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, festive services begin a week before Easter itself. 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 Lent ends. 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.

The Catholic Church has preserved the tradition of baptizing adults and children on Easter. In the 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 hold such an important and solemn service before dawn.

What stages does the Easter service include:

1. The removal of the shroud, which takes place half an hour before midnight.
2. Procession around the temple.
3. The beginning of Bright Matins is marked by the use of a censer and a special cross with a three-candlestick.
4. Conducting Easter matins and taking out specially prepared bread.
5. 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, because 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 make a 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 the festive bell ringing is heard. 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 the 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.

On Clean Thursday (it falls on the last week of Lent), a person needs to do a general cleaning in his 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 of the holiday prayers, Easter does not end. Before leaving the church, a person needs to cross himself three times in a bow, going home.

Festive Easter services may vary in individual parishes by the start time, just as weekday services may begin at different times. However, this divine service differs from the everyday one with a special solemnity.

Despite all the changes in the modern world, it remains one of the main and most beloved holidays for most Russians. Easter church services begin a week before Easter. At this time, parishioners often go to the temple. There is a tradition according to which the doors of churches cease to close a few days before Easter, so that any believer has the opportunity to visit the Abode of God as much as it suits him.

Easter services are held throughout Bright Week (until Saturday inclusive). A special day is Saturday on the eve of the holiday itself. It is on this day that Great Lent ends, and parishioners can already go to church, so that the clergy consecrate Easter cakes, eggs and other food for the festive table with holy water. On the same Saturday, there is an opportunity to commemorate their deceased relatives and light candles for the repose.

On Saturday evening, the night vigil begins, during which the laity go to Vespers.

What and how to do in the house of God

In order not to bring confusion into the solemnity of the common service and to feel confident, there are some conventions, the observance of which is necessary. The following rules will help you understand how to behave at the Easter service.

Behavior rules	Description
Appearance	Women need to wear a long outfit and cover their head. Deep frills and sheer fabrics should be avoided. It is better to refuse the use of cosmetics. Men should bare their heads when entering the temple.
How to enter and exit the temple?	At the entrance, you need to make the sign of the cross three times and bow. When leaving, make the sign of the cross three times and bow at the door of the church and behind its gate.
Keep quiet	You should refrain from loud conversations and using a cell phone. Teach the children to be gentle.
During service	You need to face the altar. When the priest overshadows the laity with the sign of the cross - bow. Overshadow the cross, hearing "Lord, have mercy", "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit", "Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Accepting the blessing, fold hands crosswise and kiss the blessing hand.
Questions	If you want to ask a priest a question, first you need to ask: “Father, bless!” and only after that ask a question of interest.

The Church is the abode of God, and therefore it should be remembered, no matter how many people are there, their stay should be fanned with reverence and love.

Stages and start time of Vespers

The night Easter service is the most majestic and highly solemn of all types of worship. There is a belief that Easter night is the quietest night of the year. Priests' white with gold and silver robes, choral chants, rolling chime of bells create a special atmosphere. The exclamation “Christ is Risen!”, sacred for every Orthodox, takes for the soul.

Easter night is marked by a festive divine service, which consists of several stages. First: the removal of the Shroud. It takes place on Good Friday at three o'clock in the afternoon - the same time that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Until the moment of removal, believers are forbidden to have fun on this day, eat food and bathe. After the laying of the Shroud in the temple, fasting people will be allowed to consume a small amount of bread and water. Then the following happens:

• the singing of the stichera in the altar;
• procession;
• matins;
• matins and the removal of arthos (this is festive bread, which is then broken and distributed to parishioners);
• liturgy.

Each stage of service is important and under no circumstances is ignored, as it has a special symbolism related to the history of the resurrection of the Lord. The nightly Easter service takes place immediately before twelve o'clock at night. The beginning of the Easter service is called "Paschal Midnight Office". After it, the Shroud, accompanied by the singing of “I will rise and be glorified ...”, is brought to the altar and placed on the Great Throne, where it will remain of the Ascension.

Before twelve o'clock three lingering strikes of the bell are heard - the Blagovest, which then intensifies the sonority of measured strikes, announcing that the Easter holiday has begun. Then the clergy three times, at first quietly, and then louder, sing "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior ...".

Matins and Procession

At twelve o'clock in the morning, matins and the procession follow. To the sounds of a chime, priests with a crucifix, banners, faces of Saints, incense and church lamps march in procession from the altar to the exit. Carried by a lamp, an altar crucifix and an icon of the Mother of God, banner-bearers, singers, priest-bearers, deacons and clergy march in pairs. The final pair of churchmen carries the Gospel and the icon of the Resurrection of the Lord. At the end of the festive procession is the abbot. The laity carry blazing candles.

Three times the whole procession goes around the temple. It reads "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior ...". At the same time, a ringing is heard over the temple of God, announcing the good news: ". The priests greet the laity three times: "Christ is Risen!"

The whole procession stops in the porch. The ringing of the bells subsides, and to the singing of "Christ is risen from the dead ..." the priest sprinkles those present with holy water. After that, “Let God rise again ...” is read, and the laity exclaim: “Christ is risen.” As soon as it sounds: “Christ is risen from the dead ...”, the priest symbolically describes the cross on the doors with a censer, and they open.

The exit from the temple and the closing of its entrance gates are symbolic.

Christians leave the vault of the Abode of God, just as Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. However, our Lord, having shed His blood, reopened the gates of paradise for mankind. And when the doors of the temple open again at Matins, the gates to eternal life are symbolically opened for the believers.

Continuation of the morning service and the end of the night vigil

The morning service continues as soon as the whole procession is again in the temple, where candles and lamps are burning in abundance. The great litany is announced, the canon is sung and the small litany is pronounced, the luminary “Flesh asleep ...” is sung, the stichera for Praise and the stichera of Pascha are sung. At the end, the Word of John Chrysostom is read out, symbolically recalling the meaning and significance of the Resurrection of the Lord for all believers.

Finishes the matins "Let's embrace each other ...". After that, the laity kiss the cross in the hands of the clergyman and christen (three symbolic kisses) with the priest. According to the time of matins, the average time is 90 minutes. At the end of it, the Orthodox greet each other with the Good News "Christ is risen", they exchange Christ and exchange Easter eggs. The next stage is the Liturgy, at which the troparion is sung, ..., Ipaka, kontakion, dismissal and blessing of the Orthodox laity. Believers who have fasted go to confession with communion.

In God's temples, where the Easter service is held by several priests at the same time, the Gospel is read in several languages. This also carries a certain symbolism: this is how the commandment of the Savior is observed to bring the Word of God into the world. This stage lasts an average of 120 minutes. After the Liturgy, the laity go home, break their fast, and celebrate Easter day with their families and loved ones.

The all-night Paschal service, with its reverent atmosphere, is called upon to introduce believers into the sacrament of communion with the Lord.

The service in the church on Easter is especially solemn, as it marks the main event of the year for Christians. On the saving night of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, it is customary to stay awake. From the evening on Great Saturday, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church, containing evidence in the Resurrection of Christ, after which the Paschal Midnight Office follows with the canon of Great Saturday.

The beginning of the festive service

Let's start with the question, what time does the service in the church begin on Easter. So, if you plan to stay awake on Easter night, you should know that the beginning of the service in the church on Easter starts shortly before midnight, when the Midnight Office is served in all churches.

At this time, the priest and the deacon go to the Shroud, around it they perform censing. At the same time they sing “I will rise and be glorified”, after which they raise the Shroud and take it to the altar.

How is the service in the Church on Easter? There are a number of important points. The Shroud is placed on the Holy Throne, where it must remain until the Giving of Pascha. At these moments, all the clergy in full vestments line up in order at the Throne. Candles are lit in the temple.

Exactly at midnight with the Royal Doors closed (double doors opposite the Throne in the altar, the main gate of the iconostasis in the Orthodox Church) the priests quietly sing the stichera (text dedicated to the verses of the psalm) about the resurrection of the Savior of the world.

“Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and make us on earth glorify You with a pure heart.”

The veil is opened and again the same stichera is sung louder. The Royal Doors open. The hymn about the resurrection of the Savior is sung in full voice.

Procession

Another important part of the Easter night is the procession of the Church towards the risen Savior. The procession is carried out around the building of the temple, accompanied by an incessant chime.

At the very beginning of the procession, a lantern is carried, behind it is the altar cross, the altarpiece of the Mother of God. Behind them, arranged in two rows, are the banner-bearers, singers, priests with candles in their hands, deacons with their candles and censers, and behind them the priests.

The last pair of priests (the one on the right) carries the Gospel, in the hands of the priest next to the left is the icon of the Resurrection. The procession closes - the primate of the temple with the trisveshnik and the Cross in his left hand.

The procession stops in front of the closed gates of the western entrance to the temple. At this point, the ringing stops. The rector of the temple, having accepted the censer from the deacon, performs incense. At the same time, the clergy sing three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs.”

Then they sing a series of verses, for each they sing the troparion "Christ is risen." After that, all the clergy sing: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death," ending with the words: "And to those in the tombs, bestowing life." The doors to the temple are opened and the participants of the procession go inside the temple.

How long is the service in the church on Easter? Festive night worship lasts until 2-3 am. Consider this moment if you plan to come to the temple with children. After the Procession, Matins begins, which continues with the Divine Liturgy.

At this time, believers partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. If you plan to partake of communion, you should go to confession in advance and receive a blessing. This is necessary because before communion one must be clean both in body and in spirit.

End of Matins

At the end of Matins, you will see how the clergy begin to christen among themselves in the altar while singing the stichera. After that, they christen with each of the worshipers, if the temple is small and the number of believers allows this.

Usually in large churches, where many believers come to the Easter service, the priest pronounces a short greeting from himself and ends it with a triple “Christ is Risen!”, while overshadowing the Cross on three sides, after which he returns to the altar. In the short phrase "Christ is Risen!" is the whole essence of faith.

Easter Hours and Liturgy

In many churches, the end of Matins is followed by the Paschal Hours and the Liturgy. Easter hours are read not only in the temple. They are usually read throughout the entire Easter week instead of morning and evening prayers. During the singing of the Hours before the Liturgy, the deacon performs the usual incense of the altar and the entire church.

If several priests conduct divine service in the church, then the Gospel is read in different languages: in Slavic, Russian, Greek, Latin, and in the languages ​​of the peoples most famous in the area. During the reading of the Gospel, “bust” is heard from the bell tower, when all the bells are struck once, starting from small ones.

How to behave in the temple

Entering the church, it is necessary to cross yourself three times with waist bows: with three fingers only with your right hand. Be sure to remove your gloves when doing this. Men must take off their hats.

If you want to turn to a priest, you first need to say: “Batiushka, bless!”. After that, you can ask a question. When accepting the blessing, fold your palms crosswise - palms up right to left and kiss the right, blessing you, hand of the clergyman.

The temple, especially on Easter night, is a special place that a spiritual sacrament takes place. Therefore, you should behave accordingly. Remember that while the church service is going on, it is not recommended to turn your back to the altar.

If you come with a child, explain to him in advance that you need to be quiet here, you can’t talk loudly, laugh. Do not use a cell phone in the temple, and do not allow your child to do so. Switch the device to silent mode. While the Easter service is going on, you should be focused solely on this.

While you are standing among other believers during the service, and the priest, while reading, overshadows you with the cross, the Gospel and the image, at this moment you need to bow slightly. It is customary to overshadow yourself with the banner of the Cross at the moment when you hear the words: “Lord, have mercy”, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.

Leaving the temple, cross yourself three times, make three waist bows when leaving the temple and when leaving the church gate, turning to face the temple.

A bright holiday is approaching - the day of the Resurrection of Christ. Many will surely gather to attend the church service on Easter - together with their children, relatives and friends ... But how many of us know exactly how the Easter service goes? We will tell you what and how to do while in a temple or church...

So Holy Week has come, there are only a few days left before the Bright Resurrection of Christ ... According to tradition, on Holy Thursday morning, believers bake Easter cakes and paint eggs, cook Easter in the evening, and on Saturday they bring them to church - to consecrate. And on the night from Saturday to Sunday - the bright holiday of Easter begins ...

So, original, bright, whimsical, and on the night from Saturday to Sunday, many believers go to the procession - a service that marks the beginning of Easter and the feast of the Resurrection of Christ. But not many are familiar with all church rules. We will help you figure out how to behave in church during the Easter service and what to do.

Easter is the main Christian holiday, which marks the victory of good over evil, life over death. The Easter holiday precedes - the time of liberation from sins, passions, addictions. For this, abstinence in food, in entertainment, in emotions is prescribed. But even if you have not fasted, feel free to go to the temple and celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ. According to tradition, on Holy Saturday, believers bring Easter cakes, colored eggs and other products for the Easter table to the church to bless them.

And on the night from Saturday to Sunday, a festive night service is performed in the churches, which usually begins at about eleven in the evening and lasts until three or four in the morning:

• 1 In the evening (on Great Saturday) the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church, containing testimony in the Resurrection of Christ, after which the Paschal Midnight Office follows with the canon of Great Saturday. The beginning of Paschal Matins is preceded by a solemn procession around the church, which follows against the sun (counterclockwise), which symbolizes following towards the risen Savior. During the singing of the second half of the troparion of Pascha, “And giving life to those in the tombs,” the church doors open, the clergy and worshipers enter the temple.
• 2 At the end of Matins, while singing the words of the Pascha sticheron: “Let us embrace each other, brethren! And we will forgive those who hate us all by the resurrection,” believers say to each other, “Christ is risen!” - answer "Truly risen!". Kissing three times and giving each other Easter eggs is better not in the temple, but after the service, so as not to be distracted from prayers and not provoke a crowd.
• 3 Then Matins passes into the Divine Liturgy, the faithful partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. If you want to take communion, then you must confess in advance and receive the blessing of the priest.

Visiting a temple or church on the day of the Resurrection of Christ, especially during the Easter service, is an obligatory "item" of the holiday for every believer ...

Now a little about the general rules of conduct in the temple, which you should follow so as not to feel like a black sheep and not embarrass other (more knowledgeable in church affairs) believers in the temple:

• clothing must be clean and neat. Women should wear a skirt or dress, with the sleeves at least to the elbow and the hem of the skirt to the knee or below. In Russia, it is customary that all girls and women cover their heads - and it does not matter, with a scarf, hat, cap or beret. Avoid plunging necklines and sheer fabrics. The use of cosmetics is not forbidden within reasonable limits, but it is better not to paint the lips, so that when kissing the icons and the cross during the Easter service, they do not leave marks.
• there is such the myth that females should not attend church on critical days, but it's not. These days you can go to the temple, you can light candles and submit notes, you can kiss icons, but it is better to refrain from participating in the sacraments (communion, baptism, wedding, etc.), however, this is not a strict rule. In the event that a piquant physiological moment wedged into your plans, just consult with the priest - it's a matter of life, there's nothing wrong with that. And for sure - a woman can attend the Easter service,
• entering the church you need to cross yourself three times with waist bows(with three fingers and only with your right hand, even if you are left-handed). It is necessary to be baptized by removing gloves or mittens. Men should take off their hats when entering an Orthodox church.
• during Easter service(as during any other church service) you can’t talk loudly, use a mobile phone and push those praying at the icons - when the service is over, you can pray and light candles at the images, as well as submit notes about health and repose. Out of reverence, it is not customary to kiss the faces of the saints depicted on the icons.
• during worship you can't stand with your back to the altar. All women and men who have not received blessings are forbidden to enter the altar.
• if you take children with you to the service, explain to them that in church you can’t run, play pranks and laugh. If the child is crying, try to calm him down so as not to disturb the common prayer during the Easter service, or leave the temple for a while until the baby calms down.
• light candles for the repose and for health you need in different places: for the health of the living - in front of the icons of the saints, for the repose of the dead - on the requiem table (a square candlestick with a crucifix), which is called "eve". Notes on health and repose are given to the servants on a candle box, after which they are transferred to the priest at the altar. These commemorations do not include the names of people of other faiths, suicides and unbaptized people.
• when a priest overshadows you with a cross during the Easter service, the gospel and the image, one must bow. It is necessary to be baptized with the words “Lord, have mercy”, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and other exclamations.
• if you want to ask anything, first turn to the priest with the words “Batiushka, bless!”, And then ask a question. When accepting the blessing, fold your palms crosswise (palms up, right to left) and kiss the right, blessing you, hand of the clergyman.
• leaving the temple at the end of the Easter service, cross yourself three times, make three waist bows when leaving the church and when leaving the church gate, turning to face the church.

We hope that these elementary, but very important rules will help you feel more confident in an Orthodox church on any day, and during the Easter service in particular.

We thank the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate for their help in writing the article.

What time does the Easter service in the church begin - this is the right question that many believers ask themselves on Holy Saturday. If you decide to attend the Easter service this year, then you should familiarize yourself in advance with exactly when it begins in a particular church. Although, there are their own church canons, which they try to adhere to in all churches.

Important information about the Easter service

Easter prayers begin on Holy Saturday. Recall that this is the last day of Lent, which always happens right before Easter. Every year, respectively, the date of Holy Saturday will also be different, because it depends directly on the date of Easter. People gather for the service in advance and the onset of Easter itself is midnight, they celebrate it in the temple. How to prepare.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday, that is, on the night of Easter, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in churches. They talk about how they witnessed the bright resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the Saturday service that ends with the procession, which is a harbinger of the matins. The procession goes around the church.

The service in honor of the onset of Easter lasts, as a rule, from the late evening of Saturday until 2-3 o'clock in the morning on Sunday. If you plan to take children with you, then you need to be sure that during a long service they will not be capricious and distract people who came to the temple to pray.

After the procession ends, it usually happens around midnight, and Matins begins. Then it passes into the Divine Liturgy, after which you can partake of the sacraments of Christ. If you decide to take communion after the Easter service, then you need to confess in advance and get a blessing from the priest for this. Of course, if you ignore these rules, then no one will refuse communion. But it should be remembered that the true essence of this sacrament is to receive communion, being pure in body and spirit, and not to turn everything into just a show for show.

A few important rules on how to behave during the Easter service in the temple:
In no case during the service should you turn your back to the altar;
Turn off mobile phones at the entrance to the territory of the temple;
If you take children with you, then you need to make sure that they behave quietly, understand the essence of what is happening, do not run around and do not distract people;
During the reading, the priest often overshadows himself with the cross and the Gospel, it is not necessary to be baptized every time, but it is necessary to bow at such moments.
Be sure to be baptized every believer who is in the service in the temple, with the words: “Lord, have mercy”, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
You need to cross yourself three times when entering the temple, and also three times when leaving the temple.
During the Easter service, it is not customary to kiss three times and give each other colored eggs, this must be done after the service is over.
Clothing should be clean and modest. You should not come to the temple in trousers for women, without a covered head.
It is always necessary to be baptized without gloves.
Also, please note that during the service, you can not talk loudly to each other or talk on the phone.

Advice! It happens that a person is baptized, seemingly out of place. There is no need to worry about this and be nervous, because you can be baptized at any time and the general rules of conduct in the church, this, of course, does not contradict. If the gesture was made on the impulse of the soul, then there is nothing reprehensible in this.

When does the service start

So, what time does the Easter service start at the church? This is the most important night for every Orthodox believer, and they start preparing for it from Thursday evening. On this day, they bake Easter cakes, paint eggs. On Good Friday they don’t do anything, on Saturday they always go to the temple with a basket to bless the food. Then in the evening they return to the temple to defend the festive service in honor of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. How to cook .

As a rule, the service begins on Saturday at about 23.00 and ends on Sunday morning, somewhere at 2-3 in the morning. After the first hour of the service, a procession is made around the temple, after which the priest announces to everyone that Easter has come and Christ is Risen.

During the evening service on Great Saturday, the priests talk about what the holy apostles wrote, who were real witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ. Divine services begin already at 23.00, so by this time you can gather in the temple. After the procession, everyone returns to the temple, the service and prayers continue.

Of course, a worldly person who decides to spend the festive Easter night in the temple and take part in the Divine service must behave correctly. Such rules of conduct that will help you feel at ease have already been described in our material. Be sure to read the set of correct behavior in the temple again so that only pleasant moments and memories remain from the festive service. What date .

Now you can find out what time the Easter service starts in the church. The service itself starts at 23.00, but on this night a lot of believers come to the temples, so to get inside and take a comfortable place there, you should come to the temple in advance. Moreover, there is always something to do there: pray, light candles, think about the upcoming Easter, about what happened to you, to your spiritual life during such a long fast and such a long period of preparation for Easter.