How to properly celebrate Easter. Easter table. Easter recipes. Bell for everyone. Easter week - do's and don'ts

Priest Artemy Litvinov, rector of the church in honor of the Great Martyr Artemy of Antioch, comments.

The title of the article for Orthodox Christians is not entirely clear, because it would seem that every Christian has an idea of ​​how to celebrate Easter. But why, then, is the question so often asked: “How to celebrate the Easter holiday?”

Christian wealth is fundamentally different from worldly wealth - if in the world we distribute what makes up our wealth: money, property, other material values, - then, of course, we will have lunch. Christian wealth has a different property: by distributing it, we make ourselves richer.

To the question of how to celebrate Easter correctly, one wonderful story immediately comes to mind, revealing in full how this wonderful holiday should be celebrated.

A story about the boy Mitya, who doubts the lordship of the holiday, in which, I hope, you will find a lot of valuable for yourself

Holy Saturday has arrived. Little Mitya, who was selling bouquets of violets, moved from one store window to another and could not stop admiring everything that the store owners put up to lure customers.
“Ah, if only I could buy at least one small cake! - thought Mitya, standing at the window of the bakery. - How happy my mother, Katya and Zhenya would be!
He unfolded the paper, which contained the money he had received for the violets he had sold. There were only ten kopecks, and you can't buy much with them. True, two more bouquets remained in the boy’s hand, but when else will you sell them!
Mitya felt sad. He remembered that his mother had been busy since morning to prepare something for the holiday, but she had no money at all. Once upon a time, when Mitin's dad was still alive, they always had a lot of fun at Easter. And now...
« Holy holiday, Holy holiday! he muttered. - For whom it is Light, and for whom it is not!
“What are violets for, boy? - Suddenly asked a woman, going up to Mitya. - Give, my dear, both bunches, I will decorate the Easter table for my daughter! The woman laughed merrily and thrust two kopecks into Mitya's hand, although violets cost only three kopecks a bunch. “Buy yourself, dear little cake, break your fast for good health! Happy Holidays!"

The boy felt joy in his soul, he took a deep breath and crossed himself

“I’ll buy the smallest Easter cake now,” Mitya thought, “and then everyone will have one testicle each: for mom a golden one, for Katya a green one, and for Zhenya a red one. Everyone will be happy!”
Mitya entered the bakery and timidly asked the fat, ruddy-faced baker: "Give me the smallest cake, but only that it is tasty." “Very well, my dear,” answered the baker. “Tell me first, how old are you, who do you live with, what does your father do?” The fat baker looked at the boy so affectionately that Mitya involuntarily immediately took a liking to him and told him everything frankly. “Well, here’s a cake for you, boy, really small, but very, very tasty,” the baker said, sprinkling sugar on a small cake. “Carry it carefully, and when you get home, stick this rose in the very middle; I'll wrap it in paper too."
With the money left from buying Easter cake, Mitya bought everyone a testicle and rushed home to please his mother, sister and younger brother as soon as possible. Mom, meanwhile, had already washed the floor in the room, prepared clean linen for the children, and covered the table with an old tablecloth. And she sadly thought that her children would have nothing to break the fast. She had nothing but black bread and tea in the house.

“Mitya is coming, Mitya is coming,” Katya shouted, “he has a package in his hands, and apparently he sold everything violets.” - “Hello, mom, I congratulate you all on the upcoming Bright Holiday! - Mitya said solemnly, putting the package on the table. “Here, mom, you have Easter cake, and these are eggs, just get them,” he turned to his brother and sister, “after matins.” - "Where did you get such wealth, Mitenka?" Mom was surprised. Mitya told her about the kind woman and the cheerful baker. “He is so curious, Mommy, so curious, he asked everything; but still glorious!” Mitya reported briskly.

Mom put the cake on a plate, and spread the eggs around. “Now we must stick a rose,” said Mitya, “the baker ordered in the very middle. Give me, mom, I'll do it myself! Mitya found the middle point in the Easter cake, wanted to stick a flower in there, but something in him prevented him from doing so. Mitya opened up a rather large piece of dough - and suddenly something shone inside.

“Look, mommy, what is it there!?” Mitya exclaimed. Mom bent down and took out a gold ten-ruble coin.

"God, what a miracle?" she crossed herself. “This is money,” the children shouted and jumped for joy around the table, “now you will buy us everything!” “No, children, this money is not ours,” mother said instructively, “it’s true, the baker, he accidentally gave this cake to Mitya. Hurry, son, take the money to the bakery, ”she continued, turning to her son ...

A quarter of an hour later Mitya was back at the bakery. "What do you say, boy? Kulich, perhaps, turned out to be tasteless? the watchman asked when he saw Mitya. “You probably accidentally sold me the wrong cake,” Mitya replied, “take it - there was a golden one.” The baker hugged Mitya and kissed him on the head. “The money is yours, my dear,” he said. - You see, I wanted to bring joy to someone for the sake of a big holiday. So I baked ten rubles into a small cake. I thought that the one who comes to buy the smallest Easter cake probably needs more than others, and it will be a great joy for him to receive such a gift on the very day of the holiday. I did not expect that this money would be returned to me, and you turned out to be even better than I thought. “Mom told me to take the gold one!” - muttered Mitya, barely translating his breath with delight. “Run faster, my dear, home; it’s true, your mother still lacks a lot for the holiday, and the shops, perhaps, will close soon.

Mitya rushed off like an arrow, holding tightly in his hand the gold ...

All the children - Katya, and Zhenya, and Mitya - went shopping with their mother. Everyone was so light and joyful in their souls. Mitya took a whole ruble from his mother, exchanged it for small coins and distributed them to all those who stood at the windows of the shops, not daring to enter them. He remembered how he grumbled about two hours ago that the Bright Holiday was not for everyone, and he really wanted all people to have fun today, and everyone could break their fast with at least a small Easter cake.
By ten o'clock at Mitya's mother everything was ready for the holiday. Next to a small Easter cake stood a large Easter cake, pretty testicles lay in a basket of greens. Immediately on the table was a little white lamb made of butter, and there was a large piece of ham, decorated with pink paper. Mom combed the children, put them on new collars and ties. Mitya, Katya and Zhenya took turns approaching a small mirror and admiring their new clothes.
There was a solemn ringing of bells. Mitya wrapped the small cake that brought them happiness in a clean handkerchief and went to consecrate it. The children hurriedly walked with their mother after him. They had barely had time to come to the church, when a cannon shot burst out, which is usually in Good Saturday let the inhabitants of the Neva capital know that midnight has come, and with it the Bright holiday. Released procession, and the singers sang: "Christ is risen! ..".

“Christ is risen, mother! - Mitya whispered, giving a testicle to his mother and kissing her, - how bright and joyful it is for me today! This is really a bright holiday.” - “Truly Risen, son,” answered the mother, “God forbid that this holiday be the brightest and most joyful for all the children in the world!”.

Here is such a cycle of joy in a short story - everyone became happier, happier and richer

And the woman who gave more money than the violets cost, and the baker who put gold coin, and a little seller of violets Mitya, who until recently doubted the lordship of the holiday and received with the help God's joy for the whole family. And, I hope, each of you who read this instructive story.

Every joy, especially Easter, is amazing because when you share it, it only increases. This is the proper celebration of Easter.

Easter is not an individual holiday: for yourself, your loved one - to hide behind a three-meter fence, eat meat after more than 40 days of fasting and eat Easter cakes to satiety; Easter is a holiday for everyone.

The more we share this joy, the more it will be in our soul, in our heart.

Paschal joy is a gift of Divine grace, but it is given to those who seek it. And, of course, Easter days are an occasion to destroy the usual “holiday stereotype” and make sure that our joy is not only the joy of the flesh, but above all, the joy of the heart and spirit.

If we want to meet Easter with dignity, we must do everything possible so that life comes and settles in our house, and stays forever. Then we will be able to say that not only the brightest day of Christ's Sunday, but also all subsequent days of our life will be Joyful, Bright, Paschal.

The main thing is not to close the doors of your heart before Easter, but always keep them open for relatives, for loved ones, for God. And then Easter will be today, and tomorrow, and forever and ever.

This is how it is right to meet the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Happy Easter.

Christ is Risen!

(20 votes : 4.45 out of 5 )

With the blessing of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II

Why Easter is the main holiday of the year

The feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, Easter, is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the largest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from Greek and means "transition", "deliverance". On this day, we celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the gift of life and eternal bliss to us. Just as our redemption was accomplished by Christ's death on the cross, so eternal life is granted to us by His Resurrection.

The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation and crown of our faith, it is the first and greatest truth that the apostles began to proclaim.

How is the Divine Liturgy on Easter?

Easter services are especially solemn. Christ is risen: eternal joy, - sings in the canon of Easter.
Since ancient, apostolic times, Christians have been awake on the sacred and pre-holiday saving night of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, the luminous night of the luminous day, waiting for the time of his spiritual liberation from the work of the enemy(Church Charter in the week of Easter).
Shortly before midnight, a Midnight Office is served in all churches, at which the priest and the deacon go to the Shroud and, after burning incense around it, while singing the words of katavasia of the 9th song “I will rise and be glorified”, they raise the Shroud and take it to the altar. The Shroud is placed on the Holy See, where it must remain until the Giving of Pascha.
Easter Matins, "the rejoicing of the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead", begins at 12 o'clock at night. As midnight approaches, all the clergy in full vestments stand in order at the Throne. The clergy and worshipers in the temple light candles.
“Exactly at 12 o’clock local time, with the Royal Doors closed, the clergy sing the stichera in a quiet voice: “Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, Angels sing in heaven, and vouchsafe us on earth with a pure heart praise you».
After that, the veil is opened and the clergy again sing the same stichera in a loud voice. The Royal Doors open, and the stichera, already in a higher voice, is sung by the clergy for the third time to half " Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, Angels sing in heaven". The singers standing in the middle of the temple finish: And vouchsafe us to the earth»

How does the procession take place

The procession on Easter night is the procession of the Church towards the resurrected Savior.
The procession takes place around the temple with a continuous ringing. In a bright, jubilant, majestic form, while singing " Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and make us on earth glorify you with a pure heart", like a spiritual bride, goes, as they say in sacred hymns," with merry feet to meet the outgoing Christ from the tomb, like a bridegroom».
Ahead of the procession they carry a lantern, followed by an altar cross, an altarpiece of the Mother of God, then they go in two rows, in pairs, banner-bearers, singers, priest-bearers with candles, deacons with their candles and censers, and behind them priests. In the last pair of priests, the one on the right carries the Gospel, and the one on the left carries the icon of the Resurrection. The procession ends with the primate of the temple with the trisveshnik and the Cross in his left hand. If there is only one priest in the temple, then the laity carry the icons of the Resurrection of Christ and the Gospel on the shrouds.
Entering the vestibule, the procession stops in front of the closed western doors of the temple. The bearers of the shrines stop near the doors facing west. The ringing stops. The rector of the temple, having accepted the censer from the deacon, burns incense and 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 the priests sing verses:
« Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered. And let those who hate Him flee from His Face.”
“Like smoke disappears, let them disappear, like wax melts from the face of fire.” “Thus let the sinners perish from the face of God, but let the righteous rejoice.” “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.". For each verse, the singers sing the troparion "Christ is risen."
Then the primate or all the clergy sing " Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death". The singers end And giving life to those in the tombs».
Church doors are opened, and the procession with this joyful news marches to the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing women went to Jerusalem to announce to the disciples about the Resurrection of the Lord.

What is the Easter canon

Easter Canon, St. , which is an essential part of the Paschal Matins - the crown of all spiritual songs. The Paschal canon is an outstanding work of ecclesiastical literature, not only in terms of its splendor. external form, but also by its inner merits, by the strength and depth of the thoughts contained in it, by the sublimity and richness of its content. This deeply meaningful canon introduces us to the spirit and meaning of the very feast of the Resurrection of Christ, makes us fully experience the soul and understand this event.
On each song of the canon, incense is performed, the clergy with a cross and a censer, in the forefront of the lamps, go around the whole church, filling it with incense, and joyfully greet everyone with the words “Christ is risen!”, To which the believers answer “Truly Risen!”. These numerous exits of the priests from the altar are reminiscent of the frequent appearances of the Lord to His disciples after the Resurrection.

Easter canon, creation

Canto 1

Resurrection day, let's enlighten the people: Easter, Lord's Easter! From death to life and from earth to heaven, Christ God has brought us, singing victoriously.

Chorus: Christ is risen from the dead.

Let us purify our feelings, and we will see the shining light of the resurrection of Christ, and rejoice, crying clearly so we can hear, victorious singing.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Let the heavens be worthy of having fun, but let the earth rejoice: let the world celebrate, all visible and invisible, Christ is risen, eternal joy.

Bogorodichny

Glory: You broke the limit of mortification, eternal life giving birth to Christ, from the tomb that has risen today, the Virgin of the All-blameless, and enlightened the world.

And now: Seeing your Son and God resurrected, rejoice with the apostles of God-gracious pure: and rejoice first, as if all the joys of wine, thou hast taken, Mother of God All-blameless.

Canto 3

Come, let us drink new beer, not miraculous from a barren stone, but an incorruptible source, having waited for Christ from the tomb, we are affirmed in Nemzha.

Now all is filled with light, heaven and earth and the underworld: let all creation celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and it is affirmed in it.

Yesterday I was buried with Thee, O Christ, I am resurrected today by Thee, crucified to Thee yesterday, Praise me Himself, Savior, in Thy Kingdom.

Glory: I come to an imperishable life today by the goodness of the one who was born from You, Pure, and with the whole end of the light shone.

And now: God, You gave birth to Him in the flesh, from the dead, as if speaking, having risen seeing, Pure, rejoice, and exalt Him as the Most Pure God.

Ipakoi, voice 4

Having anticipated the morning even about Mary, and having found the stone rolled away from the tomb, I hear from an angel: in the light of the ever-present Existing, with the dead, what are you looking for like a man? You see grave sheets. Tetsyte and preach to the world, as the Lord has risen, killing death, as there is the Son of God, saving the human race.

Canto 4

On the divine guard, may the God-speaking Habakkuk stand with us and show the luminiferous angel, clearly saying: today is the salvation of the world, as Christ is risen, as Almighty.

The masculine sex, as if opening a virgin womb, Christ appeared: like a man, the lamb was called: blameless, like tasteless filth, our Easter, and like God is true, perfect speaking.

Like a one-year-old lamb, the crown of Christ blessed to us, by will was slain for all, Easter purgatory, and packs from the tomb of red truth to us the sun rises.

The God-father, David, before the hay ark, galloping playing, the people of God are holy, the images of the reality are sighted, we rejoice Divinely, as if Christ is risen, as if Almighty.

Glory: Having created Adam, Your forefather, Pure, is based on You, and destroy the mortal dwelling with Your death today, and illuminate everything with the divine brilliance of the resurrection.

And now: You gave birth to Christ, beautifully resplendent from the dead, Pure seeing, kind and immaculate in wives and red, today for the salvation of all, rejoicing from the apostles, glorify Him.

Canto 5

Let us morning deep in the morning, and instead of the world we will bring a song to the Lord, and we will see Christ the truth of the sun, shining life to all.

Your immeasurable compassion with hellish fetters of content is sighted, to the light of Christ, with merry feet, praising the eternal Pascha.

Let us begin the light-bearing of the outgoing Christ from the tomb as the Bridegroom, and let us celebrate the Passover of God's saving Pascha with amorous rites.

Glory: Enlightened by the divine rays and the life-giving resurrection of Your Son, the Most Pure Bogomati, and the pious assembly is filled with joy.

And now: You didn’t open the gates of virginity in incarnation, you didn’t destroy the coffin, the seals, the King of creation: from the resurrected You, seeing Mati, rejoicing.

Canto 6

Thou hast descended into the underworld of the earth and crushed the eternal faith, containing the bound Christ, and three days, like from the whale Jonah, thou hast risen from the tomb.

Having preserved the signs intact, O Christ, thou hast risen from the tomb, the keys of the Virgin not harming thy birth, and thou hast opened the gates of heaven to us.

Save me, a living and non-sacrificial slaughter, as God Himself brought the Father to Himself, resurrected the all-born Adam, resurrected from the tomb.

Glory: Ascended of old, held by death and corruption, incarnated from Your most pure womb, to incorruptible and everlasting life, Virgin Mother of God.

And now: Descended into the underworld of the earth, into Your bed, Pure, descended, and dwelled and incarnated more than the mind, and raised Adam with Himself, rose from the tomb.

Kontakion, tone 8

Ikos

Even before the sun, the Sun sometimes set in the tomb, anticipating the morning, looking like the day of the myrrh-bearing maiden, and crying out a friend to friends: O friend! come, let us anoint with stench the life-giving and buried body, the flesh of the Resurrected fallen Adam, lying in the tomb. Let us go, sweating like a wolf, and bow down, and bring the world like gifts, not in swaddling clothes, but in a shroud entwined, and weep and cry out: O Lord, arise, give resurrection to the fallen.

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the Only Sinless One, we worship Thy Cross, Christ, and we sing and glorify Thy holy Resurrection: Thou art our God, do we not know Thee otherwise, your name we name. Come, all faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ: behold, the joy of the whole world has come by the Cross. Always blessing the Lord, let us sing of His resurrection: having endured the crucifixion, destroy death by death. ( thrice)

Jesus resurrected from the tomb, as if prophesying, give us eternal life and great mercy. ( thrice)

Canto 7

Delivering the youths from the cave, being a man, he suffers as if he were mortal, and splendor will clothe the passion of death in incorruption, God alone is blessed of the fathers and glorified.

Wives from the worlds of God-wise after You flow: He is like a dead man with tears, bowing down rejoicing at the living God, and Your secret Pascha, Christ, the disciple of the gospel.

Death we celebrate mortification, hellish destruction, a different life of the eternal beginning, and playfully sing Guilty, the One Blessed of the Fathers of God and glorified.

Like a truly sacred, and all-celebrating, this saving night, and a radiant, luminous day of rising, there is a herald: in it, the flightless Light from the tomb carnally ascends to all.

Glory: Having killed Your Son, death, All-blameless, today to all mortals abiding belly forever and ever, the only God blessed of the fathers and glorified.

And now: Reign over all creation, being a man, dwell in Your, God-given, womb, and endure crucifixion and death, resurrect divinely, making us as omnipotent.

Canto 8

This is the appointed and holy day, one Sabbath is the king and the Lord, the holidays are a holiday, and the triumph is celebrations: let us bless Christ forever and ever.

Come new grapes of birth, divine joy, in the deliberate days of the resurrection, let us partake of the Kingdom of Christ, singing Him like God forever.

Raise your eyes around, Zion, and see: behold, I have come to you like a divinely radiant luminary, from the west, and the north, and the sea, and the east, your child, in you blessing Christ forever.

Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.

Father of the Almighty, and the Word, and the Soul, the three natures united in hypostases, pre-essential and pre-divine, we are baptized in Thee and bless Thee forever and ever.

Glory: The Lord, Virgin Mother of God, has come into the world, and has dissolved the womb of hell, the resurrection of the gift to us mortals: Let us bless Him forever.

And now: Having cast down all the power of death, Your Son, Virgin, by His resurrection, like a mighty God, exalt us and adore us: the same we sing of Him forever.

Canto 9

Chorus: My soul magnifies the risen three days from the tomb of Christ the Life-giver.

Irmos: Shine, shine new Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and rejoice, Sione. You, Pure, show off. Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.

Chorus: Christ the new Passover, living sacrifice, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world.

O divine, o dear, o sweetest of Thy voice! With us, it was not false that you promised to be until the end of the age of Christ, His faithfulness, the affirmation of the hope of the property, we rejoice.

Chorus: An angel crying out more gracious: Pure Virgin, rejoice, and again the river: rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the tomb, and having raised up the dead, people, rejoice.

O great and most sacred Pascha, Christ! O wisdom, and the Word of God, and power! Give us the truest communion with You, in the non-evening days of Your Kingdom.

Exapostilary

Having fallen asleep in the flesh, as if dead, King and Lord, thou hast risen three days, raised Adam from aphids, and abolished death: Easter of incorruption, salvation of the world.

Easter Stichera

Verse: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.

Sacred Pascha appears to us today: New Holy Pascha, Mysterious Pascha, All-Honorable Pascha, Christ the Deliverer Pascha, Immaculate Pascha, Great Pascha, Pascha of the Faithful, Pascha that opens the doors of Paradise to us, Pascha that sanctifies all the faithful.

Verse: Like the smoke disappears, let them disappear.

Come from the vision of the woman of the gospel, and cry to Zion: receive from us the joys of the annunciation of the resurrection of Christ; Show off, rejoice and rejoice, Jerusalem, the King of Christ, having seen from the tomb like a bridegroom, what is happening.

Verse: So let the sinners perish from the presence of God, and the righteous women rejoice.

Myrrh-bearing women, deep in the morning, presenting themselves to the tomb of the Giver of Life, having found an angel, sitting on a stone, and having proclaimed to them, saying: why are you looking for the Living One with the dead? Why are you crying incorruptible in aphids? As you go, preach to His disciples.

Verse: This day, which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Red Easter, Easter, Lord's Easter! Easter is all-honourable to us! Easter! We embrace each other with joy. Oh Easter!

Deliverance of sorrow, for today Christ has risen from the tomb, as if from the chamber, fulfill the words of the wife of joy: preach the apostle.

glory, and now: Resurrection day, and let us shine with triumph, and embrace each other. Rtsem, brethren, and those who hate us, let us forgive the whole resurrection, and so let us cry out: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs.

About greetings and kisses on the day of Easter

At the end of Matins, the clergy begin to christen among themselves in the altar while singing the stichera. According to the Charter “The kissing of the rector with other priests and deacons in the holy altar happens to be: come, say, “Christ is risen.” To him I answered - "Truly Risen". Christening should also be done with the laity.

According to the Rule, the clergy, having christened among themselves in the altar, go to the solea and here they christen with each of the worshipers. But such an order could be observed only in ancient monasteries, where there were only a few brethren in the temple, or in those house and parish churches where there were few worshipers. Now, with a huge confluence of pilgrims, the priest, having come out with the Cross on the salt, pronounces a short general greeting from himself to those who are coming and ends it with the triple exclamation “Christ is Risen!” with the overshadowing of the Cross on three sides and after that it returns to the altar.

The custom of greeting each other on Easter with these words is very ancient. Greeting each other with the joy of Christ's resurrection, we become like the disciples and disciples of the Lord, who after His resurrection " they said that the Lord had truly risen»(). In short words, "Christ is Risen!" lies the whole essence of our faith, all the firmness and steadfastness of our hope and hope, all the fullness of eternal joy and bliss. These words, repeated countless times every year, nevertheless always strike our ears with their novelty and significance, as it were, of a higher revelation. As from a spark, from these words, the believing heart is ignited by the fire of heavenly, holy delight, as if it feels the close presence of the Risen Lord Himself, shining with Divine light. It is clear that our proclamations “Christ is Risen!” and “Truly Risen!” must be animated by living faith and love for Christ.

Kissing is also connected with this Easter greeting. This is ancient, going back to the times of the apostles, a sign of reconciliation and love.

Since ancient times, it has been and is being performed on the days of Easter. The saint writes about the holy kiss on Easter days: “Let us also remember those holy kisses, which we give to each other with reverent embraces.”

The catechetical sermon of St. John Chrysostom, read during Matins

Even in the saints of our father John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, the Word of the catechumen, on the holy and luminous day of the glorious and saving Christ our God of the Resurrection.

If anyone is pious and God-loving, let him enjoy this good and bright celebration. If anyone is a wise servant, let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord. If anyone has bothered to fast, let him now accept a denarius. If anyone has been eating from the first hour, let him accept a righteous duty today. If anyone comes after the third hour, let him give thanks. If anyone reaches the sixth hour, let him doubt nothing; for nothing otschetevaetsya. If someone loses even the ninth hour, let him come, hesitating nothing, fearing nothing. If someone reaches the eleventh hour even, let him not be afraid of slowing down: the Lord is pious, he accepts the last, as well as the first: he reposes at the eleventh hour the one who has come, as if he had done from the first hour: he has mercy on the last, and pleases the first, and gives to him, and to this he gives: and he accepts deeds, and he kisses the intention; and honors the deed, and praises the proposal. Wherefore, therefore, enter all into the joy of your Lord: both the first and the second, accept the reward. Riches and wretchedness, rejoice with each other. Temperance and laziness, honor the day. You who have fasted and not fasted, rejoice today. The meal is full, enjoy everything. Well-fed calf, let no one go hungry; all enjoy the feast of faith; all perceive the wealth of goodness. Let no one weep misery: for the common Kingdom will appear.

No one weeps sins, forgiveness is from the tomb of the ascension. Let no one be afraid of death, free us Spasov's death. Extinguish yu, Izhe from her held. Captivity of hell, descended into hell. Grieve hell, having tasted its flesh. And this is what Isaiah undertook, cry out: hell, he says, be upset, shit to thee. Grieve, for you have been abolished; grieve, for you have been mocked. Grieve, for you are dead. Grieve, for cast down. Grieve, for I am in touch. Pleasant body, and praise God. Praise the earth and greet the sky. Pleasant, hedgehog seeing, and falling into a hedgehog not seeing. Where is your, death, sting? Where is your, hell, victory? Christ is risen, and thou hast fallen. Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen. Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life lives. Christ is risen, and the dead is not one in the tomb. Christ, having arisen from the dead, was the Firstfruits of the dead. To that glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

About Easter Hours and Liturgy

In many churches, the end of Matins is immediately followed by the Hours and the Liturgy. Easter clock 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 with the deacon's candle performs the usual censing of the altar and the entire church.

If the service in the temple is celebrated conciliarly, that is, by several priests, then the Gospel is read on different languages: in Slavic, Russian, as well as in the ancient ones, to which the apostolic sermon was distributed - in Greek, Latin, and in the languages ​​​​of the peoples most famous in the area.

During the reading of the Gospel on the bell tower, the so-called “brute force” is performed, that is, they hit all the bells once, starting from the smallest ones.

Easter clock

thrice)

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the Only Sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Thy holy Resurrection. Thou art our God, do we not know Thee otherwise, we call Thy name. Come all faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ: behold, the joy of the whole world has come by the Cross. Always blessing the Lord, let us sing of His Resurrection: having endured the crucifixion, destroy death by death. ( thrice)

Having anticipated the morning even about Mary, and the found stone was rolled away from the tomb, I hear from an angel: in the light of the ever-present Existing, with the dead, what are you looking for like a man? See the linen of the tomb, and preach to the world, as the Lord has arisen, killing death, as the Son of God, who saves the human race.

Even if you descended into the grave, Immortal, but you destroyed the power of hell, and you rose again as a conqueror, Christ God, prophesying to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice, and grant peace to your apostle, give resurrection to the fallen.

In the tomb of the flesh, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief, and on the throne you were, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, fulfilling everything, indescribable.

Glory: As the Life-bearer, as the most beautiful of paradise, truly the brightest of the halls of every royal seemed, Christ, Thy tomb, the source of our Resurrection.

And now: Highly illuminated Divine village, rejoice: You have given joy, O Theotokos, to those who call: blessed are you in women, O All-blameless Lady.

Lord have mercy. ( 40 times)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.

The most honest cherubim and the most glorious seraphim without comparison, without the corruption of God's word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify You.

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs. ( thrice)

Why is it customary to give each other eggs at Easter?

Since ancient times, the pious custom of giving eggs on Easter has been kept in the Orthodox Church. This custom originated from the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, when, after the Ascension of the Lord, she came to Rome to preach the Gospel, appeared before the emperor Tiberius and, offering him a red egg, said: “Christ is risen!” thus beginning his sermon. Following the example of Mary Magdalene Equal-to-the-Apostles, we now give red eggs on Easter, confessing the life-giving death and the Resurrection of the Lord - two events that Easter unites in itself. The Easter egg reminds us of one of the main tenets of our faith and serves visible sign blessed resurrection of the dead, the pledge of which we have in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of death and hell. Just as from an egg, from under its inanimate shell, life is born, so from the tomb, the dwelling place of the death of corruption, the Giver of Life arose, and so all the dead will rise to eternal life.

Why the Church blesses Easter and Easter cakes

Easter cake is a church ritual food. Kulich is a kind of arthos at the lower degree of consecration.

Where does Easter cake come from and why are Easter cakes baked and consecrated on Easter?

We Christians should especially take communion on the day of Easter. But since many Orthodox Christians have the custom of receiving the Holy Mysteries during Great Lent, and on the Bright Day of the Resurrection of Christ, few receive communion, then, after the celebration of the Liturgy, on this day, special offerings of believers are blessed and consecrated in the temple, usually called Easter and Easter cakes, so that partaking of them reminded us of the communion of the true Pascha of Christ and united all the faithful in Jesus Christ.

The use of consecrated Easter cakes and Easter cakes on Bright Week among Orthodox Christians can be likened to eating the Old Testament Easter, which on the first day of the Paschal week the people of God ate family (). Also, with the blessing and consecration of Christian Easter and Easter cakes, believers on the first day of the holiday, having come home from the temples and finished the feat of fasting, as a sign of joyful unity, the whole family begins bodily reinforcement - stopping fasting, everyone eats blessed Easter cakes and Easter, using them throughout bright week.

About the seven-day celebration of Easter

From its very beginning, the Easter holiday was a bright, universal, long-lasting Christian celebration.

Since apostolic times, the feast of Christian Easter has lasted seven days, or eight, if we count all the days of the continuous celebration of Easter until Fomin Monday.

Slavya Holy and mysterious Pascha, Pascha of Christ the Redeemer, Pascha opening the doors of paradise to us, The Orthodox Church, during the entire bright seven-day celebration, has the Royal Doors open. The royal doors are not closed during the entire Bright Week even during the communion of the clergy.

Starting from the first day of Pascha and until Vespers of the feast of the Holy Trinity, kneeling and prostrations does not apply .

In liturgical terms, the entire Bright Week is, as it were, one festive day: on all days of this week, the Divine Service is the same as on the first day, with a few changes and changes.

Before the beginning of the Liturgy during the days of the Paschal week and before the Giving of Pascha, the clergy read instead of "O Heavenly King" - "Christ is Risen" ( thrice).

Ending the bright celebration of Pascha with a week, the Church continues it, although with less solemnity, for another thirty-two days - until the Ascension of the Lord.

On the behavior of Orthodox Christians on Easter

During the great celebration of Pascha, the ancient Christians gathered daily for public worship.

According to the piety of the first Christians, at the VI Ecumenical Council it was decided for the faithful: From the holy day of the resurrection of Christ our God until the new week (Thomina), throughout the whole week, the faithful must in the holy churches constantly practice in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and enjoy the holy Mysteries. For in this way, with Christ, we too will resurrect and be exalted. For this reason, there is no horse race, or any other folk spectacle, on the said days.».

The ancient Christians sanctified the great feast of Easter with special deeds of piety, mercy and good works. Imitating the Lord, who by His Resurrection freed us from the bonds of sin and death, pious kings unlocked dungeons on Paschal days and forgave prisoners (but not criminals). Ordinary Christians these days helped the poor, the orphans and the poor. Brasno (that is, food), consecrated on Easter, was distributed to the poor and thus made them participants in the joy on the Bright Holiday.

An ancient holy custom, preserved even today by pious laity, consists in not omitting a single church service during the entire Bright Week.

What is artos

The word artos is translated from Greek as "leavened bread" - consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise - whole prosphora.

Throughout the entire Bright Week, Artos occupies the most prominent place in the temple, along with the icon of the Resurrection of the Lord, and, at the conclusion of the Easter celebrations, is distributed to believers.

The use of artos begins from the very beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ found comfort in prayerful recollections of the Lord, they remembered His every word, every step and every action. When they came together for a common prayer, they, remembering the Last Supper, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Preparing an ordinary meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Lord and put bread on this place.

Imitating the apostles, the first pastors of the Church established on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ to put bread in the temple, as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us has become for us the true bread of life.

The artos depicts a cross, on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but there is no Crucified One - as a sign of Christ's victory over death, or an image of the Resurrection of Christ.

An ancient church tradition is also connected with the artos, that the apostles left at the table a part of the bread, a share of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord as a reminder of constant communion with Her, and after the meal they reverently shared this part among themselves. In monasteries, this custom is called the Chin o Panagia, that is, the remembrance of the Most Holy Mother of the Lord. In parish churches, this bread of the Mother of God is remembered once a year in connection with the fragmentation of the arthos.

The artos is consecrated by a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and censing on the first day of Holy Pascha at the Liturgy after the ambo prayer. Artos relies on the solea, against the Royal Doors, on a prepared table or lectern. After the consecration of the artos, the lectern with the artos is placed on the salt in front of the image of the Savior, where the artos lies throughout the Holy Week. It is preserved in the temple throughout the Bright Week on a lectern in front of the iconostasis. On all days of Bright Week, at the end of the Liturgy, a procession around the church is solemnly performed with the artos. On Saturday of Bright Week, after the ambo prayer, a prayer is read for the fragmentation of the artos, the artos is crushed, and at the end of the Liturgy, when the Cross is kissed, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.

How to store and take Artos

Particles of artos received in the temple are reverently kept by believers as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities.
Artos is used in special occasions, for example, in illness, and always with the words "Christ is risen!".

How the dead are commemorated on Easter Days

Many people visit the cemetery on Easter, where the graves of their loved ones are located. Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom to accompany these visits to the graves of their relatives with wild drunken revelry. But even those who do not celebrate pagan drunken feasts on the graves of their loved ones, so offensive to any Christian feeling, often do not know when it is possible and necessary to commemorate the departed on Easter days.

The first commemoration of the departed takes place on the second week, after Fomin Sunday, on Tuesday.

The basis for this commemoration is, on the one hand, the memory of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, connected with St. Thomas Sunday, and on the other hand, the permission of the Church Charter to perform the usual commemoration of the dead, starting with St. Thomas Monday. By this permission, believers come to the graves of their neighbors with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ, hence the day of commemoration itself is called Radonitsa.

How to commemorate the dead

Prayer for the departed is the greatest and most important thing that we can do for those who have departed to another world.

By and large, the deceased does not need a coffin or a monument - all this is a tribute to traditions, albeit pious ones.

But the ever-living soul of the deceased feels a great need for our constant prayer, because she herself cannot do good deeds with which she would be able to propitiate God.

That's why home prayer for loved ones, prayer in the cemetery at the grave of the deceased is the duty of every Orthodox Christian.

But commemoration in the Church provides special help to the deceased.

Before visiting the cemetery, you should come to the temple at the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of the deceased relatives for commemoration in the altar (best of all, if it is a commemoration at the proskomedia, when a piece is taken out of a special prosphora for the deceased, and then as a sign of the washing of his sins dipped into the Chalice with the Holy Gifts).

After the Liturgy, a memorial service should be served.

Prayer will be more effective if the one who commemorates this day himself partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ.

It is very useful to donate to the church, to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed.

How to behave in a cemetery

Arriving at the cemetery, you need to light a candle, make lithium(this is the word in literally means increased prayer. To perform the rite of lithium in commemoration of the dead, a priest must be invited. A shorter rite that a layman can perform is given in the "Full Orthodox prayer book for the Laity” and in the brochure “How to Behave in a Cemetery”, published by our publishing house).

Then clean up the grave or just be silent, remember the deceased.

It is not necessary to eat or drink at the cemetery, it is especially unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this offends the memory of the dead. The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread “for the deceased” on the grave is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families.

It is not necessary to leave food on the grave, it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.

Easter meal. How to color eggs

Best for coloring eggs onion peel which is collected in advance. Depending on the color of the husk, the color of the eggs is from light red to dark brown. If you want the color to be more saturated, you need to take more husks and cook it for about half an hour before lowering the eggs into the broth.

So that the eggs do not burst during cooking, they must be kept warm for about an hour or at room temperature, while boiling, you can add a tablespoon of salt to the water.

Some families keep the custom of dyeing eggs "speckled". For this, wet eggs are rolled in dry rice, wrapped in gauze (the ends of the gauze must be tied tightly with thread so that the rice sticks to the egg) and then boiled in onion peel in the usual way. To make the painted eggs shine, they are wiped dry and smeared with sunflower oil.

How to bake Easter cakes and Easter cakes. Easter cake

Dilute the dough on three glasses of milk, six glasses of flour and yeast. Put her in heat. Grind five yolks with two cups of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and fragrant seasonings (one stick of vanilla, ten cardamom nuts, or two drops of rose oil). When the dough comes up, put the mashed yolks into it, drive two more eggs into it, pour in half a glass of slightly warmed melted butter, add six cups of flour, but so that the dough is not too thick. Knock out the dough well on the table, pour one and a half glasses of raisins into it and let the dough rise until the morning. In the morning beat again and let it lie down. Then put half of the dough in the form, let it rise to three-quarters of the height of the form and put in the oven. Two cakes will come out of this amount of dough.
12 glasses of flour, three glasses of fresh milk, 50 g of yeast, two glasses of sugar, seven eggs, half a glass of butter, one and a half glasses of raisins, a teaspoon of salt, fragrant seasonings.

Kulich custard

On the eve at eight o'clock in the evening, pour the yeast with half a glass of tepid water, let the yeast rise. Brew half a glass of flour with half a glass of boiling milk, stir well. If the brew is bad, then warm it up a little, stirring constantly. When the yeast comes up, mix it with the dough, add cooled boiled milk, two teaspoons of salt and two eggs (leave a little of them for greasing), add flour to make a thick dough, stir it until smooth and put it in the morning warm place approach, well covered. At six or seven o'clock in the morning, pour half a glass of warmed, but not hot, oil into the dough and pour a little two glasses of weak warm tea mixed with three-quarters of a glass of sugar. Pour, stirring constantly, almost all the remaining flour. Dump the dough onto a table or board and beat it well until bubbles appear in it. After that, put the dough in a pre-washed and oiled dish on the inside, cover the dish with something warm and leave the dough to come up. After an hour, put the dough on a board, knead raisins into it, beat it again, but carefully, and let it rise in the same bowl for another half hour. Now the dough can be laid out in one or two buttered forms, let the dough rise, grease the top of the cake with an egg and put in the oven.
12 cups flour, half a cup of melted butter, two eggs, three-quarters of a cup of sugar, one cup of milk, 50 g of yeast, two cups of liquid tea, three-quarters of a cup of peeled raisins, salt.

Kulich royal

Dilute 50 g of yeast in a glass of cream and put a thick dough on 600 g of wheat flour, two glasses of cream, crushed cardamom (10 grains), 1 crushed nutmeg, chopped almonds (50 g), 100 g each of finely chopped candied fruits and washed, dried raisins. It is good to knock out the dough, and leave to rise for one and a half to two hours. Then again knead the dough, put in a high form greased with oil and crushed breadcrumbs. Fill the mold halfway, let the dough rise again to 3/4 of the height of the mold and place in the oven with a slight heat.
Easter cakes from such rich dough are best baked in small forms.

Easter boiled

Stir all of the following, put in a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom), put on the stove, bring to a hot state, stirring constantly. After removing the pan from the heat, continue to stir Easter until it cools down, and then put it in a wooden form, put oppression on top and leave for a day in a cool place.
1.2 kg of cottage cheese, three cups of cream, 100 g of butter, four to five raw eggs, 100 g of raisins and sugar to taste.

Easter with chocolate

Grate the chocolate or scrape it with a knife, mix with powdered sugar and set aside. Then take the cottage cheese, rub it through a sieve, mix with butter and sour cream, mix well, pour a glass of chopped candied fruit, chocolate with powdered sugar into the cottage cheese, mix it all so that the mass has a uniform color. Put everything in a form covered with a thin cloth (muslin, gauze), take it out to the cold and put it under oppression. After a day and a half, remove Easter from the mold and serve.
Two kilograms of fresh cottage cheese, 200 g of chocolate, 200 g of powdered sugar, 200 g of butter, two glasses of sour cream, one glass of candied fruit.

vanilla easter

Well-pressed cottage cheese is rubbed through a sieve, cream is gradually poured into it, mixed, wrapped for 12 hours in a napkin, the napkin is tied in knots and hung up to allow the whey formed as a result of fermentation to drain. Then a glass of sugar, vanilla (crushed) are poured into the curd and everything is mixed properly. After that, the cottage cheese is placed in a pasochnik lined with a thin cloth, covered with a plank and put under oppression for half an hour. After half an hour, Easter is carefully taken out of the bean box, freed from the fabric, placed on a dish and decorated with an artificial flower on top. This Easter should be enough for six to eight people.
600 g of cottage cheese, three cups of cream, one cup of sugar and half a stick of vanilla.

How to Bake a Greek Easter Pie

60 g of yeast, 120 g of milk, 100 g of sugar, 1 kg of flour, a pinch of salt, grated orange peel, a glass of warm water, 200 g of sesame seeds, 5 hard-boiled and painted bright red eggs, protein, vegetable oil and sesame seeds for the opposite.
Dissolve yeast with milk and sugar and let rise for 10 minutes. Add 125 g of flour, stir, put in a warm place and let rise until the next day. Mix the dough with the remaining flour, add salt, zest, water and knead for half an hour. From two-thirds of the dough - form a long smooth loaf five centimeters thick. Grease a baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Lay the dough on a baking sheet. From the rest of the dough, roll into two thin rolls of the same length as a loaf on a baking sheet. Roll the rolls in sesame seeds and lay around the loaf, pressing to hold the dough together. Place the eggs obliquely into the dough, brush the loaf with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let the cake rise for three hours in a warm place. Bake in the oven for about an hour at 200 degrees.

Studen (traditional Easter dish)

Beef, pork, lamb legs, singe the heads, cut into pieces, chop the bones, soak in cold water for 3-4 hours, wash thoroughly, pour cold water (2 liters of water per 1 kg of offal) and cook at a low boil for 6-8 hours, periodically removing fat, add carrots and spices. Separate the pulp from the bones, chop finely, combine with the broth, salt and let it boil. Garlic can be added if desired, then cooled and poured into bowls or molds. Serve with horseradish. Before serving, dip the mold in hot water, put the jelly on a dish.
Offal - 1 kg, carrots - 60 g, onion - 60 g, parsley, Bay leaf, pepper, garlic, salt to taste.

Bouzhenina

Ham or a small part of it, salt at the rate of 20 g per 1 kg of meat, pepper, garlic at the rate of 1 clove per 1 kg of meat.
It is advisable to salt the ham and leave for one day. Salt small pieces of meat for boiled pork an hour before frying. Cut the skin of the ham with a sharp knife into cells, rub with salt and pepper, stuff with garlic cloves, put on a baking sheet, pour 1/2 cup of water and put in a preheated oven. When the upper part of the ham is well browned, turn it over and, periodically pouring over the released juice, bring it to full readiness. It is important not to overdry the top crust, for this you need to cover the meat with thick paper or foil. Serve both hot and cold with olives, pickled lingonberries, cucumbers, fresh salads, greenery. Serve horseradish, ketchup and mustard separately.

Goose (duck) with apples

1 carcass, 40 g butter or margarine, 500 g apples, marjoram, salt.
Grate the pre-treated carcass with salt and marjoram. Leave for one hour. Wash apples, remove seeds, cut in half. Stuff the carcass with them, sew them up, put them on a baking sheet or in a brazier, greased vegetable oil. Pour oil on top, sprinkle with water and put in a well-heated oven. Fry, constantly moistening with sauce and sprinkling with water. Cut the finished goose (duck) into portions, put on an oval dish, put apples around the edges. Serve the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat. Garnish with herbs (lettuce, parsley, celery). Serve with stewed cabbage or beets.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, Easter was the main holiday of the year and was celebrated more widely than even Christmas.

It was called "The Feast of Feasts and the Celebration of Celebrations."

How many wonderful holidays it is customary to celebrate wildly and cheerfully in our populous city! Traditions that have come to us recently have become especially popular.
We have fun on Halloween, give each other valentines on February 14, pout with beer and dance to the bagpipes on St. Patrick's Day. Perfectly!
Only these holidays have a very remote relation to Russian culture.

But such a primordial holiday of ours as Easter, for years Soviet power shrank down to painted eggs with Easter cake.

Acquiring someone else's is not bad, but it is hardly worth forgetting your own.

Easter is ancient Christian holiday. It is full of cultural and religious meanings and rich in traditions.

But at the same time it is a cheerful and really bright day, full of fun and fun that we need so much at the very beginning of spring.

Paschal Instructions of Father Demetrius

When to meet

Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. This date is calculated according to a complex formula based on a mixture of solar and lunar calendars. Here are the calculations of Easter dates for the coming years. From time to time, the days of Easter for Catholics and Orthodox coincide.

How to prepare

Like other church holidays, celebrating Easter is not easy. If you take the matter seriously, it would be good to start fasting. Easter is preceded by Great Lent, which lasts seven weeks (and together with the preparatory weeks - all ten) and is the strictest post throughout the religious calendar. Those who ventured into it will not only experience the beneficial therapeutic effect of abstaining from fast (non-lenten) food and exercise willpower, but will also be subsequently rewarded with a festive conversation at the solemn Easter table.

But this, of course, is only the material side of the matter. The restriction of carnal pleasures in general and gastronomic pleasures in particular during Great Lent should, in the religious sense, be only an outward expression of a serious cleansing work taking place in the soul of a believer.

This external side of purification reaches its apogee in Pure Thursday when the Orthodox clean their home and body. The next two days Good Friday and Great Saturday, reserved exclusively for spiritual purification and comprehension of Christ's redemptive feat on the cross.

Traditional dishes

First of all, it is, of course, Easter cakes and colored eggs. They should be prepared for the festive table by Maundy Thursday, and on Great Saturday they should be brought to the church for consecration. Several Easter cakes should be prepared, since, along with an Easter egg, this is one of the most traditional Easter gifts.

So you need to cook enough of them so that there is something to give, and what to leave for the household - so much so that everyone has enough not only to break the fast, but also for all the days of Bright Week after Easter.

There is a legend according to which Mary Magdalene came with a sermon to the Roman emperor Tiberius. She brought him a gift egg, which has been a symbol of life since ancient times.

When she told the emperor about the resurrection of Christ from the dead, he replied that rather white egg in her hands will become red than he will believe in these tall tales. After his words, the egg turned red in an instant.

The most traditional way of coloring Easter eggs is with the use of a decoction of onion skins. Depending on its color, eggs acquire color from light red before dark brown.

In order to get a more saturated color, you need to take more husks and boil it for about half an hour, and then lower the eggs into the broth.

There is a little culinary secret: so that the eggs do not burst during coloring, they should first be held at room temperature for about an hour. You can even buy special stickers with patterned coloring of eggs: such stickers appear shortly before Easter in grocery stores. It is important to remember that the house must have eggs painted red.

The traditional Easter dish is also jelly. Usually they put boiled pork, goose or duck baked with apples, several types of cottage cheese Easter, a lamb-shaped pie on the table.

Procession

Easter service begins at midnight from Saturday to Sunday. It is not like a regular worship service. Here, during the whole service, a light high spirits reigns. This is already evident from the title of Matins: "Joy at the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead."

This mood is also supported by the melodious, cheerful troparion (short prayer chant) of Easter, which all those who come to the temple will have to hear and sing more than a dozen times that night: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life on those in the tombs” .

Soon after the start of the service, the faithful, following the priests, leave the temple and go around it in a solemn procession, which is accompanied by a continuous bell ringing. Returning to the doors of the church, the procession finds that they are locked.

Only the rector of the temple, after certain verses have been sung and the Paschal troparion has been performed several times by the clergy and all the faithful, is allowed to open the doors of the temple and enter inside already with the news of the Resurrection of Christ.

Then, during the execution of the Easter canon, the priests repeatedly run around the whole church with a cross and a censer, loudly exclaiming: “Christ is Risen!”, To which the flock answers them: “Truly Risen!”.

This action fills the church with a joyful movement, in which parishioners are also involved. After that, all people begin to congratulate each other on Christ's Resurrection, give each other colored eggs and christen. After the solemn service, everyone returns home, where a festive table is already waiting for them.

The main festive service in Russia will, of course, take place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and will be the Paschal debut of the new patriarch. Not many will be able to attend this event, but a live TV broadcast will be publicly available.

Easter fun

The celebration of Easter then continues for 40 days - so many days Jesus stayed on earth and appeared to his disciples after the resurrection. In the first Bright Week church bells after a long silence during passionate days do not shut up.

This week, anyone can climb the belfry and ring the bells. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity. These days it is also customary to visit, receive guests and give gifts, especially Easter eggs and Easter cakes.

During all this time, up to the Giving of the feast of Pascha, which takes place on Wednesday of the sixth week of celebrations, it is customary to christen, that is, to greet each other with the words: “Christ is Risen!” and receive in response: “Truly Risen!”.

This is followed by a triple kiss on both cheeks. It is expected that when two people meet, the first part of this greeting should be pronounced by the younger in age or according to the church hierarchy, and the older one answers. So, for example, when a layman meets a clergyman, the first one should say: “Christ is risen! Bless, father, ”and the second replies:“ He is truly risen. God bless."

Easter games

Egg rolling has always been one of the favorite children's pastimes during the celebration of Easter. On level ground at home or on the street, a “skating rink” made of wood or cardboard was installed.

In this skating rink, various gifts and small toys were laid out. Then the children took turns approaching the skating rink and rolling their colored egg on it. The winning was what the egg rolling on the rink touched. Taking into account the shape of the egg, which provides almost complete unpredictability of its movement on the surface of the rink, this fun is quite exciting.

It is also customary to entertain children by searching for Easter eggs hidden in the house. Adults hide colored eggs in advance in different secluded places in the house, and then the children, divided into teams, go to search for them.

The winner, of course, is the team that collects the most eggs. The losers are then given the opportunity to rematch. To do this, there is another favorite children's Easter fun - to clink glasses with colored eggs with each other: the one who manages to break the opponent's egg with his egg wins. broken egg he takes the defeated opponent like a trophy.

Red hill

This holiday, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, has an obvious genetic connection with the pagan tradition of the feast of fertility, the change of the year, seeing off winter and welcoming spring. The name of the holiday that different places celebrate differently - somewhere one day and somewhere and all week - comes from the place where it was customary to arrange it.

Usually, festivities and round dances were held on the tops of hills and hills, which were the first to be freed from snow. Boys and girls in elegant costumes gathered there, dances and games were arranged. It was a time of choosing brides and marriages. By this day in Russia they have always tried to coincide with weddings. It was believed that "whoever marries Krasnaya Gorka will never get divorced."

On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Antipascha and the beginning of St. Thomas' week, dedicated to the story of the unbelieving Thomas. On the whole, the Russian Orthodox Church treats the celebration of Red Hill calmly, explaining the abundance of weddings on this day by the fact that earlier during Great Lent it was impossible to play noisy weddings.

No need to go to cemeteries!

During the years of Soviet power, a custom arose on Easter and in the first days after it to visit the graves of relatives in cemeteries. The city authorities these days are even strengthening transport links with the main burial sites, waiting a large number wishing to visit the cemeteries. However, the Orthodox Church highly discourages doing this on the first holidays after Easter.

The fact is that at this time in the churches there is no commemoration of the dead. The Charter allows you to do this only on Tuesday in the second (Fomin's) week after Easter. On this day, believers should go to cemeteries, bringing the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ to the departed relatives. Therefore, the day of remembrance is called Radonitsa.

The Russian Orthodox Church, in its numerous publications on this subject, earnestly asks believers to maintain good manners while visiting the graves, not to arrange "wild orgies and pagan drunken feasts, so offensive to any Christian feeling" there. “It is not necessary to eat or drink at the cemetery, it is especially unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this offends the memory of the dead,” one of the church appeals says.

The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread on the grave is also considered a relic of paganism. The dead should be commemorated by prayer and remembrance in the temple. You can simply pray for the salvation of the soul of the deceased over the grave, stand before it in silence, remember the deceased. This should be enough.

If you celebrate Easter at home, then for a successful Easter celebration you need to know the traditions and rituals of Easter.

Happy Easter day celebrated at home

Easter - great religious holiday , which is celebrated all over the world by believing Christians. Having gathered with the whole family at a rich table, the central place on which is given to Easter cakes and eggs, people remember the miraculous appearance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross.

kulich- a symbol that recalls that Jesus Christ, coming to the disciples after the Resurrection, himself ate food with them, while the apostles did not sit down at the middle place at the table during the meal, but left bread in front of him, as if the Lord God was present among them.

A custom has also developed, which, by the way, has survived to this day, on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, to leave bread in churches. On this bread only the cross is depicted - a sign of Christ's victory over death.

In Russia, on Easter day, housewives usually prepared a lot of dough, since it ferments better in a large mass. Unlike the dough for pies, a large number of eggs, a lot of butter and sugar are placed in the dough for Easter cakes. All these components make the dough very rich, soft, and Easter cakes from it are stored for a long time and do not get stale. It is believed that the dough for Easter cakes in the literal sense of the word needs to be nursed, protected from drafts, talked to, and praised. Delicious, fragrant Easter cakes are eaten throughout the Easter week until Radunitsa.

How to decorate the table for Easter

Since Easter is a spring holiday, try to fill your table with bright, warm colors.

Green color- the color of life and tranquility, which is why flowers and other ornamental plants will transform the Easter meal in the best possible way. And of course, let's not forget about eggs - a traditional dish for Easter.

At all times in Easter rites, the central place was given to the egg.

According to legend, Mary Magdalene presented the first Easter egg to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. The woman told him that Christ had risen, and the emperor replied that it was just as impossible as it was impossible for a chicken egg to turn red.

And to the surprise of everyone, the egg that Tiberius held in his hand turned red at that very moment.

❧ Easter eggs can be painted on their own or with special stickers for eggs.

❧ An Easter wreath made of plastic eggs is a decoration invented by enterprising Europeans who love and celebrate Easter.

Entertainment for Easter

In the old days, young people at Easter loved to have fun rolling painted eggs down a hill. It was also customary to arrange competitions: people chose the strongest of the many Easter eggs and went to friends and neighbors to “beat” the eggs: whoever cracked, he lost.

Some people beat out a whole basket of eggs in one Easter day. Many of these beautiful and original ceremonies exist to this day.

❧ If in Slavic tradition easter symbol is a chicken, in Western culture it is a rabbit. This cute and charming animal represents fertility and spring.

Inga Mayakovskaya

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Easter is a great holiday that solemnly celebrates the whole christianity. It is believed that the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened on this day.

Easter is a wonderful holiday when the whole family, relatives, close friends gather at a generous table. During the holiday reigns special, kind, merciful environment . In the church, which is beautifully decorated with carpets, towels, holiday service . It is not customary to go to bed on Easter night, as it is believed that God gives happiness to those people who do not sleep.

Traditional meeting of Easter in Russia

In Russia, the celebration of Easter was generous, rich. At the festive table was always present 48 dishes . Traditional, the main ones were colored eggs, cottage cheese Easter, Easter cakes . Wealthy families who lived in large houses painted a huge number of eggs for Easter, even up to 1000 pieces, so that they would be enough for everyone without exception: both households and employees. Also on Easter, a lot of Easter cakes were baked. The most beautiful and largest remained at home. Small Easter cakes and colored eggs were taken treat neighbors, friends . Also eggs and cookies donated to monasteries, hospitals, almshouses . On the feast of Holy Pascha, all class and social distinctions were completely erased, and universal grace reigned.
Preparations for the holiday were carried out long before its onset. AT Pure Thursday cleaning was carried out in the house, windows were washed, unnecessary things were thrown out. On this day, they cut their beards, mustaches, and hair. On the eve of the holiday, all family members actively dyed eggs, baked pies, prepared Easter cottage cheese.
At present, as well as several centuries ago, we are actively getting ready for Easter: we clean the house, bake Easter cakes, paint eggs.

Easter traditions. What to bless at Easter?

As soon as the church bells ring, we go to the church to sanctify the contents of the basket , which we fill in accordance with the traditions of the Holy Easter holiday. According to the established traditions that came to Ancient Russia, we add to cart colored eggs, cottage cheese Easter, Easter cake, salt, meat, red wine . You can also put there cheese, fish, lard and other products. It is not customary to sanctify only a chicken, since according to ancient legend, it is believed that on the birthday of Jesus, it was the chicken that prevented him from sleeping. When the circumambulation of the church service begins in the church, the basket of food is sprinkled holy water. After the food was sprinkled with water, people return home and set the festive table.

Traditional Easter table

Returning home, stepping over the threshold, you should repeat three times: "Holy Easter in the house, all evil spirits out of the house." Sitting at the Easter table, you must first taste everything sacred. First of all, it is customary to cut a painted egg, then proceeded to Easter and drinks.
At present, as before, it is customary to cover generous and beautiful table, where, in addition to everything holy, there are many other delicious dishes. To make the table look festive, it is customary to decorate it beautifully with the obligatory attributes of Easter - flowers and greenery . In the old days, to decorate the festive table, they specially made flowers made from paper or scraps of fabric . Then icons and Easter cakes were decorated with these flowers. Easter tables always looked bright and beautiful. Today, as a decoration on the Easter table, you can choose Easter meadow , which is a symbol of spring and prosperity. You can put colored eggs in the clearing, put bright yellow chickens, beautifully tie colorful ribbons, plant flowers.
As a rule, at Easter it is accepted invite relatives and godparents . If you are visiting, be sure you should bring colored eggs and Easter cake . There is a sign: a person who tastes 10 Easter cakes baked by different housewives will whole year lucky and happy.