How to celebrate Easter - traditions and customs. Signs for Easter

” a press conference was held on the topic: “Holy week. How to properly prepare and spend Easter. The conference was attended by: Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, rector of the house church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana of Moscow state university named after M.V. Lomonosov; Vladimir Romanovich Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Moscow Patriarchate. Nadezhda Ruslanovna Raeva, head of the nutrition supervision department of the TUFS department for supervision in the field of consumer protection and human well-being.

Archpriest Maxim Kozlov spoke about how Passion Week goes

- The week that has begun is called in the language of the Orthodox tradition the Great or Passion.

Holy Week Meaning slavic meaning of this adjective, it is most accurately translated into Russian as a passive week of suffering. This is passion not in the sense of the passion of passion, but passion in the sense of suffering, suffering, torment, what happened to our Lord Jesus Christ on the eve of Easter almost 2000 years ago.

In worship Orthodox Church each of these days is highlighted separately, but in general they can be divided into several cycles. For the first three days (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday), day after day, we go almost by the hours of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, with several key points highlighted. Yesterday it was about the drying up of the fig tree, the tree to which Christ approached, saw that it did not bear fruit, and predicted to him that it would wither. The interpreters of this place, the holy fathers, say that this was a very important action. Christ showed the people around him that He, as the Son of God, can not only do good, but can also punish. But at the same time, being a philanthropist, he chose not a person for punishment, which he could do, but a soulless creation - a tree.

The second moment, which is especially remembered these days, is a sinner woman who, having bought precious oil and sat down at the feet of the Savior, anointed his feet with this oil, preparing him for a future burial. We can say about such a curious moment associated with the place. We are sometimes reproached for gender chauvinism, which is not in Orthodoxy, the woman occupies a secondary place.

It must be said that for a number of the most important Holy Week liturgy, very important hymns were written by a woman, the nun Cassia, who lived in the 9th century from the birth of Christ. The main hymns of the Great Wednesday were just written by this nun.

Wednesday is the day of remembrance of the betrayal of Judas, the closest disciple of the Savior, who, nevertheless, bears in his heart the plan to commit this villainy. For all the significance of the first three days of Holy Week, the next three are undoubtedly the most important.

Maundy Thursday is the day when Christ, together with his disciples, both for them and for all who will bear the name of Christians in the future, establishes what will become the center of the life of the historical Christian church for two thousand years and will be such as we believe , throughout earthly history. The Sacrament, which is called the Eucharist in Greek, or in Russian translation - Thanksgiving. It is called differently - when, under the guise of bread and wine, a Christian unites with God Himself to the utmost real way becoming one with him not only spiritually, but also physically. This is a great gift of God, which is perceived by the entire Christian historical tradition not only as the center of Christian worship, but also the life of the church in this earthly world, and this event is associated with Thursday. This day is also called Maundy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday.

About some superstitions, which in popular consciousness accompany church tradition, but are not connected with it in any way

- There is a strange, sometimes for some reason replicated idea that Pure (Great) Thursday, when you need to wash everything.

The development of thought is easy to imagine, but no special day beyond the bath, in which you definitely need to immerse yourself in bath foam and also produce general cleaning home is not implied. Church tradition does not presuppose concentration on everyday life either on this day or in the following days, but directly warns us against overestimating everyday preparations.

The evening of Holy Thursday is associated with the service, which is also very famous, including in Russian literary tradition, repeatedly described in classical works, this, or service, where the sufferings of Christ are sequentially recalled - at this service 12 passages from all four evangelists are read in sequence, that narrative of Holy Scripture that tells about the events of Christ's earthly life from Thursday evening to Saturday morning, when he was already in the tomb. And these 12 passages are called the 12 gospels. This, I repeat, does not in any way mean an increase in the number of evangelists or the introduction of some kind of apocrypha into worship. This is a very significant service, just like the Thursday morning service, to which everyone who is somehow aware of themselves as church Orthodox Christians is called to participate, and, of course, those who do not recognize themselves as church, but strive to join the church tradition are also invited.

Christ's Sunday is a special holiday and rich in traditions and amusing signs that can be useful for summer residents and gardeners. On Easter, you can not work either on the site or in the house. Therefore, on this day you should relax and have a good time with friends and family in nature or in the country.

When to celebrate Easter

The holiday has a floating date, it is calculated according to the Lufn calendar, and is celebrated on the nearest Sunday after the March or April full moon. In 2018, Easter is celebrated on April 8th.

On this day, everyone joins the rites and sacraments of the Resurrection of Christ and visits churches and temples to bless Easter cakes and Easter, water and colored eggs. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter week for seven days, starting with the Resurrection of Christ, which is considered the onset of Easter.

The holiday also has pagan roots, since the arrival of warmth and spring among our ancestors has always been considered a symbol of rebirth, the awakening of all living things and hope for the best, including a good harvest, which was always mentioned in prayers.

The Catholic Church celebrates Christ's Sunday according to the new calendar, the date of the celebration coincides with the Christian very rarely. Just this year, 2018, Catholic Easter is celebrated on April 1st.

Traditions and customs of Easter

Many believe that holy water has a special power on this day, so they bring food and water with them, which will become sacred and rejuvenate the body. They also take the belongings of relatives with them so that the priest sprinkles them with holy water:

• seriously ill patients for recovery;
• healthy - to strengthen the mind;
• the dead - for the forgiveness of sins.

Traditional not only for believers, but for all residents of Russia is a friendly family feast, where at the head of the table are invariably:

• Easter cakes;
• colored eggs;
• Cahors and other red fortified wines;
• meat dishes.

Easter is preceded by a forty-day fast, when, according to church canons, only plant foods are allowed to be eaten. Fasting gardeners meet him fully armed and endure without much difficulty, since a good owner always has a solid supply of pickles and canned vegetablesgrown in his own garden.

Why bake Easter cakes

The tradition of baking rich Easter cakes for Easter is associated with an ancient tradition, according to which the Son of God himself, after his wonderful Sunday, joined the meals of the apostles. The place at the head of the table was always free, and there was always bread for Jesus around it.

Times changed, and bread began to be left in a special place in churches, after which it was distributed to the parishioners for a treat. It is generally accepted that the family is a small Church, so many housewives began to bake high cakes in the shape of a cylinder for the holiday and consecrate them at the all-night service.

Easter Bunny

IN Western countries except fragrant pastries and eggs are a popular attribute of the holiday are rabbits. They are famous for their fertility, and it is not surprising that they were chosen by people as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, which the bright day of Christ's Resurrection carries. Not so long ago, this tradition also took root in our country, in Easter baskets you can increasingly see chocolate figurines or cookies in the form of funny rabbits.

How to dye eggs without chemicals

The egg symbolizes the birth of life and immortality, so it has become the second symbol of Easter. They have been painted for the holiday since time immemorial - previously they preferred the red color, which symbolizes the blood shed by the savior for the sake of saving the human race.

Of course, today a wide variety of shades are used for coloring, using not only purchased paints, but also of natural origin.

• A decoction of onion skins will help change the color of white eggs from beige to dark orange;
• Plain beetroot juice - brown and Pink colour.
• Yellow can be achieved by boiling eggs with turmeric;
• Green - with nettle or spinach.

Drawings on eggs are made very simply, leaves or dried flowers are applied to the surface. Then they are wrapped in gauze and boiled with any chosen dye.

Easter beliefs and signs for the gardener

On Easter week, it is not customary to work on the site or in the house, construction and garden work promise misfortune and failure, but you can take care of children and animals, help the poor and the destitute.

On Holy Easter and throughout the week, gardeners are looking at signs that have always come true. It is believed that this day has a special power, so it is important to pay attention to every change in nature and weather.

• Sunny and cloudless day - to a warm summer and a generous harvest.
• On the second day of Easter it is cloudy - for the dry season, and the bright sun - for rainy weather for the summer.

Easter is a bright and solemn holiday, and it is worth spending it in such a way that you have only positive memories. This day is absolutely not intended for fuss or resentment. Give joy to others, and they will answer you the same. the site will tell you how to celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ, how to sign Easter cards and what to play after a plentiful feast.

How to spend Easter with your family

The best way to start celebrating Easter is with church visits Saturday evening (closer to midnight). Having stood at the Midnight Office, Matins, Liturgy and having gone through the procession with the clergy, you will receive such a powerful charge positive energy and the joy that it will last a long time.

The special atmosphere of the Easter service will unite you even more with your family, help you forget old grievances, understand and forgive people close to you.

After returning from church, you should break your fast ( approx. ed. - leave the post; eat animal products after fasting), congratulate the household and go to bed to gain strength for the Sunday celebration - it starts in the morning and lasts until midnight.

At Easter it is customary to invite many guests. However, remember that this is not the reason to gather under your roof those whom you do not know well enough. And also those whose behavior after drinking you cannot predict. Traditionally, only people who give exceptional joy and bring light into the house are called.

How to spend Easter

cook everything treats in advance, so as not to stand at the stove on Easter - according to the canons, one is not supposed to work on this day. Therefore, even hot dishes Make it the day before and warm it up on Sunday. Such foresight will save you from the need to first spend energy on cooking, and then be distracted from communication. Indeed, on the Bright Resurrection of Christ, one must pay attention to all the guests, find time for a sincere conversation with each of them.

It is good if you buy small gifts in Russian or Orthodox style for each of your relatives. For example, grandmother - a painted scarf, mom - a Palekh jewelry box, dad - a clay mug, girlfriend - a wooden bracelet, children - toys , stylized antique - dolls made of thread, wooden horses, etc. Or just get everyone according to the image and on the eve of Easter, consecrate them in the church.

You can give presents right away or arrange Easter games and give gifts as prizes. Naturally, this applies only to household items, church attributes should not be played.

At all, Easter This is not only a feast and conversations. It's also songs and fun. Therefore, come up with a holiday program in advance and include a walk there. Many games will become even more interesting if you move them from indoors to fresh air.

By the way, if you have children, then let Easter begin for them a few days earlier - introduce them to egg dyeing , let them show their imagination, then on Sunday they will be sincerely proud of the fruits of their labors. And during the holiday, read to the children excerpts from the work “The Summer of the Lord” by Ivan Shmelev. He writes very penetratingly about the preparation for Easter, and about Christ's Most Bright Resurrection.

How to spend Easter

How to spend Easter with friends

If you are going to meet friends for Easter, then there are three options - you invite them to your place and celebrate the holiday with them and with relatives, you yourself go to visit or make a separate program.

If the weather permits, we can go for barbecue or go to the cottage. Or you can just visit a cafe, bar, restaurant (just book a table in advance).

It is advisable to refrain from practicing extreme sports and all sorts of exotic entertainment. The calmer and more harmonious you and your friends spend this holiday, the better. Do not swear and stir up past grievances. Rather, arrange a competition for the most touching or fun memory in which the audience appears.

Prepare small souvenirs for your friends too and bring them easter egg . Krashenki will serve not only as a gift, but also as a "props" for games. It would be appropriate to take with you and Easter cake , especially if you didn’t buy it, but baked it yourself.

How to spend Easter with colleagues

If you love and appreciate your colleagues so much that you decided to spend Easter with them, then let me give you a few recommendations:

• Do not discuss business matters and bosses, otherwise the feeling of a holiday will disappear;
• Use the celebration to learn more about inner world your colleagues;
• Don't gossip about absent employees. In principle, this is ugly, and at such a bright moment - especially;
• If you meet with colleagues not at home, but in a cafe, then ask in advance that you all have brought separate bills - this will save you from possible misunderstandings and from subsequent alienation;
• Colleagues do not need to buy gifts, but it is highly recommended to sign Easter cards and cook each one a krashenka. If you know your colleagues' favorite colors, make them happy by painting eggs in these colors. Bring a flower to your fellow ladies, even if you are also a representative of the fair sex. This will add spring mood.

How to celebrate Easter at work

Even if the circumstances were such that you had to work on Easter, this is not a reason to refuse the holiday. Use your lunch break for this. The day before at home cook a few meals to please those who are also deprived of the opportunity to spend this day at the Easter table.

How to spend Easter

Grab and colored eggs, and Easter cake, and easter . Let everything be real. You can agree in advance with the employees who brings what. For example, someone is "responsible" for salads and appetizers , someone - for hot, and someone - for sweet.

Decorate your workplace flowers and balloons. Buy a bottle of wine, or rather replace alcohol with cherry or grape juice and tea.

It is better to refrain from games. However, you can easily call colleagues after work to the nearest park and arrange Easter fun. Or during a feast to play "bits". As for gifts, it would be best to simply present each employee with a postcard, and put the eggs on the common table.

How to sign Easter cards

Easter cards it is better to buy clean, and not with ready-made inscriptions, and sign them yourself, focusing on the personalities of those to whom they are intended. Relatives and close friends can be called diminutive names, and it is more appropriate to address colleagues, neighbors and just good friends as “brother (sister) in Christ.”

Start the inscription with the traditional phrase "Christ is risen!", Located in the center, and then wish everything that this or that addressee dreams of. Your knowledge of the innermost desires of these people will demonstrate to the recipients of postcards: you are attentive to them, everything that happens to them is very important to you.

How to spend Easter

If for you an Easter card is just a formality or you don’t know what these people want, then you can limit yourself to standard wishes. Let's take a few of them as an example.

"Christ is risen!" sounds from all sides
"Truly risen!" and this is a miracle!
We wish you an Easter chime,
So that joy flows to you from everywhere.
So that every day yours is bright and holy,
So that only good people come across to you,
And so that for many, many years in a row
You wake up in the morning with a smile.

In honor of the Holy Resurrection of Christ,
In honor of peace, sun, joy, goodness,
We sincerely wish you salvation
From troubles, misfortunes, sorrows and evil!

Happy Easter, great joy!
The sound of bells is pouring from heaven.
Happiness let the many-sided fate give,
Strength, and light, and the moral law.
You keep the holiness in your soul,
Don't give in to temptations and lies
The path dwells in your soul joy,
Your life will be cloudless!

It is best to complete the congratulations with words "Truly risen!"(also placing them in the middle). Select the first line ( "Christ is Risen!") and the last line in a different color (red or gold) and combine these two inscriptions beautiful pattern, which will become the frame for the main text. Then you will have a complete and harmonious Easter composition.

Easter games

Traditional Easter games are always used colored eggs . Here are some fun that both children and adults usually enjoy taking part in.

"Egg rolling"

This game can be played both at home and on the street. If you are starting fun at home, then you need to prepare a board, a small stool (banquet) or a couple of bricks. It is from this improvised slide that eggs are rolled. Whose egg rolls further, he won.

As an option - some object is placed a meter from the foot of the mountain. The task is to knock him down with a rolled egg. You can arrange a few things-presents. If your egg touches a gift, you take it.

If the game is played on the street, then a flat hill is selected. In principle, in cities, you can also use a slide on the playground in your own yard for this purpose.

"Who's stronger?"

This fun is the most uncomplicated, it is also called cue ball. You just need to beat with paints. Whoever has the egg left intact wins. However, the game can be complicated - blindfold all the players, and let them try to hit the opponent's dye with their cue ball.

"Find the Egg"

Strictly speaking, this game is not entirely Orthodox. She came to us from the traditions of the Catholic Easter, and Catholics call her "Hunting for the Easter Bunny." Either an egg or a toy bunny is hiding in the garden, and you need to find it using the leader's little beacons. You can hide the egg at home, just then the process of finding it will not be so exciting. However, whoever finds it, he takes it for himself.

The main Christian holiday is Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ. Russians celebrated it even in godless times, when it was forbidden to go to church. The people sacredly kept the rules for celebrating Easter. Many of them have very ancient roots, some originated in Russia. But all testify to a deep love for this bright day.

Features of worship

Night procession - main feature services that day. Even without understanding the meaning of the holiday, on the cherished night people went to the temple. But in order to celebrate Easter correctly, in a Christian way, it is necessary to start preparing for it with prayer. How to do it? Come to the temple not at the end, but at the beginning of the Midnight Office. The start time varies, usually around 11 am, but in any case - before midnight. In general, the service takes several hours, so you should rest before it.

• At this time, in the middle of the temple there is still a Shroud - a symbol of the burial of Christ. The clergy begin to incense, then in silence carry it to the altar.
• Around midnight, the main service, Matins, begins. The parishioners are preparing to make a religious procession - everyone who wants to distribute icons, men - gonfalons.

When the procession is assembled, the clergy begin soft singing in the altar, people leave the temple, its doors are locked. This symbolizes the tomb of the Lord, the entrance to which was littered with a stone.

The procession is usually very solemn, the night sky is illuminated by powerful lanterns, the singers sing, and the parishioners too. Believers are preparing for the holiday for a very long time, more than 40 days. The procession stops in front of closed doors. The bishop begins to sing the troparion of the feast. The doors open, people enter the church singing, a very solemn moment, which continues with the singing of the Easter canon.

Every year the word of St. John, which perfectly captures the essence of the holiday. Christ, for the sake of such a bright holiday, accepts everyone who comes to Him. It doesn't matter if a person fasted or not. It doesn't matter how many times he sinned. Christ redeemed everyone with His blood and is waiting for everyone! Great holiday who opens heavenly doors to people!

Congratulations are pronounced from the Patriarch, the ruling bishop of the diocese. Next comes the main Christian service - the Liturgy. It is served with the royal gates open. According to the rules during Easter, they remain so all the time. This is a sign that the Son of God has made the entrance to Paradise available to people.

Holiday dates

After separation Christian churches to Western and Eastern in Russia began to adhere to their own rules for calculating the date of Easter. When to celebrate it - you can find out from a special calendar. The date may fall between March 22 and April 25. Usually different from the Catholic, because the Western Church has long adopted the Gregorian calendar. But such dates periodically fall out when Easter coincides with all denominations. For example, in 2017 everyone will celebrate April 16th.

Russian traditions

Each country has its own customs that people follow during Bright Week. How is Easter celebrated in Russia?

• For 40 days (until Ascension comes), people greet each other with the words "Christ is Risen!" - "Truly risen!"
• It is also customary to kiss three times (Christ).
• The main symbolic dishes are Easter cakes and colored eggs. Easter should be made of cottage cheese, nuts, candied fruits - it symbolizes the sweetness of heavenly life. Eggs are reminiscent of how Christ was in the tomb. The stone (shell) hid the new one, eternal life. Red color - recalls both the suffering and the royal dignity of Jesus.
• Arriving from the temple, according to church rules, you need to break the fast - eat festive food. First of all, an egg and a piece of Easter are eaten, then you can take on the rest of the food. Food should be consecrated in the temple, usually this is done in advance. Indeed, starting from Friday, Christians, according to the rules, must constantly attend services in the temple. There is no time left for preparation.

In Russia, it is also customary to celebrate Easter with folk festivals. They began right in the courtyard of the temple on the very first day of the holiday (there are 40 in total). The first Sunday is called Red Hill. Traditional fun is to knock with colored eggs. On the days when Easter is celebrated, services are much shorter than usual. Permanent parishioners can receive communion without prior fasting - on such bright holidays it's just banned.

Traditions of other nations

• IN North America one of the main dishes of the festive table is ham, supplemented with pineapples. According to the rules, in these countries it is customary to give baskets of sweets to children. There are Easter egg rolling competitions.
• Easter in Greece is a public holiday. It is celebrated by making special bread. On the evening of Great Saturday, the Greeks cook lamb soup. This dish is served after the service.
• The Poles, on the other hand, prepare special cookies - they use apples, plums or citrus fruits for the filling, add grated nuts. Top treats are covered with icing.

Easter is an occasion for great joy. To meet it according to all the rules, it is necessary, first of all, to prepare your soul with the help of fasting, repentance, communion. Then any treat will be a joy, and your loved ones will be pleased with your festive mood.

How to celebrate Easter - rules for celebrating Easter was last modified: July 8th, 2017 by Bogolub

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10 tips on how to spend Easter and Bright Week the right way

1. In Easter, the main thing is not dyeing eggs, baking Easter cakes, cooking curd Easter, no fuss about cleaning the house. Easter is not a competition of zealous housewives at all, but a great day, the Feast of Feasts, when we greet the Risen Christ. Moreover, the main Christian holiday is not just a day of remembrance of an event that took place two thousand years ago, like Cosmonautics Day, when every year, on April 12, we remember the first flight of Yuri Gagarin into space, which took place in 1961. Church holidays they differ from the holidays established in memory of events in people's lives in that they become a kind of portals to eternity, bridges connecting our world with the heavenly world. The services of the Church during Holy Week and the feast of Easter itself are aimed at ensuring that the events remembered on this day are experienced by us as a reality, so that they enter our hearts. Therefore, it is so important to be able to slow down your zeal on everyday grounds, and start cultivating the field of your heart: pray at home and in church, during worship, come to confession, take communion, help those who need it, try not to condemn anyone, refrain from the passion of anger, envy, pride, vanity, stinginess, idle talk ... There are many of them, these worms that grind our soul, and everyone himself, in the depths of his heart, knows very well about them.

2. It's easy to say, "Open your heart to the Risen Christ!" Understanding the nature of man, condescending to her weakness, the Church established a special period of preparation for the meeting of the Resurrection of Christ - Great Lent. And it is no coincidence great post longer than all the main multi-day fasts, it consists of the first, forty-day part and the strict fast of Holy Week. Great is the event celebrated on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, and the fast is great. But what about those who failed to fast? Who missed the Holy Week services? Who forgot when last time communed? Is he really excommunicated from the Paschal joy of the Resurrection of Christ? Oddly enough, no. Yes, when we are absent from the most important divine services, do not come to the Divine Liturgy, do not receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we, of course, excommunicate ourselves from Christ. But surprising as it may seem, no matter how unfair it may seem to some devout believers, the Lord does not reject even those who are called children of the "eleventh hour." During the nightly Paschal festive service just before the start of the Divine Liturgy, the famous “Holy for Pascha of St. John Chrysostom” is solemnly read in the churches, and such a comforting message sounds for all of us: “The Master is pious: he receives the latter, as well as the first, puts him to rest at the eleventh hour who came, just as he did from the first hour: he has mercy on the last, and pleases the first, and gives to one, and bestows upon another, and accepts deeds, and kisses intentions, and honors deeds, and praises proposals. Receive your Lord: both the first and the second reward. Rich and needy, rejoice with one another. Diligent and lazy, honor the day. You who fasted and those who did not fast, rejoice today.”

3. What happens in churches on Holy Saturday? Holy Saturday is the day when the body of Jesus Christ is in the tomb, so for us this is a time of sorrow, a time when "let all flesh be silent", a time of inner concentration, when we are reverently silent, but, at the same time, we are also in a state of spiritual expectation of the Resurrection of Christ . Divine Liturgy Holy Saturday is long and drawn out, but, surprisingly, the priests serve it already in white robes, as if anticipating the news that Christ conquered death.

4. On Great Saturday, the Holy Fire descends in the cave of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The fire of grace is ignited without the obvious efforts of people, but only through prayer, which is read by the Patriarch of Jerusalem in the presence of a huge gathering of believers. The descent of the Holy Fire is one of the visible evidence of the presence of Christ in our world, a special sign that the Resurrection of Christ has taken place, and He has conquered death. Last years The Holy Fire is delivered by air to Russia, and believers reverently deliver it to churches. The blessed fire has unusual properties that are different from the properties of any other fire. At first, no matter what candle and lamp they light it from, it does not burn, believers literally wash themselves with it, at first it does not even scorch their hair. Here is what a certain pilgrim wrote about these unique qualities of the blessed fire four centuries ago: “He lit 20 candles in one place and burned his brother with all those candles, and not a single hair writhed or burned; and extinguished all the candles and then lit at others people, I lit those candles, and I also lit those candles on the third day, and then I touched my wife with nothing, I didn’t scorch a single hair, nor writhed ... " Believers try to keep this fire in their icon lamps, with reverence they keep candles burning at home blessed fire.

5. Consecration of products with which we will decorate Easter festive table- painted eggs, Easter cakes, cottage cheese Easter, also begins on Great Saturday, after the Divine Liturgy. Priests advise preparing festive food before Holy Week, so that later chores do not distract us from worship, but not everyone succeeds. In any case, Great Saturday is the day when we bring food to the temple, as they say, "for consecration." In fact, we are talking about the blessing of food: neither eggs, nor Easter cakes, nor boiled pork with sausage and wine become consecrated, and even more so sacred. And this means that the shells from colored eggs, skins from boiled pork and sausage tails can then be thrown into the trash. In contrast to such truly consecrated objects as pieces of prosphora, candle ends and dilapidated parts of icons that have become unusable. It is customary to destroy these consecrated objects in a special way: burn them in a church oven or bury them in a clean place.

For those who did not have time to stand the long lines at the consecration tables on Holy Saturday, we advise you not to despair: after the Easter night service, the consecration of painted eggs, Easter cakes and other food will continue.

6. “On Strastnaya, amid the pre-holiday troubles, they strictly fasted, fasted, .. - we read from Ivan Bunin in “The Life of Arseniev.” - By the evening of Great Saturday, our house shone with the utmost cleanliness, both internal and external, blessed and happy, quietly waiting in its beauty of the great feast of Christ. And now the feast finally came, - at night from Saturday to Sunday, a certain wondrous turning point took place in the world, Christ conquered death and triumphed over it.

7. On the night of Great Saturday (usually at half past eleven), the festive Easter service begins. The shroud, which was in the center of the temple for three days, symbolizing the three-day stay of Christ in the tomb, is taken to the altar, the lights are turned off in the temple, only candles burn in the hands of believers - we almost physically feel the darkness and horror of the Palestinian night when Jesus lay in the tomb, and no one knew yet how it would end. Gradually, the light turns on, the chant sounds: “Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, Angels sing in heaven ...” The Royal Doors open and a procession comes out of the altar, in front procession carry a lantern, followed by an icon Mother of God, church banners, the Gospel, the icon of the Resurrection of Christ. The Easter procession reminds us of the procession of the myrrh-bearing women heading to the Tomb of Christ. Having bypassed the temple and approached the main passage, the procession stops, and the rector (the head priest of this church) proclaims: "Glory to the Holy and Consubstantial, and Life-Giving, and Indivisible Trinity!" "Christ is risen from the dead!" - sing the clergy and all those who pray. The gates of the temple are opened, and we enter the temple - as into the Holy Sepulcher. An amazing moment for all participants in the procession: the temple is flooded with light and the choir sings, reminding us that "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, Angels sing in heaven." Easter Matins begins, which passes into the Liturgy.

8. And yet, what have we to do with the fact that Christ is Risen? How does this concern us? A week before Holy Saturday, the Church remembers the event of the resurrection of the four-day Lazarus. This resurrection was a testament to the power of God, but anyway, we are talking about the restoration of the physical body, a kind of resuscitation. And although the traditions of the Church testify that the "four-day" Lazarus, after his resurrection, remained alive for another 30 years and was a bishop on the island of Cyprus, where he died, but when we speak of the resurrection, we mean only the earthly life of a person. And the Resurrection is the inheritance of eternal life, it is no coincidence that in the Paschal troparion it is sung: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life on those in the tombs." It's about about eternal life, and this is the way that Christ gave us. And if we accept Pascha only as a tradition, if we participate only in the outer side of this greatest event, then we become like the crowd that proclaimed to Christ: "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday. But if we are able to empathize with His sufferings, if we inwardly go through Holy Week together with Him, the path to Golgotha, then we already begin to live with Christ, and our life changes. Let us also remember that during the Last Supper Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Communion, and our hope for eternal life is connected with this Sacrament. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." In fact, we have been given the "medicine of immortality."

Believers try to partake of Communion precisely on the feast of Easter, but you can receive the Sacrament on any day when the Divine Liturgy is served, of course, provided that you have prepared yourself for this.

9. The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ begins with a solemn Paschal service on the night of Saturday to Sunday and lasts the entire next week, called Bright Week. The entire Easter week is like one day of Easter, and divine services bright week in fact, they are the same - except for the procession and the moment of opening, opening the gates of the temple, everything is repeated. Therefore, if you did not manage to get to the festive Easter service, do not lose heart. Come to the temple on any day of Bright Week. By the way, these days services are held with the Royal Doors wide open - the doors separating the altar from the main space of the temple. The open Royal Doors are a symbol of the fact that from now on, paradise is also open to us! It is believed that good deeds, help and donations to orphans, widows, the sick and the destitute, committed during Bright Week, help to remove sin from the soul.

10. Doesn't it surprise you why on Easter day joy fills the hearts of even those who are far from the Church? Probably because each of us experienced the fear of death, and Easter is a holiday that gives life. And for people the most important thing sounds: from now on there is no death, because Jesus Christ abolished it with His death. The words “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs” become the center of all Easter hymns, in them the triumph of the Resurrection of Christ and the joy of the immortal human soul. On the day of Easter, Christ Himself gives joy to our soul, and human soul, perceiving the good news "Christ is Risen!", transmits it to this world to all God's creation - because if death is destroyed, then it is destroyed for everyone, which means that it has no power over all creation, and on this day it seems that even nature exults. "Christ is Risen!" "Truly Risen!"