Procession how many circles pass. Conversations with Father

Since the morning of Holy Saturday, believers have been asking each other a question, Procession for Easter 2019: what time. We can fully answer this question. Moreover, the date and time of the procession does not change from year to year. Or rather, the date changes, but the event - Easter, always remains the same.

On Saturday, after the fussy preparations for the holiday, when all the Easter cakes are ready and the eggs are painted, you can relax a bit. But, it should be remembered that the Easter evening service begins at 20.00. In general, it is better to have time to do all the work before this time and already calmly go to the service. If you want to get only to the procession, then you need to come closer to midnight.

How is the procession

The procession is some kind of independent action in itself. It runs within
festive Easter service. Rather, it divides the worship itself into two parts. At first, these are still mournful prayers about what happened to Christ on Holy Week. Then the priest, followed by all the ministers, and behind them the faithful go out into the street, where the procession is being performed.

During the course, church servants carry the most important icons, also banners, lamps. Three times you need to go around the temple and each time stop at the door of the temple. The first two times the doors will be closed, and the third time the doors will open. And this is a good sign that tells us that Easter has come. Already after the procession and after the priest informs everyone about the approach of Easter, the clergy change into white festive clothes and the service continues for several more hours.

It turns out that the date when the Procession of the Cross 2019 is April 27. Rather, the service will begin in the evening, at 20:00 on April 27, but will gradually move to April 28. The Easter service is amazing and very beautiful. If you have never gone to church this night before, we strongly recommend that you do so. In principle, you need to reach at least the procession and make it. Then, if the forces already leave, you can go home.

What to do after the procession

Yes, in the church, together with other believers, you were the first to learn the good news that Christ is Risen. This means that Easter has come and Lent will end. You can eat any food, rejoice and have fun. But you should not eat illuminated foods immediately after you come home: no matter how much you want. According to the church charter, this is fundamentally wrong.

You should definitely go to bed, and in the morning start celebrating Easter for real. In the morning the whole family gathers at the table. An Easter cake is placed in the center of the table, in which there is a candle from the church, illuminated products are laid out around the Easter cake. You should light a candle and start your morning with a prayer. Then each family member should eat a small piece of each illuminated product. After that, you can start eating, beat eggs and just enjoy such a wonderful, bright and eventful holiday.

So, you already know what time the procession for Easter will be, and how it will take place. It remains only to find the strength in yourself to go to church on this holy night. By the way, we remind you that on Great Saturday it is recommended to adhere to a strict fast. This means not to eat until the end of the evening service, and after it, eat bread and drink water. But, there is very little left until Easter comes and how the period of restrictions ends. Christ is Risen, which means that we can celebrate this event in full force.

What is the Procession of the Cross and why do believers need to go on a prayer procession with an icon? To properly pass the procession, you need to understand its meaning. Our life is a long road and, following this path, we can both grow in piety and commit sins. Many events require self-denial, the ability to overcome difficulties, to walk the long path of life with prayer. The procession is a symbolic procession along the path of life. We tell ourselves and others that we want to follow the path of Christ, because to be with the Lord is the main goal of our earthly life. At this time, we do not just go, hoping that the procession with the icon of the saint can somehow magically affect us, we pray. The procession is a time of prayer and reflection on one's life, one's path and its meaning. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them." It is also the "communion of the saints", an opportunity to feel unity with one's fellow believers. Show love and mercy to those who find it difficult to walk. Pray together. The procession is important for believers.

People organize a procession with icons and other Orthodox shrines to glorify the Lord. Icons are carried ahead so that the saints “lead” the procession with prayer. Religious processions can take place along any route. Sometimes they consecrate sites that are notorious for tragic events, sometimes the procession takes place along a route that has some symbolic meaning for the Orthodox. But its essence is not in the distance from point A to point B, but in the desire to glorify God and His saints, in prayer. Sometimes a religious procession is a petition (for rain, for better living conditions, for help for the sick, for the repose of the dead).

Orthodox procession: history and traditions in Russia

The ancient tradition of the procession began to revive in Russia quite recently. Before the revolution, prayer processions were common. In difficult times, Russian people were supported by religious processions with the icon of saints. Then not only ordinary pilgrims walked, but also the highest church clergy, as is happening now. People went for support to St. Sergius, to the Solovetsky saints, to monasteries and temples. The Velikoretsky Cross Procession went to the place of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This procession is probably the most difficult in the history of Russia. People walk for 150 km on bad roads, in difficult conditions, part of the way passes through the forest, where there are no roads at all. In times of theomachism, pilgrims who were going to the religious procession were detained by the police. He was few in number. Now it is, on the contrary, one of the largest gatherings of believers.

Traditions of the Velikoretsk Cross Procession for 600 years. It is connected with the history of the Orthodox miracle. It is believed that a certain pious person was passing near the Great River and suddenly saw a heavenly light resembling the flame of burning candles. In awe, he did not dare to approach this place. But when he returned home, he saw that the light was still on. He crossed himself and, overcoming fear, went to this place. It turned out that next to a small source is the image of St. Nicholas. A pious man, whose name was Semyon Agalakov, in 1383 helped the Church acquire the Velikoretsky image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

After this event, amazing things began to happen in the nearby village: the healing of the sick. And the pilgrimage to the icon began. At first people walked one by one, and then together. People began to come from other places, having heard about the miracle. The icon, in the end, was transferred to Khlynov, but every year people bring it in procession with a prayer procession to the place of miraculous finding. The route is so difficult that the first religious processions were made on the water.

Modern pilgrims also plunge into the water of the holy spring at the place where the icon was found, when they make the procession. A small chapel was also built there. And the inhabitants of the villages of Medyany and Murygino kneel and make the sign of the cross when the prayer procession passes by.

Father Alexander Zverev, rector of the Velikoretskaya church from 1994 to 2005, said that another ancient miracle happened when the builders who laid the foundation of the church at the site of the appearance of the icon in the morning found logs far from this place. This was repeated for several days. And one more amazing event: in 1554 a great fire destroyed the cathedral, in which the Velikoretskaya shrine was located, but the icon was not damaged. A year later, the image made its first journey to the place where the icon was found in the procession. The Velikoretskaya icon was seen off with great honor. She visited Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan the Terrible met the image in the capital. The king decided to consecrate the chapel of St. Basil's Cathedral in honor of the Vyatka saint. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, in the difficult years of Russian unrest, also asked to bring the image to Moscow.

Types of procession

The procession can be dedicated to one or another miraculous event, an important date. Church holiday (for example, Easter). Can pass through an important area for people to consecrate it with universal prayer

It may vary along the route. Both in the length of the route and in the shape. So sometimes believers go in circles. Such a procession with an icon does not happen by chance. The circle is a symbol of infinity, Eternal life, which the Lord gives us.

But the procession can also have an end point. Like the path of Christ to Golgotha, when he was accompanied by his disciples, or the path of the myrrh-bearing women to the Tomb of Christ.

Together with the icons in the prayer procession in front, people carry the Cross. Therefore, the move is called the “godfather”. This custom is not only in the Orthodox, but also in the Catholic Church.

Procession of the Catholics

The very first procession, without realizing it, was made by Emperor Constantine I the Great. He saw the Cross in the sky and the words “By this you conquer”. The emperor ordered to make banners and shields with the image of the Crucifixion, and so his army went to the enemy. Now this role is played during the procession of the banners.

Basically, processions are performed by:

• For big church holidays
• To consecrate places where Orthodox miracles took place
• For the burial of the dead
• To ask for salvation in times of trouble or drought in places where rain is needed (for example)

Missionary work also plays a special role. So, thanks to the Velikoretsky cross procession, many local residents from nearby villages could join the ancient church tradition and pray.

The procession usually goes against the sun.

Prayer procession is now performed not only on foot. So the procession is carried out by Orthodox, difficult sections, and the waterways are sailed on boats. Therefore, in this case, the word "move" has only a formal meaning.

The procession can be not only for adults, but also for children. Some dioceses hold a special one.

It is also done for. In the Kursk diocese, a religious procession is held with sign language translation for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Annual religious processions in Russia

Procession - prayer procession with an icon

Velikoretsky cross procession

Usually the most numerous. It is held from 3 to 8 June each year. The number of pilgrims is in the tens of thousands. So in 2008 they counted 30 thousand people. The procession starts from Kirov, goes to the village of Velikoretskoye and returns again to Kirov. This procession is considered the most difficult in terms of length and features of the route.

George's procession

They take place annually in St. Petersburg. A prayer procession with the icon of St. George is held to honor the memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic War.

Procession in memory of all New Martyrs and Confessors of Russiaconducted by the Saratov diocese. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died during the persecution of the Church by the Soviet authorities. Then the inhabitants of the cave monastery were killed.

Religious procession "The path of St. Sergius"

The religious procession "The path of St. Sergius" goes through the Radonezh land. The prayer procession with the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh passes through places that are associated with earthly life and miracles through the prayers of St. Sergius.

Volga procession

The Volga religious procession is organized in the Tver diocese. It goes from the source of the Volga to the Dnieper and the Western Dvina, the first Volga procession was held with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II.

Easter Procession: rules and meaning

The service begins on the evening of Holy Saturday. The Midnight Office performs first. This part of the service is filled with sorrow for the earthly sufferings of the Savior. The shroud of Christ (plate with the image of Christ in the Tomb) is fumigated with a censer and moved to the altar. She will remain on the throne until the Feast of the Ascension. Next up is Easter Sunday. The joyful and solemn ringing of bells announces the coming Resurrection of Christ.

The procession is also held on Easter

It is then that the prayer procession for Easter begins. The temple is walked around three times, stopping at its doors. The procession is at the door of the temple. The doors are closed. This is a symbol of the stone that blocked the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. For the third time, the doors of the temple open, the stone falls, and we hear the Bright Matins. The festive singing of bells during the procession on Easter is one of the most complex types of bell ringing, which is called “chime”. If you have heard the expression “ringing of bells”, then we are talking primarily about the Easter service and the ringing during the prayer procession. The bells in the temple do not always ring.

The meaning of the procession for an Orthodox person

In Church life, there are external traditions and rituals that contribute to spiritual growth inside, in the soul of a person. A prayer procession with an icon (a religious procession) is a new spiritual experience for a Christian, an opportunity to rethink a lot, ask the saints for intercession before the Lord, healing or answers to questions that torment a person. This experience cannot be acquired by the power of thought, no knowledge can give it, the experience that prayers and unity with brothers and sisters in faith give is absolutely unique. In many ways, the procession is also a sacrifice that Christians bring to the Lord.

Issue 107 dated 1/18/2006. Theme "History of the city"

What do we associate today with the Orthodox feast of the Baptism of the Lord? The expression "Epiphany frosts". The holiness and extraordinary purity of the water taken from the source on this day. According to beliefs, even the water pouring from an ordinary water tap at Epiphany has a special power, and the whole year remains transparent and clean. After decades of struggle with religion, the very meaning of the holiday and the rituals associated with it were gradually somehow obscured. It is interesting to recall facts from the life of old Yekaterinoslav connected with the feast of Epiphany.

Assumption Church
(now rebuilt - city hospital No. 10)

What is "Jordan"?

Today, the entrance to the "New" bridge from the central part of Dnepropetrovsk passes along Kotsyubinsky Street. Few people now remember that the old name of the street is Jordanskaya. What is the Jordan on the Dnieper? The Jordan River is located in Palestine, the news constantly talks about the "West Bank of the Jordan River" - a disputed territory between Palestine and Israel. But there really is a connection. Jordan Street in Yekaterinoslav became due to the fact that at its very end, in the Dnieper River, an ice hole was arranged for the Feast of Epiphany - “Jordan”.

Jordan is a place on the river where water is consecrated on the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, in Russia this was the name of a special hole cut down for the festive consecration of water. They called it so in honor of the very Jordan River in Palestine, in the waters of which John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ.

The rite of consecration with the arrangement of the Jordan was strictly observed not only in Yekaterinoslav, but in all Russian cities. A building was always built over the Jordan, which looked like a chapel, over which a cross was erected. Inside were images of biblical scenes, and, above all, the baptism of Jesus Christ. After the ritual of consecration, the water in the river was considered sacred, it was collected and taken home, the corners in the houses were sprinkled, and the weak and sick were given water.

This holiday is one of the twelve most important in the Orthodox Church. It completes the Christmas cycle of holidays, which in our time is accompanied by the celebration of the New Year. Thus, the memory of how Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River by John the Baptist is preserved. In the people this holiday is also called the Epiphany. Because allegedly during the baptism of Christ, God - the holy spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove. In Russia, the feast of the Epiphany coincided in time with the period of the end of the Slavic Christmas holidays. That is why folk rituals, dating back to paganism, and biblical symbolism are closely intertwined in the rite of celebration.

Epiphany rites of consecration of water emphasize its cleansing power. The main event of the celebration has always been the rite of the "great consecration of the waters in the Jordan." It was performed in the temple, then the procession and the blessing of water on the river were held. The Epiphany festivities have always been attended by a mass of townspeople, and the procession and the rite of consecration of water were one of the favorite and memorable festive events. In Yekaterinoslav, the main ceremony was held, of course, in the Dnieper River.

Rite of consecration of water in the Dnieper River

Since when did the rite of consecration of water on the Dnieper (first of all, on the feast of Epiphany) begin to be held in Yekaterinoslav? There is reason to believe that this rite appeared in the earliest period of the city's history, in the 1790s-1810s. Already at the beginning of the construction of the city on the Dnieper, difficulties with the rapid development of the upland part became obvious (as a whole, it was mastered only by the beginning of the 20th century). The main building of the new city was concentrated in several quarters in the lowland part of the Dnieper.

The spiritual centers of the new city were two churches - Trinity and Assumption (first wooden, and then stone). They played the role of the main buildings of the city until the construction of the Transfiguration Cathedral (1835). But even after that they retained their significance. The Church of the Kazan Mother of God on the site of the modern Trinity Church has been fixed since the 1790s. Around 1845 (different dates are given - 1845, 1846, 1849) a stone church was built in its place, and a little later a bell tower was added (now the Trinity Cathedral). The wooden Assumption Church was founded on August 31, 1796. In 1839-1850. To the east of it, a stone Assumption Church was built (in a rebuilt form now - the city hospital No. 10).

The rite of the procession and water blessing on the river. The Dnieper was supposed to be held from the very appearance of the first temples of Yekaterinoslav (late 18th - early 20th centuries), and always in the lowland part of the city. Because the cathedral was not built on the “mountain”, the “mountain” itself remained semi-desert and was built up until the middle of the 20th century.

Where was the water blessing ceremony held?

Vladimir Mashukov, the author of the very valuable “Memories of the city of Yekaterinoslav (1887 - 1910)”, writes: “Jordanskaya street got its name, probably from the processions made along it from the Assumption Church for water blessing in the Dnieper River: January 6; Mid-Pentecost and August 1st. The inhabitants of this street are predominantly Jews, and at one time there was even an idea to make a permanent blessing of water in the branch of the Dnieper, against Burakovsky (now Bogomolovsky) Island, but passing between the trees along the narrow, winding paths of the Potemkin Garden and the steep descent to the lower part of the garden turned out to be too inconvenient to follow procession." He writes further: “In 1899, on August 1, a religious procession was made here from the cathedral and the water was consecrated on the banks of the Potemkin Garden between the water tower and the bishop's garden.” In the modern geography of Dnepropetrovsk, the Potemkin Garden is Shevchenko Park; the area opposite the island is the area of ​​the Mayak restaurant, and "between the water tower and the bishop's garden" is the area of ​​the Embankment near the modern Merefo-Kherson bridge.

As you can see, the difficulties of the transition forced the place of the ceremony to be moved and finally fixed in the lower part of the city. By the beginning of the twentieth century. the rite of consecration of water was firmly entrenched in the lower part of Yekaterinoslav.

A fragment of Yekaterinoslav's plan of 1897. The arrow shows the place where the Jordan was located.

Where exactly was the ceremony held? Comparing the data of Yekaterinoslav's plans, we can conclude that from the very beginning, the consecration of water was carried out precisely on the banks of the Dnieper at the exit point of Iordanskaya (Kotsyubinsky) Street. Already at the beginning of the XIX century. there is an intensive development of the lower part of Yekaterinoslav. Moreover, coastal areas are built up mainly by small industrial enterprises and various (mainly timber) warehouses. By the middle of the 19th century, Yekaterinoslav, originally planned as a city “open to the river”, finally “fenced off” from the Dnieper. (This situation was corrected only in the middle of the twentieth century, after the construction of the grandiose Embankment).

The only constant "clearance" in the coastal development was in the quarter of the modern streets of Mironov and Kotsyubinsky. It remains free on all plans of the city of the 19th century. According to the general plan of Yekaterinoslav in 1817 (architect William Geste), a vast area was designed here. Over time, the development of the Dnieper territory became denser. The "Forest Square" to the northwest of the "Jordan" was also gradually built up, and the "clearance" still remained free. The toponym - the name of the street - "Jordanskaya" is found for the first time on the plan of 1885 and since then it has been on all plans of the city. In 1897, a tram line "Vokzal - Iordanskaya" was laid here.

Procession to Epiphany in 1914

The procession is a solemn procession with banners, icons and other shrines, in honor of an event. Religious processions are necessarily held on Easter and on Epiphany, but they can also be held on other occasions to worship local shrines. Sources have preserved for us a description of the feast of Epiphany - the procession and the rite of blessing water in the river. Dnieper in Yekaterinoslav in 1914

On the eve of the holiday, local authorities closed entertainment and entertainment facilities. The press announced that on January 6 at 9 o'clock in the morning a divine liturgy would be performed in the Assumption Church, and then a procession to the Dnieper with the blessing of water would take place. All the clergy were to appear in the Assumption Church in yellow vestments.

And the day before, on January 5, on the so-called Epiphany Christmas Eve, at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Episcopal Holy Cross Church (which has not survived to this day), Bishop Agapit of Yekaterinoslav and Mariupol held a special liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, vespers, blessing of water and matins.

On January 6 at 9 am, Bishop Agapit solemnly celebrated the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in the Assumption Church. He was assisted by the rector of the local theological seminary, the rector of the Assumption Church, the dean of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration Cathedral, a mass of priests of the Assumption and other churches of Yekaterinoslav. Two choirs of singers participated: the Bishop's and the Assumption Church.

And at 11 o'clock in the morning, processions from the Resurrection, Trinity, Ascension and other churches converged near the Assumption Church. Having finished the liturgy, Bishop Agapit, with a cross in his hands, began the procession. A choir of singers sang, a bell chimed, and a brass band played the melody “Kol is Glorious” (the chimes on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin sounded the same way then). The choir walked along Jordan Street to the Dnieper River. Here, on the shore, a tent had already been specially built, decorated with national flags and Christmas trees, draped with white cloth. Vladyka, accompanied by higher clergy, consecrated the water. When the bishop plunged the holy cross into the water, a triple salute was fired from cannons.

While the procession marched from the Assumption Church along Jordan Street to the river. Dnieper, he was accompanied by troops of the local garrison. The entire Assumption Square and the adjacent streets were filled with crowds of people. Ekaterinoslav Governor V.A. Kolobov, Vice-Governor I.A. Titishchev, advisers and officials of the provincial government, city police chief Lieutenant Colonel P.U. Metlenko, mayor I.V. Capable, vowels of the city duma and many other "commanding persons of the city, both military and civilian departments." After the end of the service, a parade of troops from the local garrison took place on the square near Jordan. Bishop Agapit sprinkled the troops and left for his residence and the bishop's church.

After the Feast of the Epiphany, the Yekaterinoslav governor especially thanked the police officers for maintaining proper order in the city during the procession.

Such was the celebration of Epiphany in the last "relatively calm" year of the Russian Empire. A few months later, the First World War began, and three years later the Russian Empire itself was gone.

New times. End of Jordan. Embankment.

During the difficult period of revolutionary cataclysms of 1917-1921. the place for the rite of consecration of water could vary depending on the change in the situation in the city. So, for example, in the "Diary of Anatoly Starodubov" (published in 2001 under the title "Notes of an Eyewitness" in 2 books), there is no information about the rite of blessing "on the Jordan" in the diary for 1918-1921.

This is how the bank of the Dnieper looked like at the beginning of the 20th century.
from modern Liteinaya street.
In the background is the area where Jordan was located.

After the establishment of Soviet power, the rite of consecration in the Dnieper River in the area of ​​Jordan Street continued to be held for some time. Since 1922, in the diary of A.F. Starodubov again there are records about the blessing of water "in the Jordan", i.e. on the banks of the Dnieper at the end of Jordan Street (modern Kotsyubinsky). “1922. Baptism. The weather is frosty. I went to Trinity, where Agapit served. By the end of mass, processions from all churches began to gather here. After mass, to the ringing of bells, they went to the Jordan. When they began to sanctify the water, the ice cracked. On the Dnieper, a cross was cut out of ice and pine trees were planted. After the consecration of the water, the Red Army soldiers began to shoot from their guns, released doves. In 1923: “On the Dnieper, 4 ice candlesticks were made of ice with icicles instead of candles, and Christmas trees were planted in ice coasters.” The last time Anatoly Starodubov mentions the procession and Jordan in 1926.

And then a fundamentally different era began - the struggle against religion and its "remnants". At first, the choral synagogue was not lucky - it was closed in 1929 (since 2000 it has been functioning again under the name "Golden Rose"). The Assumption Church was closed in 1936, but now it is no longer possible to see its five domes and high bell tower. They were dismantled, only a brick box was left from the building, the city hospital No. 10 was placed here. The hospital is here and now. If you enter the bridge, the building can be seen on the right side.

Jordan Street itself received in 1923. the name of the Ukrainian writer Mikhail Kotsyubinsky. The color of the area began to recede into the past with the active participation of the Soviet authorities. In the second half of the 1930s. in this place, work was carried out on the construction of the first section of the Dnieper embankment. The second stage of the Embankment appeared in the late 1950s. In 1944 a wooden bridge was built (on the site of the Central Bridge). The central (so-called New) bridge was opened in 1967 on the "50th anniversary of the Great October Revolution". The line of the bridge passed just on the site of the former Jordan. In 2005, this section of the Embankment was overhauled: the tiles were completely re-laid, the boulevards were re-arranged, fountains were built on the Embankment and in the Dnieper itself, and sculptures were put up. The section of the Embankment opposite the circus, where water blessing was carried out in old Yekaterinoslav, is now occupied by various entertainment facilities (cafes, restaurants).

However, Jordan's story does not end there. It is quite possible that the tradition of the procession from all the churches of the city to the Dnieper and the rite of consecration of water on the feast of Epiphany may be resumed. For this, only interest and memory of traditions are needed.

a source http://www.realnest.com.ua/information/articles/381

On July 27, a religious procession will take place from Vladimirskaya Gorka to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Some perceive this as a demonstration of the power, the power of the Church. Opponents of the Church - as a political demonstration. What is a procession, really?

In the Church throughout its history, forms of service to God were not limited to verbal prayer. From the time of the appearance of worship, along with such prayer, there was “prayer with the hands” (for example, the sign of the cross) and “prayer with the feet” - participation in prayer processions. Such processions were never perceived as a demonstration of strength or a political action, it was always a divine service, during which one had to not only pray to God with the mind, but also reinforce one's prayer with physical labor - sometimes with a very long procession.

We find an example of such a prayer procession even in the early Church. The 4th-century pilgrim Sylvia of Aquitaine describes a large religious procession that took place in Jerusalem on the night from Thursday to Friday of Holy Week. She tells that during the night people were very tired, as they passed almost the entire city, and “everyone went - the old and the young, the rich and the poor.” The Bishop of Jerusalem encouraged tired people, urging them "to have hope in the Lord, who will give a great reward for this work."

It should be noted that similar processions were held regularly not only in Jerusalem, but throughout the Roman Empire. For example, at the same time, the Great Litany arises in Rome - a large procession through the whole of Rome, during which the procession with prayer passed from one church to another, trying to visit the burial places of the martyrs. This litany lasted all day and ended at St. Peter's Basilica.

Similar processions were made in Constantinople, and the emperor Justinian legalized that these processions should be performed with prayer and with the obligatory participation of the priesthood, “for will that procession be a procession in which there are no priests who bring solemn prayers?”

Processions were made in the Byzantine Empire during the invasion of enemies, drought or disease. The feast of the Presentation of the Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, known to us, originates from the procession, which took place in August in Constantinople with prayers that the city would bypass the epidemics that very often happened at that time.

The Slavic peoples also inherited the tradition of making religious processions. There is evidence of prayer processions in Bulgaria and Moravia. With the adoption of Christianity, religious processions began to be held in Russia. The first Russian religious procession is considered to be the procession to the Dnieper for the baptism of the people of Kiev. “Vladimir went out with the priests of the Tsaritsyns and Korsuns to the Dnieper, and people without number converged there,” the Tale of Bygone Years describes this procession.

It is in remembrance of this procession and the subsequent Baptism of Russia that a procession is made annually from the supposed place of Baptism to the heart of Kyiv - the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

It is important to understand that the religious procession has never been a demonstration of anything. The procession with slogans, flags and posters is a legacy of the quasi-religious communist ideology. For the Orthodox, a religious procession is a divine service that is performed according to a strictly defined church charter. Of course, in worship, the main occupation should be prayer. What it should be about on the day of the Baptism of Russia, I think everyone understands: that our hearts keep the gifts that we received in our baptism. After all, that is what we are all called to do.

Alexander Adomenas

“You should not treat pets from the Easter table”

On Sunday, April 8, the Orthodox celebrate the feast of the Holy Sunday of Christ. Easter on the night from Saturday to Sunday is celebrated in different ways: someone goes to church, and someone just sets the festive table at home. Even children know that on this day they should congratulate their loved ones with the words “Christ is Risen!” However, behind the external paraphernalia, many people forget the true meaning of the holiday. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told how to properly celebrate Easter.

- After the end of the Soviet era, Easter is perceived by many as a secular holiday: colored eggs are considered the same symbols as tangerines for the New Year. But if a person did not observe Great Lent, is it possible for him to celebrate Christ's Sunday at all?

He needs to try to understand the meaning of the holiday. Even if someone has not fasted, he can celebrate Easter, but the main thing in the celebration is participation in worship, meeting with Christ. This holiday reminds us that you can enter the Kingdom of God only if you believe in Christ. The rest of the paths do not lead out of hell; a person is doomed in eternity if he is not a Christian - no matter how good a person he may be.

This is the point: Easter is absolutely not tolerant, not politically correct and not inclusive - after all, Christ was resurrected in order to give people the only way to eternal life. This is the main thing, not tables and visits, much less drinking and entertainment. If you don’t have the strength to come to the service at night, you can come in the morning, but without a service, the holiday loses its meaning.

For most people, Easter ends with dinner on the night from Saturday to Sunday or with Sunday breakfast - they ate Easter cake, broke an egg, and you can return to normal life. How does the church recommend spending Easter?

On this day, after the service, people either relax or go to visit. Many come to the temple on the evening of the first Paschal day, when the solemn vespers are served. This day is well suited to ask for forgiveness from those whom you offended, or from those who offended you. It would be nice to renew relationships with people with whom they were senselessly lost. You can visit sick, lonely people, for example, in a nursing home or orphans. All 40 days during which Easter is celebrated are well suited for good deeds.

It is necessary to find agreement around Christ - an unbelieving husband must be sanctified by a believing wife, she leads him and seeks to bring her entire family to Christ.

—After the Paschal Liturgy, are all the restrictions of Great Lent lifted? Are intimate relationships between spouses allowed again?

Yes, after returning from the temple, you can eat meat, dairy. This applies to all norms - the fast is over, which means that you can return to marital relations.

– A topical question for a Russian person about wine: we know that Cahors should be at the Easter meal. Should it be consecrated?

Often people bless wine, this is allowed, but not required. It can be used - for the glory of God. But it is important not to overdo it when celebrating the end of Lent: an extreme degree of intoxication never, including at Easter, paints a person.

- Sometimes pet owners ask: is it possible to treat a cat with an Easter egg, and a dog with a piece of ham? There will be no sedition in this?

You shouldn't do this. Consecrated Easter eggs are sacred; pious people do not even throw away the shells from them in the trash, but save them in order to burn them later, and pour the ashes, for example, under a tree. Therefore, animals should not be given Easter food.

How are church services at Easter?

On the morning of Great Saturday, which this year falls on April 7, services begin in churches. After it, from noon or one in the afternoon until six or eight in the evening (the schedule can be clarified in a particular temple), believers bring Easter cakes, Easter cakes, painted eggs and other food for the Easter table to be blessed.

At half past twelve in the evening, the Easter Midnight Office begins - the priests take the Shroud (the canvas, which depicts the position in the coffin of the body of Christ) to the altar, put on the throne. She will remain there for 40 days - until the Ascension of the Lord.

Before midnight, the bells solemnly ring, and at midnight the royal doors open and the procession begins. At the end of it, the priests sing the troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead!”

This is followed by Easter Matins, after which everyone christens - they kiss three times, give each other colored eggs and say: "Christ is risen!" - "Truly risen!" Starting from 3 am on Sunday, you can also consecrate Easter food, the consecration will continue during the day - from 11-12 to 5-6 pm, as well as on Monday and Tuesday.

When can you start talking? After the end of the Divine Liturgy, which ends around three in the morning - four in the morning.

folk customs

Despite the fact that Easter is a religious holiday, and the church does not approve of superstition, many Orthodox continue to believe in the secrets of their ancestors. For example:

If a girl wants to get married this year, during the service in the church, she should say to herself “The Resurrection of Christ! Send me a single fiancé!"

A baby born on Easter is predicted to be famous and have a great future.

A person who dies on Easter is considered marked by God - he immediately goes to heaven. He is buried with a red dye in his right hand.

A piece of Easter cake can be crumbled to birds - they will bring good luck and wealth to the house.

Many stars in the sky on Easter night - to frost.

The shells from colored eggs can be folded into an amulet and worn along with a cross - like a talisman.