally processed food - it’s not for nothing that our ancestors ate soaked wheat, not boiled wheat with honey and dried fruits.

Another important rule of fasting is to observe moderation so that food does not distract a person from prayer. But what happens if you sit down at the table, and in front of you are 12 lean, but no less tasty and hearty dishes? It's unlikely to work if the measure is followed. Therefore, the believer will go to the night Liturgy not so much in a prayerful mood as with an overloaded stomach.

What to do here: abandon the age-old traditions that the whole family loves so much, or still cook 12 dishes? It's hard to give a definite answer. It is better to choose the lesser of all evils in your case.

What is more important for a believer: a festive table or participation in divine services and communion at the night Liturgy? Do you really want to exchange Christ for everyday chores? Think about this and don’t be upset if you don’t have time to prepare some dishes from the planned menu. Compared to the joy of Christmas, these are only small things.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

Read also on our website:

How is the betrothal ceremony different from the wedding? Why were the two ranks separated from each other before? Is there a difference between betrothal and engagement? What is the symbolism of wedding rings and is it necessary for men’s to be silver and women’s to be gold? You will find out the answers to these questions in our article.

Nativity- a special holiday. And the service on this day is special. Or rather, at night... After all, in many of our churches the Liturgy (and sometimes Great Compline and Matins) is served precisely at night. How not to be afraid of the difficulties of a real “all-night vigil” and to feel the joy of the holiday at a long Christmas service - the abbot of the Kyiv Trinity St. John’s Monastery, Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov) of Obukhov, spoke about this for the Nachalo magazine in an interview with Yulia Kominko.

Why is the Liturgy celebrated at night? How to calculate your strength and properly prepare for standing at night? Is it worth taking children? Is it possible to pray from books with translations and explanations of the service? Where does the expression “ don't eat until the first star", and to whom does this regulation not apply? How many hours before Communion can you eat? If all the days before Christmas are fasting, then when should you devote time to preparing dishes for the festive table? Read the answers to these and many other questions in this article.

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

And the first question in connectionWithSo why do we need such long services?

The history of long services dates back to apostolic times. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Rejoice always, incessantly pray, give thanks in everything.” The book of Acts of the Apostles says that all the believers were together, day after day they gathered in the temple and praised God ( Acts 2.44). From here, in particular, we learn that long services were commonplace in the life of the first Christians.

The Christian community of apostolic times lived in readiness for martyrdom for Christ, in anticipation of His imminent second coming. The apostles lived in accordance with this expectation and behaved accordingly - burning with faith. And this fiery faith, love for Christ was expressed in very long prayers.

In fact, they prayed all night long. After all, we know that the early Christian communities were persecuted by the then pagan authorities and were forced to pray at night in order to go about their normal affairs during the day without attracting attention to themselves.

In memory of this, the Church has always maintained the tradition of long, including night services. By the way, once upon a time services in monastery and parish churches were performed according to the same rite - there was virtually no difference between the parish and monastic typikon (except that special additional teachings were inserted into the monastery service, which are now omitted almost everywhere in monasteries).

During the atheistic twentieth century, the traditions of long services in countries in the post-Soviet space were practically lost. And seeing the example of Athos, we are perplexed: why serve for so long a service that can be completed three times faster?

Regarding the Svyatogorsk tradition, I would like to note that, firstly, such long services are not performed constantly, but on special holidays. And secondly, this is one of the wonderful opportunities for us to bring our “fruit of the lips” to God.

After all, which of us can say that he has such virtues that he is ready to lay them before the Throne of God right now? He who is critical of himself and confesses consciously knows that his deeds, strictly speaking, are deplorable, and he cannot bring anything to the feet of Christ. And at least each of us is fully capable of bringing “the fruit of the lips” glorifying the name of the Lord. At least somehow we can praise the Lord.

And these long services, especially on holidays, are precisely dedicated to serving our Lord in some way.

If we talk about the Christmas service, then this, if you like, is one of those gifts that we can bring to the manger of the born Savior. Yes, the most important gift to God is the fulfillment of His commandments of love for Him and love for one’s neighbor. But still, a variety of gifts are prepared for a birthday, and one of these can be a long prayer at a service.

The question, probably, is also how to make this gift correctly, so that it is pleasing to God and useful for us...

Do you feel tired during long night services?

What you have to struggle with at such services is sleep.

Not long ago I prayed on Mount Athos in the Dokhiar monastery during a service on the Feast of the Archangels. The service with short breaks lasts 21 hours, or 18 hours of pure time: it begins at 16.00 the day before, in the evening there is a 1-hour break, and then continues all night until 5 am. Then 2 hours for rest, and by 7 am the Liturgy begins, which ends at 1 pm.

Last year, on the patronal feast day in Dochiara, Vespers and Matins were more or less completed for me, and during the Liturgy, sleep overcame me with terrible force. As soon as I closed my eyes, I immediately fell asleep standing up, and so soundly that I even began to dream. I think many people are familiar with this state of extreme need for rest... But after the Cherubim, the Lord gave strength, and then the service went normally.

This year, thank God, it was easier.

What was especially impressive this time was that I didn’t feel any physical fatigue at all, by the grace of God. If I didn’t want to sleep, I could have been at this service for 24 hours. Why? Because all those praying were inspired by a common impulse towards the Lord - both monks and lay pilgrims.

And this is the main feeling that you experience at such services: we have come to glorify God and His Archangels, we are determined to pray and praise the Lord for a long time. We are not in a hurry and therefore we will not rush.

This general state of those present in the church was very clearly visible during the entire service. Everything was very leisurely, everything was very carefully, very thoroughly, very solemnly and, most importantly, very prayerfully. That is, people knew what they came for.

Why is such unanimity in prayer not felt during parish services? Because of those present in the church, there are very few who really understand why he is, in fact, in the church. Such people who would ponder the words of liturgical texts and seriously understand the course of the service are, unfortunately, a minority. And the bulk are those who came either because of tradition, or because it is so supposed, or they want to celebrate the holiday in church, but do not yet know the words of the psalm: sing to God wisely. And these people, as soon as the service began, are already shifting from foot to foot, thinking that it would be over soon, why they are singing something incomprehensible, and what will happen next, and so on. That is, the person is completely unaware of the course of the service and does not understand the meaning of the actions being performed.

And those who come to Athos have an idea of ​​what awaits them there. And at such long services, they actually pray very enthusiastically. So, according to tradition, during the holiday, the brethren of the monastery sing on the left choir, and guests sing on the right. Usually these are monks from other monasteries and laymen who know Byzantine chants. And you should have seen how enthusiastically they sang! So sublime and solemn that... if you see it once, then all questions about the need or unnecessaryness of long services will disappear. It is such a joy to glorify God!

In ordinary worldly life, if people love each other, then they want to be close to each other for as long as possible: they cannot stop talking or communicate. And just like that, when a person is inspired by the love of God, even 21 hours of prayer is not enough for him. He wants and craves communication with God all 24 hours...

- So, How to prepare yourself for long service and spend time in the temple with dignity?

1. If possible, attend all statutory holiday services.

I want to emphasize that you must be present at the festive all-night vigil. During this service, in fact, Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, is glorified. Liturgy is a worship service that remains virtually unchanged due to holidays. The main liturgical texts, the main chants, which explain the event remembered on this day and set us up on how to properly celebrate the holiday, are sung and read in the church precisely during Vespers and Matins.

It should also be said that the Christmas service begins a day earlier - on Christmas Eve. On the morning of January 6, Christmas Vespers are celebrated in churches. It sounds strange: vespers in the morning, but this is a necessary deviation from the rules of the Church. Previously, Vespers began in the afternoon and continued with the Liturgy of Basil the Great, at which people received communion. The whole day of January 6 before this service there was a particularly strict fast; people did not eat food at all, preparing to take communion. After lunch, Vespers began, and communion was received at dusk. And soon after this came the solemn Christmas Matins, which began to be served on the night of January 7th.

But now, since we have become more frail and weak, solemn Vespers is celebrated on the 6th in the morning and ends with the Liturgy of Basil the Great.

Therefore, those who want to celebrate the Nativity of Christ correctly, according to the charter, following the example of our ancestors - ancient Christians, saints, should be, if work allows, on the eve of Christmas, January 6, at the morning service. On Christmas itself, you should come to Great Compline and Matins and, naturally, to the Divine Liturgy.

2. When preparing to go to the night Liturgy, worry in advance about not wanting to sleep so much.

In the Athonite monasteries, in particular in Dokhiar, the abbot of the Dokhiar monastery, Archimandrite Gregory, always says that it is better to close your eyes for a while in the temple, if you are completely sleepy, than to retire to your cell to rest, thus leaving the divine service.

You know that in the churches on the Holy Mountain there are special wooden chairs with armrests - stasidia, on which you can sit or stand, reclining the seat and leaning on special arms. It must also be said that on Mount Athos, in all monasteries, the full brethren are necessarily present at all daily services. Absence from service is a fairly serious deviation from the rules. Therefore, you can leave the temple during the service only as a last resort.

In our realities, you can’t sleep in a church, but there’s no need for that. On Mount Athos, all services begin at night - at 2, 3 or 4 o'clock. And in our churches services are not daily, liturgies at night are generally rare. Therefore, in order to go out for night prayer, you can prepare in completely ordinary everyday ways.

For example, be sure to sleep the night before the service. While the Eucharistic fast allows, drink coffee. Since the Lord has given us fruits that invigorate us, we need to use them.

But if sleep begins to overcome you during the night service, I think it would be better to go out and make several circles around the temple with the Jesus Prayer. This short walk will definitely refresh you and give you strength to continue to pay attention.

3. Fast correctly. “Until the first star” means not to go hungry, but to attend the service.

Where did the custom of not eating food on Christmas Eve, January 6, “until the first star” come from? As I already said, before Christmas Vespers began in the afternoon, it went into the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which ended when stars actually appeared in the sky. After the Liturgy, the rules permitted eating a meal. That is, “until the first star” meant, in fact, until the end of the Liturgy.

But over time, when the liturgical circle was isolated from the life of Christians, when people began to treat divine services rather superficially, this developed into some kind of custom completely divorced from practice and reality. People don’t go to the service or take communion on January 6, but at the same time they go hungry.

When people ask me how to fast on Christmas Eve, I usually say this: if you attended Christmas Vespers and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in the morning, then you are blessed to eat food, as required by the rules, after the end of the Liturgy. That is, during the day.

But if you decide to devote this day to cleaning the premises, preparing 12 dishes, and so on, then, please, eat after the “first star”. Since you didn’t carry out the feat of prayer, at least carry out the feat of fasting.

Regarding how to fast before Communion, if it is at a night service, then according to existing practice, liturgical fasting (that is, complete abstinence from food and water) in this case is 6 hours. But this is not directly formulated anywhere, and there are no clear instructions in the charter how many hours before communion you cannot eat.

On an ordinary Sunday, when a person is preparing for Communion, it is customary not to eat food after midnight. But if you are going to receive communion at the night Christmas service, then it would be correct not to eat food somewhere after 21.00.

In any case, it is better to discuss this issue with your confessor.

4. Find out and agree on the date and time of confession in advance. So as not to spend the entire festive service in line.

The issue of confession at the Christmas service is purely individual, because each church has its own customs and traditions. It is easy to talk about confession in monasteries or those churches where there are a large number of serving priests. But if there is only one priest serving in the church, and there are a majority of them, then it is best, of course, to agree with the priest in advance, when it will be convenient for him to confess you. It is better to confess on the eve of the Christmas service, so that during the service you think not about whether you will have time or not to confess, but about how to truly worthily meet the coming of Christ the Savior into the world.

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

I am often asked how to reconcile attendance at services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the tradition of the Christmas Eve feast, when 12 Lenten dishes are specially prepared. I’ll say right away that the “12 Strava” tradition is somewhat mysterious to me. Christmas Eve, like Epiphany Eve, is a fast day, and a day of strict fasting. According to the regulations, boiled food without oil and wine are allowed on this day. How you can cook 12 different lenten dishes without using oil is a mystery to me.

In my opinion, “12 Stravas” is a folk custom that has nothing in common either with the Gospel, or with the liturgical charter, or with the liturgical tradition Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, on the eve of Christmas, a large number of materials appear in the media in which attention is concentrated on some dubious pre-Christmas and post-Christmas traditions, eating certain dishes, fortune telling, festivities, caroling, and so on - all that husk that is often very distant from the true meaning of the great holiday of the coming of our Redeemer into the world.

I am always very hurt by the profanation of holidays, when their meaning and significance are reduced to certain rituals that have developed in one area or another. One hears that such things as traditions are needed for people who are not yet particularly churchgoers, in order to somehow interest them. But you know, in Christianity still better for people give immediately good quality food, not fast food. Still, it is better for a person to recognize Christianity immediately from the Gospel, from the traditional patristic Orthodox position, than from some “comics”, even if sanctified by folk customs.

In my opinion, many folk rituals, associated with this or that holiday, these are comics on the theme of Orthodoxy. They have practically nothing to do with the meaning of the holiday or the gospel event.

6. Don't turn Christmas into a food holiday. This day is, first of all, spiritual joy. And it is not good for your health to break your fast with a large feast.

Again, it's all about priorities. If it is a priority for someone to sit at a rich table, then the entire day before the holiday, including when the festive vespers are already being celebrated, the person is busy preparing various meats, Olivier salads and other sumptuous dishes.

If it is a priority for a person to meet the born Christ, then he, first of all, goes to worship, and in his free time prepares what he has time for.

In general, it is strange that it is considered obligatory on the day of the holiday to sit and consume a variety of abundant dishes. This is neither medically nor spiritually beneficial. It turns out that we fasted throughout Lent, missed Christmas Vespers and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great - and all this in order to simply sit down and eat our fill. This can be done at any other time...

I’ll tell you how the festive meal is prepared in our monastery. Usually, at the end of night services (Easter and Christmas), the brethren are offered a short break of fast. As a rule, this is cheese, cottage cheese, hot milk. That is, something that does not require much effort when preparing. And already in the afternoon a more festive meal is prepared.

7. Sing to God intelligently. Prepare for the service - read about it, find translations, texts of the psalms.

There is an expression: knowledge is power. And, indeed, knowledge gives strength not only morally, but also literally - physically. If a person has at one time taken the trouble to study Orthodox worship and understand its essence, if he knows what is currently happening in the church, then for him there is no question of standing for a long time or getting tired. He lives in the spirit of worship, knows what follows what. For him, the service is not divided into two parts, as it happens: “What is in the service now?” - “Well, they’re singing.” - "And now?" - “Well, they’re reading.” For most people, unfortunately, the service is divided into two parts: when they sing and when they read.

Knowledge of the service makes it clear that at a certain moment in the service you can sit down and listen to what is being sung and read. The liturgical regulations in some cases allow, and in some even require, sitting. This is, in particular, the time of reading psalms, hours, kathismas, stichera on “Lord, I have cried.” That is, there are many moments during the service when you can sit. And, as one saint put it, it is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing.

Many believers act very practically by taking lightweight folding benches with them. Indeed, in order not to rush to the benches at the right time to take seats, or not to “occupy” the seats by standing next to them throughout the service, it would be better to take a special bench with you and sit down on it at the right moment.

There is no need to be embarrassed about sitting during the service. The Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath. Still, at some moments it is better to sit down, especially if your legs hurt, and sit and listen attentively to the service, rather than suffer, suffer and look at the clock to see when all this will end.

In addition to taking care of your feet, take care of food for your mind in advance. You can buy special books or find and print materials about the holiday service on the Internet - interpretation and texts with translations.

I definitely recommend also finding the Psalter translated into yours native language. The reading of the psalms is an integral part of any Orthodox service, and the psalms are very beautiful both melodically and stylistically. In church they are read in Church Slavonic, but even for a church-going person it is difficult to perceive all their beauty by ear. Therefore, in order to understand what is being sung at the moment, you can find out in advance, before the service, which psalms will be read during this service. This really needs to be done in order to “sing to God intelligently” in order to feel all the beauty of psalmody.

Many people believe that you cannot follow the Liturgy in church from a book - you need to pray together with everyone. But one does not exclude the other: following a book and praying, in my opinion, are one and the same thing. Therefore, do not be embarrassed to take literature with you to the service. You can take a blessing from the priest for this in advance in order to cut off unnecessary questions and comments.

8. On holidays, churches are crowded. Have pity on your neighbor - light candles or venerate the icon another time.

Many people, when they come to church, believe that lighting a candle is the duty of every Christian, a sacrifice to God that must be made. But since the Christmas service is much more crowded than a regular service, some difficulty arises with the placement of candles, including because the candlesticks are overcrowded.

The tradition of bringing candles to the temple has ancient roots. Previously, as we know, Christians took everything they needed for the Liturgy from home with them: bread, wine, candles for lighting the church. And this, indeed, was their feasible sacrifice.

Now the situation has changed and setting candles has lost its original meaning. For us, this is more a reminder of the first centuries of Christianity.

Candle- this is our visible sacrifice to God. It has a symbolic meaning: before God, we must, like this candle, burn with an even, bright, smokeless flame.

This is also our sacrifice for the temple, because we know from the Old Testament that people in ancient times were required to tithe for the maintenance of the Temple and the priests serving at it. And in the New Testament Church this tradition was continued. We know the words of the apostle that those who serve the altar are fed from the altar. And the money that we leave when purchasing a candle is our sacrifice.

But in such cases, when churches are overcrowded, when whole torches of candles are burning on candlesticks, and they are being passed around and passed on, perhaps it would be more correct to put the amount that you wanted to spend on candles in a donation box than to embarrass your brothers by manipulating candles and sisters praying nearby.

9. When bringing children to the night service, be sure to ask them if they want to be in church now.

If you have small children or elderly relatives, then go with them to the Liturgy in the morning.

This practice has developed in our monastery. At night at 23:00 Great Compline begins, followed by Matins, which goes into the Liturgy. The liturgy ends around half past four in the morning - so the service lasts about five and a half hours. This is not so much - the usual all-night vigil every Saturday lasts 4 hours - from 16.00 to 20.00.

And our parishioners who have small children or elderly relatives pray at night at Compline and Matins, after Matins they go home, rest, sleep, and in the morning they come to Liturgy at 9.00 with small children or with those people who, for health reasons, could not attend the night service.

If you decide to bring your children to church at night, then, it seems to me, the main criterion for attending such long services should be the desire of the children themselves to come to this service. No violence or coercion is acceptable!

You know, there are things of status for a child, which are criteria for adulthood for him. Such, for example, as the first confession, the first visit to the night service. If he really asks that adults take him with them, then in this case this needs to be done.

It is clear that a child will not be able to stand attentively for the entire service. To do this, take some kind of soft bedding for him, so that when he gets tired, you can put him in a corner to sleep and wake him up before communion. But so that the child is not deprived of this joy of the night service.

It is very touching to see when children come to the service with their parents, they stand joyful, with sparkling eyes, because the night service for them is very significant and unusual. Then gradually they subside and turn sour. And now, as you pass through the side aisle, you see children lying side by side, immersed in the so-called “liturgical” sleep.

As long as the child can bear it, he can endure it. But you shouldn’t deprive him of such joy. However, I repeat once again, getting into this service should be the desire of the child himself. So that Christmas would be associated for him only with love, only with the joy of the born baby Christ.

When we come to church, we often worry that we didn’t have time to light the candles or didn’t venerate some icon. But that's not what you need to think about. We need to worry about whether we often unite with Christ.

Our duty during worship is to pray attentively and, as often as possible, to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The temple, first of all, is the place where we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is what we must do.

And, indeed, attending the Liturgy without communion is meaningless. Christ calls: “Take, eat,” and we turn away and leave. The Lord says: “Drink from the Cup of Life, all of you,” and we don’t want to.

But does the word “ All"is there another meaning? The Lord does not say: drink 10% from me - those who were preparing. He says: drink from me, everyone! If we come to the Liturgy and do not receive communion, then this is a liturgical violation.

What basic condition is necessary to experience the joy of a long all-night service?

It is necessary to realize WHAT happened on this day many years ago. That “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” That “no one has ever seen God; The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed.” That an event of such cosmic proportions occurred that had never happened before and will not happen after.

God, the Creator of the universe, the Creator of the infinite cosmos, the Creator of our earth, the Creator of man as a perfect creation, the Almighty, who commands the movement of the planets, the entire cosmic system, the existence of life on earth, Whom no one has ever seen, and only a few in the entire history of mankind have been privileged to behold part of the manifestation of His some kind of power... And this God became a man, a baby, completely defenseless, small, subject to everything, including the possibility of murder. And this is all for us, for each of us.

There is a wonderful expression: God became man so that we could become gods. If we understand this - that each of us has received the opportunity to become God by grace - then the meaning of this holiday will be revealed to us. If we are aware of the scale of the event we are celebrating, what happened on this day, then all the culinary delights, caroling, round dances, dressing up and fortune-telling will seem to us trifle and husk, completely not worth our attention. We will be absorbed in the contemplation of God, the Creator of the universe, lying in a manger next to the animals in a simple stable. This will exceed everything.

Download the text of the service in PDF format: “Eves of the Nativity of Christ: Royal Hours and Vespers with Liturgy”

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