Christmas for a Christian is much more than a decorated tree and gifts. This day is considered the second most important day after Easter, which is called the “Feast of Holidays.” The Nativity of Christ is both a global event that does not lose importance despite the passing centuries, and very personal for everyone Orthodox man holiday. After all, Christ was born for everyone and for everyone.

Those who are well acquainted with Christianity understand that the incarnation of God on earth is a unique event that brought man closer to the creator. This holiday is filled with amazing joy and peace, but at the same time with some sadness, because this baby was born for a difficult mission.

Therefore, the main thing in celebrating Christmas is not the table laden with food, although this is an important part of any holiday, but the Christmas service.

Many people who come to this night service for the first time are concerned about how long the Christmas service lasts. Divine Liturgy, what is read and sung at this service. This article is intended to answer such questions.

What does the Christmas service consist of?

The service begins late in the evening on Christmas Eve, that is, January 6. At 11 pm the festive service begins, which lasts until 3-4 am. The All-Night Vigil, the hours and the Divine Liturgy of Basil the Great make up the Christmas service. The liturgy is usually celebrated in the morning, but the festive liturgies take place at night, immediately after the All-Night Vigil and the hours. The same thing happens at Easter.

The All-Night Vigil includes Matins and Compline. It should not be surprising that the names of services do not correspond to the time of day. There is a daily cycle of services in the church, but on great holidays the morning and evening services are combined into the All-Night Vigil. Matins is performed according to the rite of the great holidays. The canon “Christ is born…” is sung on it.

The liturgy itself does not last that long and completes the entire cycle of festive services. Most likely, people who ask the question of how long the Christmas liturgy lasts in church mean the Christmas service as a whole. After all, those who pray come for the whole night, and not at the end.

The text of the Christmas liturgy is in many ways similar to the texts of the liturgies on ordinary days. The Nativity is distinguished by the festive antiphons sung on it: “The Lord will send a rod of power from Zion, and rule in the midst of Your enemies. The beginning is with You in the day of Your power in the brightness of Your saints.”

Communion at Christmas

Celebrated during the Christmas liturgy and communion. For many Christians, not only attending festive services, but also receiving Communion at them is a very joyful event.

Confession at this service does not take place in all churches, because it is long and intense, many people come to the church, and in some places only one or two priests serve.

Most often, confession before the Christmas liturgy is held in advance, 1-2 days in advance. In some churches there is even the opportunity to receive communion twice after one confession. For example, they confess on the evening of January 3, and communion occurs at the liturgies on the morning of 4 and at night on 7. It is important to read both times the Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Getting ready correctly

How to prepare for the Christmas liturgy? Christmas Eve is spent in strict fasting; it is not at all necessary to fast until the first star. This tradition has been going on since the time when Vespers began after lunch, and after it followed the Liturgy of Basil the Great, which ended already at dark time. After it, one could eat food, and this is what meant “before the first star.”

So it is much more important to visit the temple on January 6, if possible, and not to go hungry. The opposite tradition is to cook 12 on this day Lenten dishes- is also not established by the church, and it is better to spend this day calmly, prayerfully and focused, and not in the bustle. But you can cook sochivo - a dish from grains of wheat and honey. The best preparation for the Christmas liturgy in church will be reading spiritual literature and studying the upcoming service. This will give you strength for a long service, because everything that is sung and read will become understandable.

But it is not at all necessary to light candles and venerate icons when the church is crowded.

Symbolism of the holiday

All Christmas traditions, which were later carried over to the New Year celebration, have deep meaning. For example, a Christmas tree is a symbol eternal life thanks to its evergreen needles. At its top is an eight-pointed star, usually silver or gold, which is reminiscent of Bethlehem. This is in Soviet era it was replaced with a five-pointed and red one. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to place a burning candle on the windowsill - a sign that we are waiting for Christ, illuminating the way in the winter darkness.

Gifts of the Magi

At the Christmas liturgy, an excerpt from the Gospel about the worship of the Magi is read. By the way, the custom of giving gifts at Christmas is associated with this episode. Holy Scripture. Just as the Magi presented their gifts to the Christ Child, so we give gifts to each other. These gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh (myrrh) - are symbolic. Gold was presented to the Baby as a King, incense - as God, myrrh - as a Man who would suffer and die, because this substance was used in the embalming of buried bodies.

Symbolism of preparation for Christmas

To dive even deeper into the meaning of the holiday, let's go back a little. The forefeast of Christmas, that is, special church services preceding the holiday, lasts from January 2 to January 6. For other holidays, the forefeast lasts only 1 day. And what’s interesting is that church services during the preparation for Christmas have a parallel with the texts of the services Holy Week. This reminds us that the Incarnation of the Savior is the first step towards His redemptive mission.

Moreover, birth itself in the form of a defenseless child is a huge step of God towards people, a temporary renunciation of his limitless power, as it is called in Theology - kenosis (from the Greek: Condescension).

The Baby was born not in the royal chambers, but in a manger; there was no place for Mary and Joseph even in the hotel. The world did not greet him well. The persecution of the future Messiah began from birth. King Herod, who learned from the wise men about who was born in Bethlehem, carried out the massacre of the infants because he was afraid that new Tsar will take away his power. Mary and Joseph and the baby managed to escape to Egypt.

Peace in the soul

No one knew that Jesus was not born for earthly power. “My kingdom is not of this world,” said the Savior. The Kingdom of Heaven will not come to earth until the end of time. But we can open our hearts to Christ, and then He will reign in our hearts, and peace will come in them. After all, according to Christ, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

You can strive for this at any time of the year and at any period of life, and Orthodox holidays will remind you of the most important thing - about God, about love, about our own soul. If the Nativity of Christ left just such a mark on a person, it means that it was not in vain for him and he met it correctly, regardless of whether he followed any traditions.

Orthodox Christmas service from January 6 to 7 takes place in churches and temples around the world.

Christmas services begin on January 6th in the morning, ending at 1-3 am on the 7th, but from time to time already at dawn - with a Liturgy with carol singing...

On Christmas Eve, parishioners go to church for evening service, confess, and receive communion. The ministers in the church know approximately their own parish; the duration of the service depends on the number of people.

Therefore, the starting time is determined differently - the All-Night Vigil occurs on the eve of major church holidays, the beginning in various Temples is from 17:00 to 23:00.

Great Vespers (Great Compline) begins with hymns, after which from time to time they confess almost until midnight, and then at 00:00 the night Christmas liturgy, and from time to time, on the contrary, first the whole service, then confession and communion, here strict rules No…

The service for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ begins late in the evening on January 6th. Usually at 11 o'clock after midnight in all Orthodox churches A special festive service is held, which lasts until approximately 3 - 4 o'clock in the morning.

On the feast of the Nativity of Christ on the night of the event it is served all-night vigil, hours and divine liturgy of John Chrysostom. The All-Night Vigil begins not with the usual Vespers, but with Compline. Most of the liturgical texts of this service are proofread. However, at Christmas Compline there is a main solemn festive hymn. It involves singing in chorus verses from the prophetic book of Isaiah about how God himself is now present with people, who is great and mighty. The Lord is called in this hymn the Father of the future age. This chant begins with the words “God is with us, understand the pagans and repent, as God is with us.” The holiday chant itself is briefly named after the first words of Isaiah’s prophecy - “God is with us.”

noname writes: I went to church this morning and asked what time the Christmas service would start, they told me it was at twelve. Wow! I have never been to a Christmas service, and in connection with this the question is: how long does it last? 2 hours? Or more? Who was it?

As I understand it, at 12 at night, not at 12 in the afternoon. You have two options: 1) from 12 at night the Christmas all-night vigil is served, consisting of Great Compline, Matins and the 1st hour, then, as usual: 3, 6 o’clock and Liturgy, 2) or the all-night vigil is served in advance, in the evening , and at 12 the hours, confession and Liturgy begin. I'm almost sure that you have option 1, although anything can happen in our kingdom. According to the 1st option, 3-4 hours minimum, according to the second - 1.5-3...

I’m telling you, we had something to do - we finished in the morning, an hour before transport, but we had to leave the entrance to the monastery and the Great Cathedral open - many without cars, and there was no way to leave. Then they stopped doing this - apparently, they decided that it wasn’t a good thing, after all, for strangers to hang around the monastery at night.

When we had a smaller parish, we always served at night and finished in the morning. And before the first transport, everyone just had time to break their fast together. But now there are a lot of people, it’s more difficult to organize a general breaking of the fast. In addition, previously those who prepared tea and sandwiches were actually unable to fully participate in the service (and these were not other people’s mercenaries, but our parishioners and church employees). Therefore, now the general holiday no longer takes place after the night service, but during the day next day, when people have already rested and slept.
But if someone does not have time to leave at night for some reason (for example, traveling far and with transfers), they calmly stay overnight in the temple, there is no one in the cold...

At night, festive services were held in all churches and temples in Russia. The center of these celebrations was the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Over 5 thousand people gathered there last night. Despite the fact that entrance to the temple was free, it could not accommodate everyone.

An icon of the Nativity was installed in the center of the temple; this was a gift from Bethlehem for the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. The Christmas service was led by Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. He served Compline, Matins and the Divine Liturgy.

On the night of January 6th to 7th, the Nativity Fast also ends. Therefore, all believers have a festive meal in the morning. Usually they bake a goose with apples, and instead of dessert they bake a cake in the shape of a clock with hands approaching midnight.

In the villages they sing carols and exchange gifts. But, perhaps, the most important tradition of Christmas is to do good deeds on these days, so that no one on this bright holiday feels...

The solemn liturgy also took place in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Poikovsky.

Nikolai Savin is always on duty on Christmas Eve. Helps lead the service. For him, this holiday gives special joy.

When a child is born in the house - what feelings can there be? Anticipation of the birth of a new man, and here Christ himself appeared. Life itself has appeared for all of us, believers and non-believers. Savior of all who are waiting for salvation, - Nikolai Savin, head of the household of the Church of the Holy Trinity, shares his joy

Dozens of Poikovo residents came to the all-night vigil to pray for the birth of the savior of the world. But it is precisely on this world-saving holiday that there are always a lot of young people in the church. Moreover, they come to the temple of the urban settlement even from other cities.

On this bright holiday, it is customary to wear white clothes and give Christmas gifts. And also go caroling.

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ...

yesterday at 02:15

RIA Voronezh

About 1.5 thousand people came to Christmas services in the churches of Pavlovsk

Festive services dedicated to the Nativity of Christ were held in the Kazan and Intercession churches of Pavlovsk on Thursday, January 7. ...In the churches, the Christmas messages of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, the head of the Voronezh Metropolis, Bishop Sergius, and the ruling bishop of the Rossoshan diocese, Bishop Andrei, were read out.

Kommersant-Online

Christmas in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

On January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the most important Christian holidays - the Nativity of Christ. How the service took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - in the Kommersant photo gallery. On January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the most important Christian holidays - the Nativity of Christ.

Festive services were held across the planet

Festive services...

Bronchitis is characterized by inflammation inner shell(mucous membrane) of the bronchi. The bronchi are the air passages that carry air into the lungs. They are lined with fine, tiny hairs called cilia. The cilia eliminate foreign substances such as dust so that they do not enter the lungs.

When the bronchi are inflamed, the work of the cilia goes astray, and coughing will be the main symptom of a disease such as bronchitis. A cough is the body's response to cope with irritants and infections. It also prevents the accumulation of excess mucus in the bronchi and helps expel it from the air passage.

What are the main symptoms of bronchitis?

One of the most distinctive features bronchitis is expectorant cough which produces excess yellowish sputum.

Other symptoms include:

Sore throat; Slight increase in temperature; Dyspnea; Headache; Cough followed by chest pain; Chills; ...

Druzhinina Elena, 2-"B" class, MBOU Secondary School No. 4, Lensk

Head: Plakhova O.N., teacher primary classes MBOU secondary school No. 4

Orthodox holidays. Christmas.

One of my favorite Orthodox holidays is the great twelfth feast of the Church, the Nativity of Christ.

At the time when Mary was destined to give birth to a baby, a census of the population of the Roman Empire was taking place by order of Emperor Augustus. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, because according to the same decree of the emperor, in order to facilitate the census process, each resident had to come to “their” city. Both Mary and Joseph were from the line of David, so they had to go to Bethlehem.

After Mary and Joseph were unable to stay at the inn because all the places were occupied, they were forced to spend the night in a cave intended to shelter livestock for the night. It was in this cave (later called the Cave of the Nativity) that Mary went into labor. She gave birth to a son, whom she named...

For Orthodox Christians who celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, Christmas Eve began on Wednesday. By tradition, the Orthodox Church celebrates it two weeks later than representatives of other Christian denominations.

Christmas Eve is the eve of the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany, respectively. On Christmas Eve, Christmastide begins - two weeks of winter holidays, continuing until Epiphany, which is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 19. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve it is customary to refuse food until the first star.

In Lithuania, services began on the morning of January 6, and on the night from the 6th to the 7th in Prechistensky cathedral All-night service will be held in Vilnius.

In the morning, the service of the Eve of the Nativity of Christ began in Orthodox churches. IN different temples it starts at different times.

In Lithuania today there are about 130,000...

Christmas is the biggest Orthodox holiday after Easter (Resurrection of Christ). Celebrated on the evening of January 6th (this day is called “Christmas Eve”) and on the afternoon of January 7th. (These dates correspond to December 24 and 25, old style).

The Nativity of Christ is preceded by the Nativity Fast, which lasts 40 days; from November 28 to January 6 (according to the new calendar). January 6—Christmas Eve—is a day of strict fasting, during which one is supposed to completely abstain from food “until the first star.” The fast ends with the end of the service on January 7th.

The story of the birth of Christ. During services, readings and songs mention the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (Luke 2:1-21), which was predicted by many prophets. In particular, it is mentioned how this historical event took place: “The Roman Emperor Augustus ordered that...

On the night of January 6th to 7th, new style (December 25, old style) Orthodox Church With a solemn service it celebrates perhaps the most joyful Christian holiday - the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. This great holiday is dedicated to the memory of the coming to our earthly world of the Limitless and Beginningless Divinity - one of the Persons Holy Trinity- God the Son.

The assignment of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ to December 25 according to the old style is not due to the historical correspondence of this date to the true birthday of the Lord, which remains unknown both in antiquity and to this day.

Christ was born more than two thousand years ago from the Most Pure and Immaculate Virgin Mary, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, who lived in the town of Nazareth with her imaginary husband, but rather a guardian,...

Forever, or Christmas Eve, is the last day before Christmas, on which it is necessary to properly prepare for the upcoming holiday. This important time in the life of every person, because on January 6, the period of prayers and fulfillment of desires begins.

Christmas Eve is the time when long and strict abstinence ends, second in importance only to Lent. On Christmas Eve, according to tradition, it is not customary to eat food until the night sky is illuminated by the Star of Bethlehem, symbolizing the Birth of the Savior. This is a special holiday: spiritual, solemn and joyful.

History of the holiday

The origin of the holiday is rooted in the deep past. In ancient times, Christmas Eve and Epiphany were celebrated on the same day. A connection can really be made between them, because these two festivals are directly related to spiritual cleansing, rebirth and new life. With the advent of the Julian calendar, these two holidays were separated. But to this day, in church liturgies dedicated to Epiphany and Christmas Eve, you can find similar Christmas messages, although they are celebrated at different times.

Since ancient times, people have tried on Christmas Eve. With the advent of January 6, Christmas fortune-telling gained strength, which to this day are considered the most accurate. Christmas Eve is a magical time when every person has the opportunity to establish close connection With By higher powers. It is believed that on this day not only predictions, but also wishes come true. With the arrival of Christmas Eve until Epiphany, people have two weeks that differ from all other days of the strong energy. The atmosphere around is literally saturated with light, happiness and love. And this is no coincidence, because the Son of God was born on earth, whose appearance was felt by everyone.

Traditions and fasting on Christmas Eve

The day before Christmas is considered the strictest for everyone who fasts. Although the Nativity Fast is coming to an end on January 6, for believers this is another chance to show their love and devotion to the Lord. After the first star appears in the sky, everyone is allowed to try a special dish, which includes wheat or rice water with the addition of fruit and honey. People call this dish sochivom, from which the day before Christmas - Christmas Eve - got its name.

By 10 o'clock in the evening, the evening service begins in churches, which smoothly leads believers to the celebration of Christmas. Forever helps people rethink their lives and cleanse themselves spiritually. This is a day of unity with the Lord, which must be spent in prayer and repentance. Our ancestors gave great value this day and began to celebrate it long before sunrise.

On the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, it is customary to read prayers of thanks to God and all the saints. It is the words of prayer that will help you establish a connection between you and the Heavenly Patrons, and any request you ask Heaven for will not go unanswered. We wish you peace in your soul. Take care of yourself and don't forget to press the buttons and

05.01.2018 06:34

Orthodox Christians begin to celebrate many church festivals with an evening service. Therefore, almost every major holiday...

January 6 – Forever Nativity of Christ, or Christmas Eve, – last day Nativity Fast, eve Nativity of Christ. On this day, Orthodox Christians especially prepare for the upcoming holiday; the whole day is filled with a special festive mood. 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 Typikon 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 temple 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 more strict fasting. 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. It's about It’s not about putting a weak person in a hospital, but about strengthening a person spiritually. Illness is already a difficult fast and feat. 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, people often ask whether it is a sin young man, not infirm, without children, 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 Easter– 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, it begins festive feast. 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 all, due to age, health and spiritual level able to go to church and take part in the service. But we must remember that the Lord rewards 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

On Sunday, January 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Christ. The holiday was initially considered a church holiday, but has long become simply popular, because pagan traditions on this day are closely intertwined with established by the church rules. Many who are not familiar with the instructions are wondering whether they need to go to church on Christmas and when exactly to go. We will talk about this in our material.

Let’s answer the first question right away - you definitely need to go to church on Christmas. First of all this church holiday, honoring the date of the Birth of the Son of God, which means fun and festivities should be postponed until later and begin the holiday with prayer and forgiveness of all sins.

On Christmas night from January 6 to 7, a festive Divine Liturgy is celebrated. On Christmas Day itself, believers celebrate and feast - break their fast (now it is allowed to eat not only fasting food, but also fasting food). The twelve days after Christmas are called holy days, or Christmastide.

When to go to church on Christmas

On Christmas Day, as well as on Easter, services are held in churches and temples all night - from the evening of January 6 until the morning of January 7. Believers must be present at the service - some stand throughout the entire time, and some come after midnight, having met the first star at home with loved ones at a Lenten dinner, which, according to biblical legend, told about the birth of Christ, bringing the Magi to him with gifts.

The evening before Christmas is called Christmas Eve and it must be spent either in church or at home - in prayer, in the circle of loved ones.

On Christmas Day, two liturgies are celebrated. Participation in them is considered the main element of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries is the main joy and main event for those who are preparing for the holiday with a forty-day Nativity fast. It is very important to take communion on January 6, the day of Christmas Eve, and to be at the service, if possible, from the very beginning. Great Vespers to hear the wonderful stichera - the highest example of church poetry.

If you still haven't followed good reasons in church - you can pray at home. Be sure to light candles that symbolize the warmth that envelops the faith and blessing of heaven on all people on earth.

What to bring to church

On the Nativity of Christ, there is no lighting of food or water in the church, and therefore there is no need to take anything special with you. It is important to have pure thoughts, a bright pre-holiday mood and an understanding of the importance of the holiday in the life of each individual and society as a whole.

Many take offerings with them to church - giving alms is considered the main tradition of Christmas Eve and Christmas, because on the holiday it is necessary to demonstrate all existing Christian virtues.

On the eve of Christmas, believers do not eat for the whole day - the last day of Philip's fast, which lasted a long 40 days, is considered the strictest. You can have dinner only after the first star rises in the sky, but all dishes must be lean. The main treat at Christmas is considered sochivo - grains of wheat or other cereals, to which all kinds of sweets are added (raisins, dried fruits, honey, fruit syrup, nuts, poppy seeds, etc.).

The end of Lent begins on the morning of January 7 - after the end of church hymns. Here all the prohibitions are lifted and believers break their fast with meat, sweets, dairy products and everything that was forbidden.

If you've been fasting, it's a good idea to start eating normally - don't overeat on Christmas Day, as this can be harmful to your health.

By the way, there is an interesting and important sign associated with food on the holiday - on Christmas Eve you should try a little of all the dishes, but you should not fill yourself up and eat everything cooked, as this can bring emptiness and hunger into your home for the entire next year.