Easter (Resurrection of Christ) - the main event of the gospel evangelism . In 2018 Orthodox Easter falls on April 8th. On this day, Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the essence of Easter? The Fathers of the Church often answer this question “in the same way as the essence of Christianity”. On the day of the Easter holiday, we receive an answer to the question: “When a person dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). This answer is given to us in a miracle Christ's Resurrection when the crucified and buried Lord appears to his disciples alive.
There is an amazing moment in the history of the Easter holiday: Orthodox iconography does not include icons of the Resurrection of Christ.
What date is Easter usually celebrated? When is Easter in 2018 for the Orthodox?
Despite the fact that we know exactly what date Orthodox Easter will be in 2018, Easter can fall on different dates every year. Easter is always celebrated on Sunday, but the dates change. Exact date indicated according to the solar-lunar calendar. Orthodox and Catholic Easter uses different calendar systems. Thus, the number of Easter varies from year to year.
Until the end of the 16th century, all of Europe lived according to the Julian calendar, but in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new style - Gregorian, the difference between the calendars began to be 13 days. The Orthodox Church does not switch to the Gregorian calendar, since the celebration of Easter according to this calendar may coincide with the Jewish Easter, and this is contrary to the canonical rules of the Orthodox Church.
The Easter holiday was established in the times Old Testament in memory of the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. The ancient Jews celebrated Easter on Nisan 14-21 - the beginning of our March.
In a number Orthodox countries, for example, in Greece, Easter is still celebrated according to the Julian calendar.
Easter services
The services of Pascha, the Bright Resurrection of Christ are usually especially solemn.
Ever since apostolic times, Christians have been awake on the sacred and pre-holiday saving night bright resurrection Christ's - the luminous night of the luminous day, waiting for the time of its spiritual liberation from the work of the enemy(Church Charter in the week of Easter).
Shortly before midnight, the midnight office is served in all churches, at which the priest and the deacon proceed to Shroud and, after burning incense around her, while singing the words of katavasia of the 9th song "I will rise and be glorified" they lift the Shroud and take it to the altar. The Shroud is placed on the Holy See, where it must remain until the Giving of Pascha.
Easter morning, "joy at the resurrection of our Lord from the dead", start at 00:00. As midnight approaches, all the clergy in full vestments stand in order at the Throne. The clergy and worshipers in the temple light candles. On Pascha just before midnight, a solemn Annunciation announces the coming of the great minute of the Light-bearing Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. Singing begins in the altar: “Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and vouchsafe us on earth with a pure heart Praise you."
The procession symbolizes the procession of the Church towards the risen Savior. It is done while singing “Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and make us on earth glorify you with a pure heart”.
Then the primate or all the clergy sing "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death". The singers are graduating "And to those in the tombs bestowing life".
Church doors open, the procession marches into the temple, as the myrrh-bearing women went to Jerusalem to announce to the disciples about the Resurrection of the Lord.
To the singing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs” - the doors open, the worshipers enter the temple, and the singing of the Easter canon begins.
Easter Matins is followed by the Divine Liturgy and the consecration of arthos - a special bread depicting the Cross or the Resurrection of Christ (it is kept in the church until the next Saturday, when it is distributed to the faithful).
During the service, the priest again and again joyfully greets all those who pray with the words “Christ is Risen!” and each time those gathered in the temple answer: “Truly Risen!”. At short intervals, the clergy change their vestments and walk around the temple in red, yellow, blue, green and white robes.
At the end of the service, the proclamation of St. John Chrysostom.
Easter Calendar
Easter is celebrated for seven days, that is, the whole week - it is called Bright Easter Week. Each day of the week is also called bright - Bright Monday, Bright Tuesday. The Royal Doors are open all week. There is no fasting on Bright Wednesdays and Fridays.
The entire period before the Ascension (40 days after Easter), the Orthodox greet each other with the greeting "Christ is Risen!" and the answer "Truly Risen!".
A word about the Orthodox holiday of Easter
In these post-Easter days, one involuntarily returns to the same question: once in this unheard-of statement “Christ is Risen!” really the whole essence, the whole depth, the whole meaning Christian faith, since, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, if Christ is not risen, then your faith is vain (1 Cor. 15:17), then what does this mean for our, for my life here?
After all, another Easter passed, and again there was this amazing night, the flickering of candles, the growing excitement; again we were in the radiant joy of the service, which all consists, as it were, of one jubilant song: “Now everything is filled with light, heaven and earth and hell, let the whole creation celebrate the rise of Christ, in which it is affirmed.”
But now this night passes, and from its light we return to the world, descend to earth, again enter into everyday, “real” life. And what? Everything is the same, nothing has changed. And as if nothing, absolutely nothing on earth had the slightest relation to what was sung in church. And a doubt creeps into the soul: these words, more beautiful and sublime than which there are on earth, are they not an illusion? They are eagerly absorbed by the heart and soul, but the cold everyday mind says: “Dream, self-deception! Two thousand years have passed, and where is their fulfillment? And my God, how often Christians lower their heads and for a long time no longer try to make ends meet! “Leave us,” they say to the world, “this last jewel, the last consolation and joy! Do not hinder us in our closed temples from affirming that the whole world rejoices and rejoices! Do not interfere with us, and we will not interfere with you to build this world, manage and live in it as you please.
However, in the last depths of our conscience, we know that this cowardice, that this minimalism, this inner flight are incompatible with the true meaning and true joy of Easter. For Christ is either resurrected or not resurrected. And if he has risen, what else is our Paschal jubilation about, all this bright triumph and victory permeated night? - if once in world history this unheard-of victory over death took place, then everything really changed, everything was renewed in the world, whether people know about it or not. But then it is on us, rejoicing and rejoicing, that the responsibility lies for others to know, believe, and enter into this victory and this joy.
The ancient Christians did not call their faith a “religion”, but saw the good news and saw their purpose in proclaiming it to the world. The ancient Christians knew and believed that the resurrection of Christ is not just an occasion for an annual celebration, but a source of strength and life transformation, and therefore what they heard in their ears was proclaimed from the rooftops (see Matt. 10:27). “But what can I do? - my sober, or, as they say now, “realistic” mind is responsible for me. - How can I proclaim, testify - I, a powerless grain of sand, lost in the masses? But this objection of reason and so-called common sense is a lie, and perhaps the most terrible and most diabolical lie of the modern world. This world has somehow convinced us that power and meaning are always only with the "masses". What can one against all? However, it is precisely here, precisely in relation to this lie, that the main assertion of Christianity, its logic unlike any other, should be revealed in all its strength. Christianity claims that one person can be stronger than all. And it is precisely in this statement that the good news about Christ lies. Remember the amazing lines from Pasternak's Garden of Gethsemane?
He refused without a fight
As from things borrowed
From omnipotence and wonderworking,
And he was now as mortal as we are.
Here is the image of Christ: A man without any earthly power, alone, abandoned by all - and victorious. And further:
You see, the course of centuries is like a parable
And it can catch fire on the go.
In the name of her terrible greatness
I will go into the coffin in voluntary torment.
I will go down to the grave and on the third day I will rise,
And, as rafts are rafted down the river,
To me for judgment, like the barges of a caravan,
Centuries will float from the darkness.
“And it can catch fire on the go ...” This “can catch fire” is the answer to all the doubts of a “sober” mind. Oh, if each of us, who know the Paschal joy, who heard about the victory, who believed in what is unknown to the world, but for him and in him this victory was accomplished; if each of us, forgetting about numbers and masses, would transfer this faith and joy to at least one person; if this faith, this joy were secretly present even in the most insignificant conversation, in our “sober” everyday life, the transformation of the world and life would begin already here, today, now. The Kingdom of God will not come in a conspicuous way (Luke 17:20), Christ said. Yes, for it, the Kingdom of God, comes in power, light and victory whenever I, when every believer takes it out of the temple and begins to live by it. And then the world all the time, every minute "can catch fire on the go."
Resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith. It is that first, most important, great truth, with the proclamation of which the apostles began their sermon. Just as our sins were cleansed by Christ's death on the cross, so eternal life is granted to us by His resurrection. Therefore, for believers, the resurrection of Christ is a source of constant joy, unceasing jubilation, reaching its peak on the feast of the holy Christian Pascha.
There is probably no person on earth who has not heard about the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, at a time when the very facts of His death and resurrection are so widely known, their spiritual essence, their inner meaning is the mystery of God's wisdom, justice and His infinite love. The best human minds bowed helplessly before this incomprehensible mystery of salvation. However, the spiritual fruits of the Savior's death and resurrection are accessible to our faith and palpable to the heart. And thanks to the ability given to us to perceive the spiritual light of Divine truth, we are convinced that the incarnate Son of God really voluntarily died on the cross to cleanse our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Our whole religious outlook is based on this conviction.
Now let us briefly recall the main events connected with the resurrection of the Savior. According to the evangelists, the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross on Friday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, on the eve of the Jewish Passover. On the same day in the evening, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich and pious man, together with Nicodemus, removed the body of Jesus from the cross, anointed it with fragrant substances, wrapped it in a linen (“shroud”), as it was supposed to according to Jewish traditions, and buried it in a stone cave. Joseph carved this cave in the rock for his own burial, but out of love for Jesus, he gave it to Him. This cave was located in the garden of Joseph, next to Calvary, where Christ was crucified. Joseph and Nicodemus were members of the Sanhedrin (the supreme Jewish court) and at the same time secret disciples of Christ. The entrance to the cave where they buried the body of Jesus, they blocked with a large stone. The burial was done hastily and not according to all the rules, since that evening the feast of the Jewish Passover began.
Despite the holiday, on Saturday morning, the chief priests and scribes went to Pilate and asked him for permission to assign Roman soldiers to the tomb to guard the tomb. A seal was applied to the stone that closed the entrance to the tomb. All this was done out of a precaution, as they remembered the prediction of Jesus Christ that He would rise again on the third day after His death. So the Jewish leaders, without suspecting it themselves, prepared irrefutable evidence of the resurrection of Christ that followed the next day.
Where was the Lord in His soul after He died? According to the belief of the Church, He descended into hell with His saving sermon and brought out the souls of those who believed in Him (1 Pet. 3:19).
On the third day after His death, Sunday, early in the morning, when it was still dark and the soldiers were at their post at the sealed tomb, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The mystery of the resurrection, like the mystery of the incarnation, is incomprehensible. With our weak human mind, we understand this event in such a way that at the moment of resurrection the soul of the God-man returned to His body, which is why the body came to life and was transformed, becoming incorruptible and spiritualized. After that, the resurrected Christ left the cave without rolling off the stone and without violating the high priestly seal. The soldiers did not see what happened in the cave, and after the resurrection of Christ they continued to guard the empty tomb. Soon there was an earthquake when the Angel of the Lord, descended from heaven, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The soldiers, frightened by the Angel, fled.
Neither the myrrh-bearing women nor the disciples of Christ knew anything about what had happened. Since the burial of Christ was done hastily, the myrrh-bearing wives agreed on the day after the Easter holiday, that is, in our opinion, on Sunday, to go to the tomb and finish anointing the body of the Savior with fragrant ointments. They did not even know about the Roman guard assigned to the coffin and about the attached seal. When the dawn began to appear, Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobleva, Salome and some other pious women went to the tomb with fragrant myrrh. Heading to the burial place, they were perplexed: “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb for us?”- because, as the Evangelist explains, the stone was great. Mary Magdalene was the first to come to the tomb. Seeing the tomb empty, she ran back to the disciples Peter and John and informed them about the missing body of the Teacher. A little later, other myrrh-bearing women came to the tomb. They saw a young man in the tomb, sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. The mysterious youth said to them: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified. He has risen. Go and tell His disciples that they will see Him in Galilee.” Excited by the unexpected news, they hurried to the disciples.
Meanwhile, the apostles Peter and John, having heard from Mary about what had happened, ran to the cave: but, finding in it only the linen and cloth that was on the head of Jesus, they returned home in bewilderment. After them, Mary Magdalene returned to the burial place of Christ and began to cry. At this time, she saw in the tomb two angels in white robes who were sitting - one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay. The angels asked her: "Why are you crying?" After answering them, Mary turned back and saw Jesus Christ, but did not recognize Him. Thinking it was the gardener, she asked: “Sir, if you have carried Him (Jesus Christ), then tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him.” Then the Lord said to her: “Mary!” Hearing a familiar voice and turning to Him, she recognized Christ and, exclaiming: “Teacher!” threw herself at His feet. But the Lord did not allow her to touch Himself, but ordered her to go to the disciples and tell about the miracle of the resurrection.
On the same morning, the soldiers came to the high priests and informed them about the appearance of the Angel and about the empty tomb. This news greatly excited the Jewish leaders: their anxious forebodings were fulfilled. Now their first task was to ensure that the people would not believe in the resurrection of Christ. Having gathered a council, they gave the soldiers a lot of money, ordering them to spread the rumor that the disciples of Jesus had stolen His body at night, while the soldiers were sleeping. The soldiers did everything in this way, and so the rumor about the theft of the body of the Savior then kept for a long time among the people.
A week later, the Lord again appeared to the apostles, including St. Thomas, who was absent at the first appearance of the Savior. To dispel Thomas's doubts about His resurrection, the Lord allowed him to touch His wounds, and Thomas, who believed, fell at His feet, exclaiming: "My Lord and my God!" As the evangelists further relate, during the forty-day period after His resurrection, the Lord appeared to the apostles several more times, talked with them and gave them final instructions. Shortly before His ascension, the Lord appeared to more than five hundred believers.
On the fortieth day after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven in the presence of the apostles, and since then He has been at the “right hand” of His Father. The apostles, encouraged by the resurrection of the Savior and His glorious ascension, returned to Jerusalem, waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, as the Lord had promised them.
How to celebrate Holy Easter in 2018?
The feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, Easter, is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the largest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from Greek and means "transition", "deliverance". On this day, we celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the granting of life and eternal bliss to us. Just as our redemption was accomplished by Christ's death on the cross, so eternal life is granted to us by His Resurrection.
The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation and crown of our faith, it is the first and greatest truth that the apostles began to proclaim.
During the great celebration of Pascha, the ancient Christians gathered daily for public worship.
According to the piety of the first Christians, on VI Ecumenical Council decreed for the faithful: “From the holy day of the resurrection of Christ our God until the new week (Thomina), throughout the whole week, the faithful should in the holy churches constantly practice in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and enjoy the holy Mysteries. For in this way, with Christ, we too will resurrect and be exalted. For this reason, there is no horse race, or any other folk spectacle, on the river days..
Ancient Christians sanctified the great feast of Orthodox Easter with special deeds of piety, mercy and good works. Imitating the Lord, who by His Resurrection freed us from the bonds of sin and death, pious kings unlocked dungeons on Paschal days and forgave prisoners (but not criminals). Ordinary Christians these days helped the poor, the orphans and the poor. Brasno (that is, food), consecrated on Easter, was distributed to the poor and thus made them participants in the joy on the Bright Holiday.
An ancient holy custom, preserved even today by pious laity, consists in not omitting a single church service during the entire Bright Week.
Have you read the article Holiday Easter| Easter in 2018. Read also.
The festive night Easter service started in the main Orthodox cathedral in Russia - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The solemn service was led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. The temple is attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and other public and political figures. The presence of the country's leaders at festive services has become a tradition since 2001, when the first Easter service was held in the restored Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
“I wish each of you to feel a special joy from contact with the risen Christ on this night,” said the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church before the start of the service. The patriarch noted that people who visit the temple that night "know that there is a special state in the heart." According to him, the matter is not in the splendor of the service or the penetrating singing of the choir: “We know that even in the simplest churches, where there is no such celebration as in cathedrals, people receive a special joy in their hearts and live with this joy" (quote from Interfax).
The Patriarch urged believers in difficult moments of life to remember the Paschal joy, the grace of the resurrection of Christ. "Let his grace, his strength, Christ who conquered death, strengthen us in our faith and help us to walk along life path", - said the primate.
Several thousand believers gathered in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. According to eyewitnesses, there are especially many young people among those gathered this year.
Holy Fire delivered to Moscow from Jerusalem
On Saturday, a plane with a delegation from the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation landed at Vnukovo International Airport, which delivered the Holy Fire from Jerusalem to Moscow. The shrine from the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher was brought by special flights, RIA Novosti reports.
The fire was delivered in special lamps, similar to those used to transport the Olympic flame.
The Holy Fire symbolizes the miraculous light of the Resurrection of Christ, about which the Apostle Peter spoke. The fire is lit annually in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Easter Eve through the prayers of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and other representatives of the Orthodox clergy and tens of thousands of pilgrims.
In Moscow, the delegation of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called was met by hundreds of believers who will be able to receive particles of the Holy Fire in order to bring the shrine to their homes and churches.
Around midnight in the main cathedral of Russia, as well as in all Orthodox churches countries and abroad, a religious procession is made: to the sound of bells, the clergy and parishioners with lit candles, glorifying the Lord, leave the temple, as if to meet the Savior. Having gone around the temple, they stop in front of closed doors, as in front of the entrance to the cave of the Holy Sepulcher. To the singing of the troparion "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs!" - the doors open, the worshipers enter the temple and the singing of the Easter canon begins.
From this moment until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter, believers greet each other with the words: "Christ is risen! - Truly risen!"
Although Easter is celebrated for 40 days, the most solemn is the first week of the holiday, Bright Week. During this week, divine services of extraordinary beauty are performed, which exactly repeat the Easter night service with a procession, and the doors of the altars of all church thrones are thrown open as a symbol of the open gates of paradise. In addition, everyone can ring the bells to express the joy of the holiday - such an opportunity is provided in almost all churches. But visiting cemeteries, contrary to the tradition that developed in Soviet times, is not customary for Easter - this can be done on Radonitsa on April 21. This day is sometimes called the Passover of the Dead.
history of the holiday
The celebration of Easter - the victory of Jesus Christ over death, his "rising from the dead" - was established back in apostolic times. In the first centuries, Christian communities celebrated Easter at different times. In the East, in the Churches of Asia Minor, it was celebrated simultaneously with the Jewish Passover - on the 14th of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar, regardless of what day of the week the holiday fell on.
The Western Church celebrated Easter on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox. The first attempt to establish a single rule for celebrating Easter for all Churches was made by St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, in the middle of the 2nd century. But the final decision on the unified celebration of Easter was made only at the First Ecumenical Council, held in the city of Nicaea (modern Iznik, Turkey) in 325. The Council decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and full moon, provided that it never coincided with the Jewish Passover.
Thus, Easter is a movable holiday, falling each year on a different date between March 22 and April 25. These numbers are determined by a special table, Paschalia, which indicates the dates of the celebration of Easter for many years to come.
The Easter service is notable for its special solemnity. Before it begins, all the lamps are lit in the temples and all those present stand with candles as a sign of special spiritual joy. Since the time of the apostles, the Easter service has been celebrated at night. Like the ancient chosen people, who were awake on the night of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, Christians are also awake on the sacred night of Christ's Resurrection.
The main Easter celebrations continue throughout the following week, called Bright Week, and end on the eighth day - Sunday (the second Sunday after Easter).
When will the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior 2018 is not difficult to calculate. After all, the Easter service always begins in the evening, with the beginning of the Easter service. The start takes place at 20.00. Almost until midnight, the service itself goes on, and then the faithful, behind the clergy and church workers, make the procession.
But, after the procession, the service does not end. Moreover, the priests change into white festive clothes, and the festive Easter service begins. It lasts for several more hours and ends late at night. Arriving home, you can’t eat, although Easter has already come. You need to lie down to sleep, and meet in the morning according to all religious rules: candles, prayers, breaking the fast. Do you know how to cook for Easter?
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Perhaps the most massive divine service on Easter takes place in this Moscow church. And this, of course, is not accidental. After all, the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior 2018 is even broadcast live. If you can’t get to the temple, for example, a person lives in another city, then television and the Internet make it possible to join the Easter night and meet the onset of the bright Resurrection of Christ correctly.
So, the service will be held from the night of April 7 to April 8. April 7 is still Great Saturday and fasting time. Half an hour before midnight, the procession takes place, and after it the bright Easter is already coming, which means that Sunday, April 8, is coming. Easter matins, as well as the procession and Divine Liturgy it is in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior that His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Rus' Kirill.
Live broadcast of worship
On various religious sites, you can watch the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior 2018 online, but many Russian TV channels also broadcast this event. In particular, every year the service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Easter can be seen on the channel "First", "Spas" and "Russia 1".
Of course, the broadcast cannot convey the entire atmosphere that reigns in the temple that evening. But, the words of the priest and the number of people help to fully try to feel the approach of the holiday. Many people who come to the very beginning of the service at 20.00, there is no longer enough space in the temple: they have to stand on the street. But, on the other hand, during the procession, it is precisely those people who were on the street who find themselves in the thick of things.
Procession during the service
Of course, during the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as well as in the smallest Russian church, there will be a procession. It takes place around midnight. The priests and all the ministers of the church leave the temple with icons to walk around the temple three times with the faithful. After each circle, the procession stops at closed doors temple - they symbolize the entrance to the cave where Jesus Christ was buried and where it was until the moment when he was resurrected.
But the third time the doors of the temple meet the priests and the flock open. What does it mean? This means that Easter has come this year, that Christ is Risen, and that all those people who have gathered for worship are not here by chance. They came to the temple on this holy night in order to prove their faith, their love and their kindness. After
Easter is the most important holiday for the Christian church, and preparations for it begin several weeks in advance. After the end of Lent, all Orthodox people prepare for the Easter service - a large-scale church celebration that lasts all night. About what time the Easter service begins and how it goes, is described below.
Rituals before Easter
In many churches holiday services starts the week before Easter. Usually during this period people attend church very actively, the clergy are increasingly appearing in festive attire. There is also a tradition according to which, a few days before Easter, the doors of the church stop closing. Even during the communion of the priests, the doors remain open, and everyone can visit the temple at any convenient time. 
Saturday becomes especially festive when it ends great post. It is on this day that people begin to go to church en masse to consecrate the festive food. Temple servants sprinkle Easter cakes and eggs with holy water, saying traditional prayers. At the same time, you can put a few candles in the church for the repose.
IN catholic church the tradition of baptizing adults and children at Easter has been preserved. IN Orthodox tradition the custom of baptizing adults during the celebration of Easter is also being revived, but it happens quite rarely. The ministers of the church prefer to conduct this ceremony either on Saturday or in the afternoon before the start of the solemn service.
Usually, the representatives of the church themselves are very actively preparing for the upcoming holiday, memorizing lines from the gospel, taking communion and choosing the most festive clothes. Despite all the changes in the lives of modern citizens, Easter continues to enjoy tremendous popularity throughout Russia.
Easter service start time
In 2017, Easter falls on May 1st. According to a tradition that has developed several centuries ago, the Easter service is held exactly at midnight. It will begin on the night of April 30 to May 1.
The largest service takes place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Traditionally, the patriarch (now Kirill) comes out to the parishioners in his best attire, conducting the entire service from beginning to end. It is broadcast on many TV channels, so you can enjoy the service without leaving your home.
In some nations, such services take place in the morning, but almost all christian churches conduct such an important and solemn service before dawn.
What stages does the Easter service include:
- The removal of the shroud, which takes place half an hour before midnight.
- Procession around the temple.
- The beginning of Bright Matins is marked by the use of a censer and a special cross with a three-candlestick.
- Conducting Easter matins and taking out specially prepared bread.
- The service ends with an Easter bell and an exchange of holiday greetings ("Christ is Risen" - "Truly Risen").
Each step of the procedure is very important and is never ignored. The fact is that all singing and processions are directly related to the history of the resurrection of Christ, and the traditions themselves have been formed over the centuries, so the clergy honor them with special reverence.
Easter services are held in almost all Orthodox churches. It is interesting that the date of the holiday is always determined according to the lunisolar calendar and falls on different days. Moreover, the date of Easter for Catholics and Orthodox may differ. So, in 2017, this bright day fell on May 1st.
The Easter service traditionally starts at midnight, but it is worth coming to church at least an hour in advance. The fact is that the holiday causes great excitement among believers, and therefore, by 23:00, queues of those wishing to attend the service are gathering near the temples. There are not many parishioners in small churches, but getting to services in the main shrines of the country (for example, in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood) can be extremely difficult. Despite this, all believers try to behave calmly, do not push each other.
It is worth consecrating Easter cakes, dyed eggs and other festive food in advance, on Saturday morning, since there will be too many people at the Easter service, and this opportunity will most likely not be presented.
The first stages of the Easter service
Church services on Easter are a very important event for the clergy, so every priest is dressed in solemn robes on this day. Half an hour before midnight, a shroud is brought into the church through the royal doors, and the service is considered officially open. People present at the service light candles, which creates a truly magical atmosphere in the temple.
The initial stages of church worship have the following features:
- during the whole service, the ringing of bells announcing the beginning of the holiday sounds;
- the singing of the stichera occurs three times, and with each time the clergy raise their voice by a tone;
- during the singing of the third stichera, the clergy move from the altar to the middle of the temple;
- parishioners also sing along with the ministers of the church, after which the ringing begins, and people go out into the street to perform procession around the temple.
With the beginning of the procession, all parishioners move around the church to the sonorous singing of the clergy. Usually the church goes around three times, after which they stop at the western gate, consecrating them with a cross. At this stage, the singing subsides, after which the clergyman begins to consecrate the parishioners and the church itself with a censer, marking the image of the cross on the western gate of the temple.
Easter Matins
The beginning of the Paschal service is more like a sacrament and has a certain mystery, while Matins consists of joyful hymns and the reading of the canon. With the beginning of matins, all parishioners return to the church, the doors remain open.
- singing of the canon and stichera;
- solemn reading of the gospel;
- reading the ambo prayer.
The service on Easter night does not end with the reading of the ambo prayer, because after that, sacred bread, which in Greek is called artos, is brought to a special altar in front of the icon depicting the risen Christ. It is prepared according to a special recipe and consecrated by the ministers of the church. Artos remains on the altar for several days.
Actually, this is where the Paschal Liturgy ends, and a festive bell ringing. Now believers have the opportunity to approach the cross, pray and congratulate each other on Easter.
Duration of the celebration and proper preparation for it
How long the Easter service lasts is very often of interest to people who have never been to this festive service. The standard duration of such a service is 5 hours. 
The long duration is due to the importance of the festive event and the abundance of various traditions. As mentioned above, the service begins at 00:00, but usually all believers try to arrive at the church by 23:00, taking their places in the temple and praying before the sacred service.
The order of the Easter service is quite strict, so when heading to church, you should choose comfortable and closed clothes. Women should cover their heads with a scarf, hiding their hair.
This festive event ends at about four o'clock in the morning, after which the believers can disperse to their homes. IN Orthodox Church it is very important to defend the entire service from beginning to end, because in this way a person confirms his faith.
It is also interesting that before the start of the service, each believer must properly prepare for the approaching celebration. Usually such preparation begins 7 weeks before the holiday, because it is then that Great Lent begins. During all this time, the believer limits himself in the use of food.
IN Pure Thursday(it falls on last week post) a person needs to spend general cleaning in my house. Lent ends on Saturday, just before Easter. On this day, it is necessary to prepare festive treats, such as Easter cakes and eggs. All these dishes should be put in a basket and taken to the church in order to consecrate them.
Before entering the church, you must cross yourself three times. The inscription of the cross is made every time some church phrases are used (for example, "In the name of the father and son, and the Holy Spirit").
A few more important moments of church worship
Everyone who has been to it at least once in their life knows the course of the Easter service. It is important not only to fully defend the service, but also to behave correctly in the process. What rules of conduct in the temple should be remembered:
With the end holiday prayers Easter is not over. Before leaving the church, a person needs to cross himself three times in a bow, going home.
