Teacher: How do you understand the epigraph? How can it be related to the topic of the lesson?

Disciples: Prayers and bows are the rites and customs of our church. These are sacred actions of Orthodox Christians in the form of asking God for mercy and blessings.

Teacher: What rituals do you know?

Disciples: The main ritual actions of the Russian Orthodox Church include: prayers, consecration of a home, consecration of bread, eggs, Easter cakes, religious processions, etc.

Teacher: A ritual is any external sign of reverence expressing prayer - this is the sign of the cross and bows, as well as the lighting of a church candle and lamp.

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– Let’s write down the definition of ritual and forms of rituals in a notebook.

Ritual- this is a set of actions in which some religious ideas are embodied (Ozhegov’s dictionary).

Forms of rituals:

1. Any church service (for example, blessing of water)
2. Sacrament (the sacrament of marriage is performed in the wedding ceremony)
3. Prayers (they are accompanied by the sign of the cross, kneeling)

Sign of the Cross

The word "sign" ( emphasize that the stress falls on the first syllable) means “sign”. Thus, the sign of the cross is a sign of the cross, its image. Christians make the sign of the cross, asking for help and protection from God, to testify to their faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, His resurrection.

Nowadays, it is customary to perform the Sign of the Cross in the following sequence:

According to Orthodox teaching, the power of the sign of the cross, like prayer, calls on God and protects from the influence of demonic forces. In addition, from the lives of saints it is known that sometimes the sign of the cross was enough to dispel demonic spells and perform a miracle.

Until the 5th century, the sign of the cross was made with one finger, most likely the index finger. The imposition of the full sign of the cross (forehead - belly - shoulders) is first mentioned in Georgian sources - in the “Life of Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles”. The sign of the cross with two fingers began to be used after the 5th century. This method was adopted in order to emphasize the unity of the Divine and human nature of Christ. By the way a person is baptized, one can determine what religion he is. At the last lesson, an individual task was proposed: “Using the two-fingered hand.”

The student tells the prepared material.

Teacher: When is it necessary to be baptized?

1. At the beginning, end and during prayer.
2. When approaching one or another shrine.
3. When entering and leaving the temple.
4. Before kissing a cross or icon.

In all significant cases of life (danger, trial, joy, grief, work, etc.)

Bows

Teacher: After the sign of the cross, Orthodox Christians bow. What do you think bowing means?

Disciples: In Orthodoxy, bowing means humility of a person, awareness of one’s sinfulness and giving honor to the Greatness of God.

Teacher: The Church Charter requires that Orthodox Christians bow in church slowly and when necessary. There are two types of bows: waist and earth.

Belt bows are performed:

1. At the end of the prayers
2. When pronouncing the name of the Lord or the Virgin Mary
3. With three times “Hallelujah”

Prostrations

In order to know how to behave in church, you don’t need to try to “learn” all the provisions of church life: you should just go to church more often, and when going to it, think about meeting God, and not about how they will react to the actions of a “newbie” "

The custom of lighting a candle

What does a person do first when he crosses the threshold of the temple? Nine times out of ten, it goes to the candle box. Lighting candles in front of sacred objects is an ancient custom. The custom of lighting candles in churches came to Russia from Greece.

In the first centuries of Christianity, candles were always lit during services. On the one hand, it was a necessity: Christians, persecuted by pagans, retired to dungeons and catacombs for worship, and besides, worship services most often took place at night. But for another, and main, reason, lighting had spiritual significance. Lamps and candles were used to depict Christ - the Uncreated Light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.

When the persecution of the church stopped, the custom of lighting candles remained. It is customary to light candles and lamps in front of icons of saints and tombs of martyrs, as in front of shrines.

Russian-Byzantine churches had very narrow windows, creating twilight, darkness even in the most sunny light. This symbolized earthly human life, immersed in the darkness of sin, but in which the light of faith shines.

Teacher: Where do they put the candles?

Students: Place candles in the cells of candlesticks, melting the bottom edge for stability.

Teacher: How many candles do they put?

Students: A church candle is a visible sign of ardent love. If they are not in a person’s soul, a candle as a sign does not express anything. The quantity doesn't matter.

Teacher: When do you light the candles?

Students: During non-liturgical times and before the start of the service.

Teacher: In ancient times, wax was an offering made by believers to the temple as a voluntary sacrifice. Pure wax signifies the purity of the people carrying it. Wax is offered as a sign of our repentance and readiness to obey God, similar to the softness and pliability of wax.

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Blessing of water

Orthodox Christians have the custom of using bread and water consecrated in the church. Almost every believer keeps a bottle of holy water and prosphora.

The consecration of water was accepted by the Church from the apostles and their successors. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the element of water was sanctified and became a source of sanctification for man. This is where the Christian tradition of blessing water in church originates. It is believed that such water receives the beneficial power to sanctify, heal, protect and protect from evil.

Blessed water can be stored for many years while remaining fresh. There is a known case when the Monk Ambrose of Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill man and he was healed.

Teacher: In what cases is holy water used?

Disciples: 1. In the sacrament of baptism for immersion in the font. 2. When consecrating temples, residential buildings, buildings. 3. For sprinkling believers at prayer services and during religious processions. 4. For distribution to believers.

Teacher: It should be remembered that, according to the teachings of the Church, the wonderful properties of water are revealed only to sincere believers.

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Blessing of bread

There has always been a special relationship with bread. It was bread that Jesus Christ used, saying: “Eat, this is My body,” when he first performed the main sacrament for Christians - communion.

Teacher: What is the bread for communion called?

Pupils: Prosphora.

Teacher: (emphasis falls on the last syllable)- this is the name of the bread that was brought for the liturgy. It consisted of two parts, symbolizing earthly bread and heavenly bread. Each part of the prosphora is made one from the other, and only then they are joined together. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar NIKA (Victory).

The lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly composition of a person, the upper part with a seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in a person.

The prosphora is made round as a sign of the eternity of Christ, as a sign that man was created for eternal life. The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note of health or repose before the start of the service. Prosphora is a sacred thing and is eaten along with holy water on an empty stomach.

We invite you to remember the ritual of consecrating Easter cakes and eggs. The guys share their impressions.

I would like to remind you that blessed eggs cannot be thrown away; they must either be eaten, or, like spoiled prosphora, taken to church or burned.

So, today we got acquainted with the main customs and rituals of the Orthodox Church: the sign of the cross, bows, the custom of lighting a candle, the blessing of water and bread.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is celebrated annually by the Orthodox Church and all believers in the world. The holiday is associated with the future death of Christ on Golgotha ​​and is accompanied by the custom of consecrating the willow tree. It is the buds of this tree that bloom first, which symbolizes the revival of nature and the beginning of a new life.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - History

In the thirties of our era, rumors spread in Jerusalem about Jesus, who healed the sick and brought the dead back to life. Thanks to him, the blind began to see, and lepers got rid of a terrible skin disease. He was followed by followers who spread good fame. Ordinary people waited in hope for a Savior who would deliver them from the hated tyranny. Roman henchmen...

Among the people, the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord is the Apple Savior. It was installed by the disciples of Christ in memory of the fact that he was transfigured before them on Mount Tabor. The Church celebrates the union of the Divine and the entire population in the image of Christ the Savior. It has its own traditions that are advised to be followed.

history of the holiday

The history of the holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord comes from the depths of centuries. The tradition of celebration dates back to the 4th century. This is due to the fact that it was during this period that Empress Helena gave the order to build a temple on this mountain. Nowadays, there are two monasteries on it.

Many pilgrims try to make processions to all holy places. If …

The Day of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul is a holiday that appeared in Christianity as a tribute to the memory of the two great holy apostles, faithful followers of Jesus Christ, who left a huge mark on the history of Orthodoxy, laying down their lives on the altar, being completely devoted to the faith.

Traditionally, July 12 is the holiday of Peter and Paul according to the Orthodox calendar. And it is on this day that Peter’s fast ends (provided that it does not fall on Wednesday or Friday on the calendar).

History of the Feast of Peter and Paul

Peter (born Simon) was born into a fisherman’s family and, like his father, dreamed of devoting his whole life to this craft. But everything changed in...

The birth of the Virgin Mary was a reward for the large number of prayers her parents said to the Lord. In gratitude for this, they made a promise that she would serve God. It was the beginning of this path that was marked by the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

History of the celebration

The birth of a girl was a real miracle, since her parents were already quite old. This is the only long-awaited child in the family and therefore it is difficult to even imagine how difficult it was to part with her. But the parents did not back down. They prepared themselves and prepared the girl from an early age. She was told about who the Lord was and what His...

The Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 27. The holiday was established back in the fourth century, and the event is dedicated to the discovery and return of the shrine.

History of the holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Roman proxies in Jerusalem tried to destroy any information that was associated with Jesus Christ. Emperor Andrian ordered the burial and execution site of Golgotha ​​to be razed to the ground. Then they created a hill on which they placed a sanctuary of the goddess Venus with a sculpture of Jupiter, where the pagans worshiped their gods. Three hundred years later, Christians found the tomb and crucifix.

According to legend, Emperor Constantine the Great, who stopped the persecution of the Orthodox, saw in the sky the inscription “With this you will win” and a cross. Then he sent his mother Elena...

The Jewish people of those times had their own certain traditions. Some of them have survived to this day and are observed by believers. This holiday is dedicated to them. The circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great are of great importance for believers. The combination of two great holidays once again indicates the importance of these events.

History of the celebration

The history of the holiday of the Circumcision of the Lord in Orthodoxy is quite interesting. The pagans said that the first day of the new year makes it clear what the next one will be like. Thus, it was customary to celebrate this date with festivities and fun. They dressed up for carnivals. Women were men and vice versa. What happened on...

The holiday of the Beheading of John the Baptist takes place according to tradition on September 11th. This is observance of the strictness of fasting as a tribute to the memory of his painful death. The fate of any saint was tragic, but the death of a prophet was a brutal outrage against human flesh.

History The Beheading of John the Baptist

After the baptism of Jesus, the saint continued to preach to people, calling for repentance of sins and faith in the Savior. In those days, the governor of Galilee was Herod, who, with his legal wife Aretha, lived in sin with Herodias, the wife of his brother. The Prophet John openly exposed adultery, for which Herod ordered him to be imprisoned. Some sources indicate that Herod acted in such a way as to please Herodias...

There are not many celebrations that glorify John the Baptist. But the Prophet Forerunner is considered second in importance and reverence after the Mother of God. Therefore, turning to him will definitely be crowned with success.

history of the holiday

The history of the Nativity of John the Baptist holiday is associated with the occurrence of a miracle that was granted for prayers to the Lord. A child was born to the elderly Zacharias and Elizabeth. They began to call him the Forerunner because he came to earth before Christ and predicted His appearance. Later he became His baptist.

His conception was considered a real miracle, which was given by the Lord. During a service in the Jerusalem Temple, an angel arrived to Zechariah and brought good news. Believe this man...

The Feast of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rus' was inherited from the Byzantine Church and was established in the mid-twelfth century by Prince Bogolyubsky. It is one of the biggest Christian events celebrated by Orthodoxy. The history of its origin goes back to the distant past and is closely intertwined with the traditions of Slavic culture.

Historical event and signs

According to legend, the history of the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and signs is connected with an event that happened on October 14, 910 in the Byzantine capital. The city was besieged by the Saracens, and an all-night service was going on in the church. This is known from the Greek chronicle, which tells about the life of Andrei Yurodivy.

Historians are of the opinion that this was a battle between the Greeks and...

Strict fasting in Orthodoxy is the days when people are cleansed physically and spiritually. It brings the joy of communion and the liberation of the soul from sins accumulated over the year. This is an important part of the life of any Christian.

Rules of strict fasting

According to the Orthodox calendar, there are several types of fasting: before Easter, Christmas, Apostolic, Assumption. In addition, one-day abstinence days are also provided. Before communion, you must fast for three days. Of those listed, which fast is the strictest - before the bright holiday of Easter.

For a person who consciously came to faith and decided to fast, it is necessary to know important things:

1. Fasting is not a goal for women to lose extra pounds or a means of combating

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In ancient Rus' there was a close connection and interaction between the church and home life of our ancestors. Orthodox people pay great attention not only to what they prepare for lunch, but also to how they prepare it. They always do this with prayer, in a peaceful state of mind and with good thoughts. And they also pay special attention to the church calendar - they look at what day it is - fasting or fasting. These rules are observed especially strictly in monasteries. An Orthodox person must pray to God before starting to prepare food. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards the Creator. God is our Creator and Father. He cares for all of us more than any child-loving father and gives us all the blessings in life. By him we live, move and have our being; that is why we must pray to Him. We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart, but since each of us consists of soul and body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions, such as the sign of the cross, bowing at the waist, and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility before Him, we kneel and bow to the ground (bows to the ground). You should pray at all times, without ceasing. Church tradition prescribes praying in the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessing on the coming day. When starting a business - to ask for God's help. At the end of the case - to thank God for help and success in the case. Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health. After lunch - to thank God who feeds us. In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep. For all cases, special prayers are prescribed by the Orthodox Church. Prayer before lunch and dinner - “Our Father” or “The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good pleasure.” In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health. Under the hand of the Lord we mean here the giving of blessings to us, as well as the fulfillment of all living good will, that is, the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish and in general about all living things. Prayer after lunch and dinner: “We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. Amen". In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom. These prayers should be read standing, facing the icon, which must certainly be in the kitchen or dining room, out loud or silently, making the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the prayer. If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud. To make the sign of the cross, the first three fingers of the right hand - thumb, index and middle - are folded together, the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - are bent to the palm. The fingers folded in this way are placed on the forehead, on the stomach, and then on the right and left shoulders. By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons. The two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human. By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross. We sign the cross on the forehead, stomach and shoulders to enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength. The taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. The Lives of the Saints have a very convincing story on this topic. One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodosius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes. Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty to him. To which the monk answered: “Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery. When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this. Thus, everything is done with blessing. Your servants begin every task with grumbling and annoyance at each other. And where there is sin, there can be no pleasure. In addition, your courtyard managers often beat the servants for the slightest offense, and the tears of the offended add bitterness to the food, no matter how expensive they are.”

The Church does not give any special recommendations regarding food intake, but you cannot eat before the morning service, and even more so before communion. This prohibition exists so that the body, burdened with food, does not distract the soul from prayer and communion.

People who consider themselves believers try to live all aspects of life in accordance with their religious tradition. In the Biblical tradition of the Mediterranean culture, which includes Christianity in general, and Orthodoxy in particular, the question of a person’s name has always been very important. The names of the heroes of the faith - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - were repeated many times over generations, first among the Old Testament Jews, and then among Christians. It was believed that giving a child the name of a righteous man made him, the child, a participant in the holiness and glory that the original bearer of the name had already received from God. Here, the main motive for naming the baby was the desire to delegate to him, even if only by name for now, part of the merits before God of their prototypes.

The era of early Christianity, especially its pronounced Hellenistic period, did not regulate the special process of choosing a name for a child. Many names were specifically pagan in nature, as evidenced by their Greek translation into Russian. Actually, people who became saints gave their names a sacred character and made them Christian names. We must understand that the effect of precedent is very precious to any believer. If once in religious life something turned out exactly like this, then in the future it is worth repeating the same path in order to achieve success in the most important thing - the salvation of one’s own soul. In part, this approach resembles the Old Testament tradition, but only in part, since in the Old Testament there is no understanding that the dead saints are active characters, especially in the lives of the people who bear their names. There it is precisely more tradition than mysticism.

In Christianity, with its feeling that “everyone is alive with God,” the saint whose name a person bears is a real active character in the fate of his ward. This patronage was expressed in the concept of “heavenly patron”. It is interesting that often the “heavenly patrons” themselves did not have any heavenly patrons at one time; therefore, they were able to realize their holiness without an additional mystical element in their lives, without additional help. However, there is no such thing as too much help, and the tradition of giving names in honor of saints - and receiving prayer books and patrons in their person - has been strengthened over the first few centuries of Christianity. In Rus', this tradition appeared along with the adoption of Orthodoxy as an integral part of it. The Baptist of Rus', Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, himself received the Christian name Vasily in his baptism.

The issue of choosing a name in Christian families has always been decided by the parents. In Russia, during the Synodal period, a custom formed among the peasantry to delegate this right to the priest who performs baptism. It is clear that the parish clergyman, not really bothering himself with the question of finding out the lives of his or not his parishioners, preferred to use the calendar. Saints are a list of saints with the dates of their death, distributed according to the calendar. In the Christian tradition, the date of earthly death has always been considered the beginning of eternal life, and even more so among saints. Consequently, special holidays in honor of saints were celebrated, as a rule, not when their birth was remembered, but when the day of their departure to God was remembered. Over the centuries-old history of the Church, the calendar has been constantly replenished. Therefore, now every day the Church celebrates the memory of many saints, therefore, you can choose the name that is most suitable according to the euphony and tolerance of the tastes of relatives. However, as the most authoritative books on Orthodox ritual, “The New Tablet” and “Interpretation of Orthodox Liturgy” by Blessed Simeon of Thessaloniki, say, the baby’s name is given by the parents. The priest, while reading the naming prayer, only records the parental choice.

Parents, if they do not have a clear plan for the child’s name, can use the calendar. The principle here is simple: you need to look at the names of the saints on or after the baby’s birthday, or on the day of baptism.

In the old days, if there were no emergency cases, people were baptized on the fortieth day after birth, on which, according to Old Testament belief, the mother was cleared of the consequences of pregnancy and could herself attend the baptism of the baby. But the name was given and included in the category of the so-called catechumens on the eighth day. Here, too, not everything is so arbitrary and random. On the one hand, on the eighth day, the Jews had the ritual of circumcising the baby, that is, dedicating him to God and becoming one of the chosen people. This has been the case since the time of Abraham.

Since Christian baptism replaced circumcision, it was logical that the baby’s entry into the number of the “holy people,” that is, Christians, also occurred on the eighth day. However, there was also a proper Gospel interpretation of this tradition. Symbolically, the eighth day was associated with the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Paul writes about this in his Epistle to the Hebrews: in seven days God created this world and took care of it, and now believers are waiting for “that day,” the eighth, when Jesus Christ comes. By the way, the eighth day of the week in the Orthodox week coincides with the first, and this is Sunday, when Easter is remembered. Consequently, the symbolic meaning of the naming ceremony on the eighth day after the Birthday is also “inscribing the name of the newborn in the book of life of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

But this, of course, is ideal; in practice, now the prayer of naming is performed on the same day when the child is baptized, and is not separated into a separate liturgical act. In this prayer, the priest invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit on the newly baptized person and makes the sign of the cross over him, sanctifying all his thoughts, feelings and actions, calling him for the first time by his chosen Christian name. And from now on, this name will be used throughout a person’s life as his church name, by which he will ultimately be called to the Judgment of the future Kingdom.

However, the most common tradition has always been the custom of naming a child in honor of a saint revered by the family. This practice is based on the fact that truly believers make personal prayer contact with one or another saint. If this is so, then usually in the family of previous generations there are already people bearing the names of the revered saint. Hence, there is a kind of tradition of continuity, which for outsiders can create the illusion of only tribal respect, for example, naming children in honor of grandfathers, grandmothers, mothers or fathers, and so on. Yes, for a person with little religion this is the case; moreover, this is a worthwhile motive in non-religious families, at least it is not reprehensible and very human. However, initially the main reason was precisely the veneration of a particular saint by entire generations. Sometimes it happens that a real miracle associated with one or another saint breaks into the ordinary course of life, then grateful parents can give his name to their child in order to perpetuate their relationship to the heavenly patron in their son or daughter.

Now the Baptism Certificate, as a rule, indicates the “heavenly patron” and the day of the year when a person celebrates Angel Day, or name day. If a child is baptized by Alexander, this does not mean that he celebrates his name day every time he sees the day of memory of St. Alexander on the calendar, since there are several saints with that name. Name day is the day of remembrance of a very specific person - for example, the holy righteous prince Alexander Nevsky. Actually, the name Angel Day is the popular name for the day of remembrance of the saint whose name a person bears. The fact is that the Guardian Angel is also given to a person at baptism, as a companion and assistant in spiritual life. However, the saint in whose honor a person is named is in a figurative sense also called an Angel, or a messenger, conveying the will of God to man. More precisely, of course, to say not Angel Day, but name day, or namesake day, that is, the date of memory when the Church remembers the achievement of the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom.

However, if the life of a saint is known in detail, and in addition, after his death some unusual miracle occurred, for example, the discovery of his remains (the discovery of relics), then there may be several days of remembrance of such a saint in a year. Accordingly, there are also several name days - both as reasons for intense religious life and as family holidays. The largest number of name days per year are for people named in honor of John the Baptist.

The main responsibilities in relation to his heavenly patron for any person may be the following: knowledge of his life story, prayer to him, possible imitation of his holiness. Any believer strives to have in his home not only an icon, that is, an image of the saint in whose honor he is named, but also his Life, as well as special prayers for him - an akathist and a canon.

What does the word holiday itself mean in the Christian calendar? The root "idle" means "empty" or "empty." And all because previously the border between holiday and rest was rigid, and therefore it was so difficult and with great difficulty to evaluate this social phenomenon itself, which was actually called a holiday.

Holidays in Christian traditions were developed from Jewish holidays, which greatly influenced the Christian tradition itself. Thus, a kind of sacred calendar was formed, in which such a cultural and religious phenomenon of the holiday as worship took shape. But each holiday differs from the other in that they have a different type of worship.

An equally important and interesting question is the original meaning of the Christian holiday. It consists of singing, reading, bowing on this day... These Orthodox traditions also include folk traditions, which include baking pies, rolls, Easter cakes and many other delicacies, and dyeing eggs.

Many Christian traditions are borrowed from the worship of the Jewish community. Our holidays sometimes overlapped with Jewish holidays, drawing from them something important and special, but at the same time adding their own customs and traditions, and even adding their own meaning regarding the life, death, birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The science that directly deals with the study of the holiday is called eortology (from eortho - “holiday”).

The national traditions associated with the sacrament of marriage are interesting. Wedding is one of the seven Sacraments of the Holy Church, through it a special grace is given, which is sanctifying. This is a sacred rite, a Sacrament, in which, with the free (before the priest and the Church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and the grace of God is asked and given for mutual help and unanimity, and for blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children. Grace in the sacrament is united with the visible side. Such methods of giving grace were established by the Lord himself and are carried out by priests or bishops appointed by persons of the church hierarchy. The church in our country is separated from the state, so today a wedding takes place only when the marriage is registered in the registry office. First of all, there must be mutual consent of the bride and groom. There should be no forced marriage. If during the marriage the priest sees that the bride is refuting this decision with her behavior (crying, etc.), then the priest must find out what the reason is. There must be a blessing for the parents' marriage. No matter what age the spouses are, they enter into marriage with their permission or with the permission of their guardians or trustees.

Parents have more spiritual experience and responsibility for their children before God. It happens that young people get married out of the frivolity of youth, out of a passing infatuation, and that is why disturbances, both moral and human, enter their family life. It often happens that marriages do not last long, because there was no blessing from the parents, no comprehension and preparation for the path of life, no deep awareness of the great responsibility not only for oneself, but also for one’s family, for one’s other half. The Gospel says that the flesh is united into one. Wife and husband are one flesh. Happiness, joy and sorrow in half. Young people cannot fully realize this, and when they get married frivolously, everyday life disappoints them, and divorce comes.

The church refuses to perform a wedding if, for example, a person is mentally or mentally ill. Marriage is not allowed for persons who are closely related, and, of course, a church marriage is impossible if one of the people getting married is an atheist or a representative of a Muslim or pagan, non-Christian religion. Laymen are allowed to get married three times, but a fourth wedding is not allowed. Such marriages are declared invalid. You shouldn't come to the wedding drunk. The question of pregnancy is often asked; it is not an obstacle to marriage. Now the betrothal and the Sacrament of wedding itself are performed together, on the same day. Young people need to properly prepare for holy marriage: confess their sins, repent, take communion, and spiritually cleanse themselves for a new period of their life.

Usually the wedding takes place after the liturgy, in the middle of the day, but not in the evening. It could be Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. In Orthodox churches, weddings do not take place on the following days: on the eve of Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) throughout the year; on the eve of the twelve and great holidays; in continuation of the multi-day fasts: the Great, Petrov, Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky; in continuation of Christmastide, as well as the continuous weeks of Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) and Easter Week; September 10, 11, 26 and 27 (in connection with strict fasting for the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord), on the eve of temple holidays (each temple has its own).

White dress - everything light in the church is a symbol of holiness and purity. For the Sacrament you need to wear your most beautiful clothes. The white foot towels on which the bride and groom stand also symbolize the purity of the marriage. The bride must definitely have a headdress - a veil or scarf; cosmetics and jewelry – either absent or in minimal quantities. Pectoral crosses are required for both spouses. Previously, two icons were taken from home - the Savior and the Mother of God, but now not everyone has them and they are purchased in churches on the eve of the wedding. The flame of candles in the hands of the newlyweds symbolizes the burning of their souls with faith and love for God, as well as the fiery and pure love of the spouses for each other. According to Russian tradition, it is advisable to keep the candles and towel for life.

Wedding rings are also needed - a sign of eternity and indissolubility of the marriage union. In the old days, one of the rings had to be gold and the other silver. The golden ring symbolized with its brilliance the sun, the light of which the husband in a marriage is likened to, the silver ring - the likeness of the moon, a lesser luminary shining with reflected sunlight. Now, as a rule, gold rings are bought for both spouses. The rings are placed on the throne before the betrothal, and then they are put on the fingers of the spouses, and the betrothal with rings is performed.

During a wedding, it is advisable to have witnesses. They must hold the crowns on the heads of those getting married. Crowns are a sign of victory over passions and a reminder of the duty to maintain purity. Being a symbol of royal power, they are also a symbol of the unity of husband and wife.

Previously, in the first century of Christianity, it was the custom to wear these crowns for another eight days without taking them off. Parents must also be present. They pray to God, because in the Sacrament not only the priests turn to God in their prayers, but also everyone present in the temple. Those getting married are usually congratulated by their parents. They bless with the icon that has been preserved from their wedding, then they pass it on to the newlyweds when they go to get married. If the parents did not get married, they purchase icons in the church. These icons are brought to the temple, placed near the iconostasis, and after the wedding the priest blesses them with these icons. Usually these are icons of the Savior and the Mother of God.

There are many patrons of Holy Marriage in Orthodoxy. Childbirth and marriage were considered sacred even in Old Testament times, as they awaited the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and childless families were considered punished by God. Large families, on the contrary, were considered blessed by God. Sometimes the Lord tests people, and after prayers sends them a child. For example, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of Saint John the Prophet and Forerunner, the Baptist of the Lord, did not have children for a long time. Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, gave birth in old age. Therefore, it is customary to pray to them as the patrons of marriage. Those getting married, turning to the priest for a blessing, confess and spend their further married life with the blessing of the Church, trying to live according to the commandments of God. If any questions arise, they come to the priest for advice. There are second and third marriages. If the bride and groom have already been married, then it is less solemn. But if one of them gets married for the first time, then it is celebrated as usual, for the first time.

According to church canons, neither divorce nor second marriage is allowed. Divorce is carried out according to Orthodox law. In the documents of the local council of 1917–1918 there is a certificate in which it is accepted that the dissolution of a marriage, sanctified by the Church, occurs in cases where a person changes his faith; commits adultery or has unnatural vices; inability to cohabitate in marriage, occurring before marriage or resulting from intentional self-mutilation; disease of leprosy, syphilis. When, without the knowledge of the spouse, a person leaves the family and lives separately. Conviction by sentence. An attack on the life of a spouse or children, pimping, one party entering into a new marriage, or an incurable, severe mental illness. Unfortunately, this happens quite often. The Church does not issue papers for divorce and no ceremony is performed for this purpose. If a person wants to enter into a new marriage and get married again, in this case he turns to the diocesan bishop with a written application and indicating the reason why the previous marriage was dissolved. The Bishop considers the request and gives him permission. The Sacrament of Marriage and faith in the Lord do not accord with fashion or popularity. This is a deeply personal matter for each person.

Since ancient times in Rus', every young couple getting married was married in a church. Thus, it was believed that from now on the spouses became responsible before God and the Church. They swore an oath not to violate the alliance sent down from above. In modern society, young people have the right to choose for themselves whether they should get married in a church. This depends on their immediate perception of the world and understanding of the importance of the upcoming event. After all, the Church says that a Christian marriage should be the only one in the lives of two people.

Typically, registration for the ceremony is carried out 2-3 weeks before the event. You should ask the rector of the temple where the wedding is supposed to happen how everything should happen, and also get permission for photography and video shooting. According to church traditions, before getting married, the newlyweds should observe several regulations, namely, fast for several days and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. To perform the sacrament of Marriage, icons of the Savior and the Mother of God are needed, with which the bride and groom are blessed. There should also be wedding rings, wedding candles and a white towel, which will symbolize the purity of the newlyweds' intentions.

The wedding ceremony lasts about 40 minutes, which must be taken into account when inviting relatives and friends to the temple. You should also think about who will play the role of witnesses, since they will have to hold crowns over the heads of those getting married at all times. Under no circumstances should they be lowered; you can only change the hand with which the crown is held. Witnesses must be baptized and wear a cross. At the temple, you must first present a certificate of civil marriage.

A wedding in a church is performed as follows. Through the Royal Doors the priest goes out to the bride and groom. Holding the cross and the Gospel, he blesses the young three times. During the betrothal, the priest gives the newlyweds lighted candles and places the rings on the altar table. After reading the prayers, the rings are put on. To perform the Sacrament of Wedding, the newlyweds go to the center of the church and stand on a white towel (foot) in front of the lectern on which the Cross, Gospel and crowns lie. The priest asks about the consent of the young people to unite their hearts before the Church. Decorated crowns (crowns) rise above the heads of the newlyweds. Cups of wine are brought to the newlyweds, and the newlyweds drink from them three times. At the end of the wedding, the priest takes the hands of the bride and groom and leads them around the lectern three times in a circle. Approaching the wedding icons at the Royal Doors, the newlyweds kiss them. The wedding ends with a chaste kiss from the bride and groom. Having gone through this solemn moment together, the newlyweds become even closer to each other.

Over the entire history of the development of ancient Rus', many wedding traditions have accumulated. The territory of the state was a huge space with different cultures and nationalities. Therefore, it is not surprising that every nation tried to follow the customs and traditions that took root in their land.

It was customary for young people in Rus' to marry at an early age, starting from the age of 12. At the same time, it was in the order of things that the bride and groom did not know each other well enough before their wedding, and often had never seen each other at all. The decision for the young man was made by the parents, and he was only informed of “his fate” shortly before the wedding. In some areas of the country, a guy who had his eye on a bride had to first of all tell his father about it. If he received approval from him, then two matchmakers with bread were sent to the girl’s house.

In general, weddings lasted an average of 3 days. Sometimes they lasted for a week. But any wedding, of course, was preceded by the so-called “conspiracy” and “matchmaking”. There have been cases when it was the parents of the future bride who initiated the wedding. They sent a person close to them to the groom's house, and he acted as a matchmaker. If he received consent, then the future relatives began matchmaking in the usual manner. Sometimes the bride's parents resorted to a trick: if their daughter was not particularly beautiful or good, they replaced her with a maid for the duration of the bride's wedding. The groom had no right to see his bride before the wedding, so when the deception was discovered, the marriage could be dissolved. However, this happened very rarely. They usually went to the bride's house to make a match together with relatives. The bride's parents were presented with various gifts in the form of wine, beer and various pies. According to tradition, the bride's father did not have to agree to give up his daughter for some time. But, following the results of the conspiracy, in the end he blessed her for the wedding. The agreement between the families went like this: before signing a paper on the details of the upcoming celebration, the parents sat opposite each other and were silent for some time. The contract also specified the dowry to be given along with the bride. Usually it consisted of the bride's things, various small things for the house and, if wealth allowed, then money, people and some real estate. If the bride came from a poor family, the groom was obliged to transfer a certain amount of money to the bride’s parents to create the appearance of a dowry.

On the eve of the wedding, a bachelor party and a bachelorette party were held in the houses of the bride and groom, respectively. The father or brother of the groom invited numerous friends to the bachelor party. As "invitees" they went from house to house with gifts and invited them to the bachelor party.

At the bachelorette party, the bride was preparing for the upcoming wedding. Often the bride wailed, saying goodbye to her family and her maiden share, fearing an unknown future in someone else’s family. Sometimes the bride's friends sang choral songs.

According to tradition, at the wedding feast, the newlyweds were supposed to eat and drink practically nothing. On the second day, the wedding moved to the groom's house. On the third day, the bride boasted of her cooking skills and treated the guests to her pies.

The day before or on the morning of the celebration, the bride's matchmaker went to the groom's house to prepare the marriage bed. This is roughly how an old Russian wedding took place. Some traditions have survived to this day and are successfully used in different variations to this day.

Wedding dresses will always be slightly different from wedding dresses. The fact is that the Orthodox Church adheres to certain rules regarding the clothes in which we enter the temple, and wedding dresses are no exception. The basic requirements for a bride’s wedding dress are the same in all churches - in general, the outfit should be quite modest.

Colors that are definitely suitable for a wedding dress are, of course, white and all sorts of light shades of warm or cold tones, from pearl gray to the color of baked milk. Pale pink, blue, cream, vanilla, beige will correspond to the spirit of the bright wedding holiday.

It is best to discuss all minor deviations from this rule with the priest in advance. The color of a wedding dress is not as important as the length and degree of openness of the top. The wedding dress should be below the knee, shoulders and arms up to the elbows should be covered, and the head should be covered with a cape. At the same time, it is better not to hide the face behind a veil: it is believed that the open face of the bride symbolizes her openness towards God and her husband.

Clothes for a wedding should not go beyond the rules about what you can wear to church. Hence the conclusion: even a black dress for a bride is more acceptable than a trouser suit, neckline or short skirt. In the Orthodox wedding tradition, it is not customary for a boy and a girl to carry the train behind the bride in church, as happens in a Catholic wedding. Before the wedding, you should not use lipstick, so as not to leave marks on the icons that will need to be kissed.

There are no prohibitions regarding the future fate of the wedding dress. A wedding dress can also be worn in everyday life. The belief that a wedding dress must be kept throughout one’s life is nothing more than a prejudice today. In the 19th century, in peasant society, this made sense, since only two events stood out against the background of everyday life - a wedding and a funeral. Usually, what they were married in was what they buried in. The fact is that it was no longer possible to use a wedding dress - you can’t even go to church on Sunday in a wedding dress. Another option was possible - to pass on the wedding dress by inheritance.

Among other Orthodox rites, it is also necessary to note the burial rite. Its essence lies in the Church’s view of the body as a temple of the soul sanctified by grace, of present life as a time of preparation for the future life, and of death as a dream, upon awakening from which eternal life will begin.

Death is the last earthly destiny of every person; after death, the soul, separated from the body, appears at the Judgment of God. Believers in Christ do not want to die with unrepentant sins, because in the afterlife they will become a heavy, painful burden. Of the many questions you can ask yourself, perhaps the most important is how best to prepare for death. A priest must be invited to a seriously ill person, who will confess him, give him communion, and perform the Sacrament of Unction (Blessing of Unction) on him. At the very moment of death, a person experiences a painful feeling of fear and languor. When leaving the body, the soul meets not only the Guardian Angel given to it in Holy Baptism, but also demons, the terrible appearance of which makes it tremble. To pacify the restless soul, the relatives and friends of a person leaving this world can themselves read the prayer over him - in the Prayer Book this collection of songs and prayers is called “The Canon of Prayer for the Separation of the Soul from the Body.” The canon ends with a prayer from the priest (priest), spoken (read) for the exodus of the soul, for its release from all bonds, liberation from all oaths, forgiveness of sins and repose in the abodes of saints. This prayer is supposed to be read only by the priest, therefore, if the canon was read by lay people, the prayer is omitted.

The touching rites performed by the Orthodox Church over a deceased Christian are not just solemn ceremonies, often invented by human vanity and saying nothing to either the mind or the heart, but on the contrary: they have a deep meaning and significance, since they are based on the revelations of the holy faith (that is, opened, bequeathed by the Lord Himself), known from the apostles - disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. The funeral rites of the Orthodox Church bring consolation and serve as symbols that express the idea of ​​the general resurrection and future immortal life.

On the first day, the body of the deceased is washed immediately after death. Washing is performed as a sign of the spiritual purity and integrity of the life of the deceased and out of the desire for him to appear in purity before God after the resurrection of the dead. After washing, the deceased is dressed in new, clean clothes, which indicate a new robe of incorruption and immortality. If for some reason a person did not wear a pectoral cross before his death, then it must be worn. Then the deceased is placed in a coffin, as in an ark for preservation, which is first sprinkled with holy water - outside and inside. A pillow is placed under the shoulders and head. The arms are folded crosswise so that the right one is on top. A cross is placed in the left hand of the deceased, and an icon is placed on the chest (usually for men - the image of the Savior, for women - the image of the Mother of God). This is done as a sign that the deceased believed in Christ, crucified on the cross for his salvation, and gave up his soul to Christ, that together with the saints he moves on to eternal contemplation - face to face - of his Creator, on whom he placed all his trust during his lifetime. A paper whisk is placed on the forehead of the deceased. A deceased Christian is symbolically decorated with a crown, like a warrior who has won a victory on the battlefield. This means that the Christian’s exploits on earth in the fight against all the destructive passions, worldly temptations and other temptations that beset him have already ended, and now he expects a reward for them in the Kingdom of Heaven. On the corolla there is an image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord, with the words of the Trisagion (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”) - their own crown, which is given to everyone after completing the feat and observing the faith, the deceased hopes to receive through the mercy of the Triune God and through the intercession of the Mother of God and the Forerunner of the Lord.

The body of the deceased, when placed in the coffin, is covered with a special white cover (shroud) - as a sign that the deceased, as belonging to the Orthodox Church and united with Christ in her holy sacraments, is under the protection of Christ, under the patronage of the Church - she will pray until the end of time about his soul. The coffin is usually placed in the middle of the room in front of household icons. A lamp (or candle) is lit in the house and burns until the body of the deceased is removed. Around the coffin, candles are lit in a cross shape (one at the head, another at the feet and two candles on the sides on both sides) - as a sign that the deceased has passed into the realm of unstoppable light, into a better afterlife.

Everything necessary must be done so that nothing unnecessary dispels grief for the deceased or distracts attention from prayer for his soul. However, to please the superstitions that exist in some places, one should not put bread, a hat, money and other foreign objects in the coffin - only flowers should be placed in the coffin. The fragrance of flowers is incense to God; censer flowers offer praise to the Creator with their aromas and glorify Him with their pure faces. They remind us of Eden, the Garden of Eden, being an adornment of nature - the Throne of God. No wonder the holy righteous John of Kronstadt said that flowers are the remnants of heaven on earth.

Then the reading of the Psalter begins over the body of the deceased - it serves as a prayer for relatives and friends for the deceased, comforts those grieving for him and turns their prayers for the pardon of his soul to God. For the convenience of reading the Psalter, it is divided into twenty large sections - kathisma (before each kathisma the call to worship God is repeated three times), and each kathisma is divided into three “Glories” (after each “Glory” “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee” is read three times God!"). After reading each “Glory” (that is, three times during the reading of the kathisma), a special prayer is said indicating the name of the deceased. This prayer begins with the words “Remember, O Lord our God...” and is found at the end of the “Following the departure of the soul from the body.”

Before the burial of the deceased, it is customary to read the Psalter continuously, except for the time when memorial services are served at the grave. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, while a person’s body lies lifeless and dead, his soul goes through terrible ordeals - a kind of outpost on the way to another world. To make this transition easier for the soul of the deceased, memorial services are served, in addition to reading the Psalter. Along with memorial services, it is customary to serve funeral litias, especially due to lack of time (the litiya comprises the last part of the memorial service). Panikhida, translated from Greek, means general, prolonged prayer; Lithium - enhanced public prayer. During the memorial service and litia, the worshipers stand with lit candles, and the serving priest also holds a censer. Candles in the hands of worshipers express love for the deceased and warm prayer for him.

When performing a memorial service, the Holy Church in her prayers focuses on the fact that the souls of the departed, ascending to judgment before the Lord in fear and trembling, need the support of their neighbors. In tears and sighs, trusting in God's mercy, the relatives and friends of the deceased ask to ease his fate.

The funeral service and burial usually take place on the third day (in this case, the day of death itself is always included in the counting of days, that is, for the person who died on Sunday before midnight, the third day will be on Tuesday). After the liturgy is celebrated in the church. For the funeral service, the body of the deceased is brought to the temple, although the funeral service can also be performed at home. Before removing the body from the house, a funeral lithium is served, accompanied by censing around the deceased. The censer is sacrificed to God to propitiate the deceased as a sign of the expression of his pious life - a life fragrant, like a saint. Censing means that the soul of a deceased Christian, like incense ascending upward, ascends to Heaven, to the Throne of God.

The funeral service is not so much sad as it is touching and solemn in nature - there is no place for soul-crushing sorrow and hopeless despair. If the relatives of the deceased are sometimes (although not necessarily) dressed in mourning clothes, then the priest’s vestments are always light. As during a memorial service, worshipers stand with lit candles. But if memorial services and lithiums are served repeatedly, then the funeral service is performed only once (even if reburial is carried out). The funeral kutya with a candle in the middle is placed near the coffin on a separately prepared table. Kutya (koliv) is a dish cooked from wheat or rice grains and mixed with honey or sugar and decorated with sweet fruits (for example, raisins). The grains contain hidden life and indicate the future resurrection of the deceased. Just as grains, in order to bear fruit, must themselves end up in the ground and decay, so the body of the deceased must be consigned to the earth and experience decay in order to rise later for the future life. Honey and other sweets signify the spiritual sweetness of heavenly bliss. Thus, the meaning of kutya, which is prepared not only at burial, but also at any commemoration of the deceased, consists in the visible expression of the confidence of the living in the immortality of the deceased, in their resurrection and blessed eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ - just as Christ, having died in the flesh, was resurrected and alive, so we too, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, will be resurrected and will be alive in Him. The coffin remains open until the end of the funeral service (unless there are special obstacles to this).

On the first day of Easter and on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the deceased are not brought into the church and funeral services are not performed. Sometimes the deceased are buried in absentia, but this is not the norm, but rather a deviation from it. Funeral services in absentia became widespread during the Great Patriotic War, when relatives of those killed at the front received death notices and performed funeral services in absentia. During the difficult years for the Orthodox Church of the 1950s–1970s, funeral services were held in absentia due to possible complications in the service.

According to church rules, a person who deliberately commits suicide is deprived of an Orthodox burial. In order to order a funeral service for a person who committed suicide while insane, his relatives should first seek written permission from the ruling bishop by submitting a petition to him, which is usually accompanied by a medical report on mental illness and cause of death.

The funeral service consists of many chants (its very name - funeral service, firmly rooted in the Russian people, indicates a song-singing character). They briefly depict the whole fate of man: for the violation of the Creator’s commandments by the first people, Adam and Eve, man again turns to the ground from which he was taken, but despite the many sins, he does not cease to be an image of the glory of God, and therefore the Holy Church prays to the Lord , by His ineffable mercy, forgive the deceased’s sins and honor him with the Kingdom of Heaven. At the end of the funeral service, after reading the Apostle and the Gospel, the priest reads a prayer of permission. With this prayer, the deceased is allowed (freed) from the prohibitions and sins that burdened him, which he repented of or which he could not remember in confession, and the deceased is released into the afterlife reconciled with God and his neighbors. In order for the forgiveness of sins given to the deceased to be more tangible and comforting for all those who grieve and cry, the text of this prayer, immediately after its reading, is placed in the right hand of the deceased by his relatives or friends. The custom of the Russian Orthodox Church of giving a prayer of permission into the hands of the deceased began in the 11th century, when the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk wrote a prayer of permission for the Varangian prince Simon, who accepted the Orthodox faith, and he bequeathed to put this prayer in his hands after death. Particularly conducive to the spread and establishment of the custom of giving a prayer of permission into the hands of the deceased was the event of the funeral service of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky: when the time approached to place the prayer of permission into his hands, then the deceased saint, as the chronicle says, himself extended his hand to receive it. Such an extraordinary event made a strong impression on everyone who either witnessed the miracle themselves or heard about it from others.

After the prayer of permission, accompanied by the singing of the stichera “Come, we will give the last kiss, brothers, to the deceased, thanking God...” a farewell to the deceased takes place. The last kiss marks the eternal union of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Relatives and friends of the deceased walk around the coffin with the body, bowing and asking forgiveness for involuntary offenses, kissing the icon on the chest of the deceased and the aureole on the forehead. In the case when the funeral service takes place with the coffin closed, they kiss the cross on the lid of the coffin or the priest’s hand. At the end of the funeral service, the body of the deceased is escorted to the cemetery with the singing of the Trisagion. If the priest does not accompany the coffin to the grave, then the burial takes place where the funeral service took place - in a church or at home. With the words “The Lord’s earth and its fullness (that is, everything that fills it), the universe and everyone who lives on it,” the priest sprinkles earth in a cross shape on the veiled body of the deceased. If, before death, unction was performed on the deceased, then the remaining consecrated oil is also poured crosswise onto the body.

After interment, the coffin is closed with a lid, which is hammered with nails. At the request of relatives, the priest can sprinkle earth on the paper. Then the earth in a bundle is transported to the cemetery, where the relatives and friends of the deceased sprinkle his body in a cross shape: from head to feet and from right shoulder to left. The same applies to funeral services in absentia. If the priest accompanies the coffin to the cemetery, then interment takes place in the cemetery, and when the body is lowered into the grave, a lithium is performed again. A special funeral service is performed for baptized infants, as for sinless ones: the Holy Church does not pray for the remission of their sins, but only asks that they be honored with the Kingdom of Heaven - although the infants themselves did not do anything by which they could deserve eternal bliss, but in Holy Baptism they were cleansed of ancestral sin (Adam and Eve) and became blameless. Funeral services are not performed for unbaptized infants, since they have not been cleansed of their ancestral sin. The Fathers of the Church teach that such babies will be neither glorified nor punished by the Lord. Funeral services according to the infant rite are performed for children who died before the age of seven (from the age of seven, children already go to confession, like adults).

The issue of cremation of the dead has a long history - in Russia, back in 1909, the Medical Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs developed a new bill on the burial of the dead, the establishment of cemeteries and crematoriums. However, neither then nor now has the Russian Orthodox Church given a blessing for cremation, since in the sacred books there is no prohibition on burning corpses, but there are positive and imperative indications of another and the only acceptable way of burying bodies - this is burying them in the ground. This indication, first of all, is from the very beginning of human existence the commandment of the Creator of the world, said to the primordial man: “you are earth and you will go back to earth.”

The deceased is usually lowered into the grave facing the east, with the same thought with which it is customary to pray to the east - in anticipation of the coming of the Morning of Eternity, or the Second Coming of Christ, and as a sign that the deceased is moving from the West (sunset) of life to the East of eternity. When lowering the coffin into the grave, the Trisagion is sung - the singing of the angelic song “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” means that the deceased passes into the angelic world. As a reminder that the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven was opened by the Savior’s suffering on the cross, an eight-pointed cross is placed above the grave mound - a symbol of our salvation. The deceased Christian believed in the Crucified One, wore the cross during his earthly life, and now rests in the shadow of the cross. The cross can be made of any material, but it must be of the correct shape. He is placed at the feet of the deceased, with a crucifix to the face of the deceased - so that at the general resurrection of the dead, rising from the grave, he can look at the sign of Christ’s victory over the devil. Tombstones with crosses carved on them are also erected. The cross over the grave of a Christian is a silent preacher of blessed immortality and the coming resurrection.

Control questions:

1. When, according to the Orthodox tradition, is it necessary for a believer to pray?

2. How does a believer outwardly express his feelings in prayer?

3. What is the sign of the cross? What is the symbolism of making the sign of the cross?

4. Tell us about the tradition of naming in Rus'.

5. What is Angel Day, Name Day?

6. On what days, according to the Charter of the Church, is the Sacrament of Marriage not performed? Why?

7. What do wedding crowns symbolize?

8. What does the crown placed on the forehead of a deceased Christian symbolize?

9. What is kutya, what does it symbolize? Where and in what cases do we see the traditional use of kutya?

10. What is special about the funeral of infants in the Orthodox Church?

Orthodoxy has its own set of religious holidays and rituals, which are the basis of the Christian cult. Church calendars are rich in a variety of events: almost every day is marked by some important rite or holiday. At the same time, holidays and Christmastide are divided into great and twelve.

The main holidays of the Orthodox Christian tradition

Easter is considered the “triumph of triumphs”, when the greatest Christian sacrament was performed. Next come the twelve holidays. There are only 12 of them. Three of them are transferable. This means that the date of the celebrations varies from year to year depending on what day Easter is celebrated. This:

• Palm Sunday, or, as it is called according to the church calendar, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem;
• Ascension of the Lord;
• Trinity.

The remaining nine are always celebrated on the same day, that is, they are immutable. Among them:

• Nativity;
• Baptism;
• Candlemas;
• Annunciation;
• Nativity of the Virgin Mary;
• Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the temple;
• Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
• Raising the Cross of the Lord.

• Circumcision of the Lord;
• Nativity of John the Baptist (Forerunner);
• Peter and Paul;
• Beheading of John the Baptist;
• Intercession.

In addition, there are many patronal feasts that are dedicated to various events in church history and are associated with the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The days of the erection of the temple are also celebrated. Recent holidays have local significance.

Orthodox rites and sacraments at Christmas

One of the most significant holidays is the Nativity of Christ. This day celebrates the birth of the son of God Jesus Christ. It should be noted that such a widespread celebration was not adopted during the first five centuries after the spread of Christianity. Only half a millennium after this event, the monk Dionysius the Small made the appropriate calculations, which allowed him to claim that he had determined the date of the birth of Christ. In accordance with this, the Roman Christian Church commissioned Dionysius the Less to develop a new Paschalia - a table for the celebration of Easter. Traditionally, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the equinox. This happens either in May or April. In this regard, Easter is a moving festival.

Despite the fact that the monk's calculations were arbitrary and artificial, the entire Christian world agreed with them. In fact, nowhere in the Gospel is the date of his birth mentioned. Most likely, the clergy, trying to spread Christianity as much as possible among the pagan peoples, chose the most suitable date, when many pagans celebrated carols. Contrary to popular belief, such rituals are found not only among the Slavs. Songs and dances in the winter months in honor of the pagan gods were found among the peoples of Egypt, the ancient Sumerians, and European peoples.

In Rus', the celebration of the Nativity of Christ was combined with pagan carols. In the Christian tradition, this period is called Christmastide. Traces of pagan beliefs include fortune-telling, lighting bonfires, dressing up, the ritual of driving a Goat, and many other things common during Christmas time, which, according to pre-Christian beliefs, was supposed to help the Sun defeat the cold and force winter to recede.

Many signs were also associated with the celebration of Christmas and the entire Christmas cycle of holidays. So, it was believed that if Christmas Day was clear and quiet, one should expect an excellent harvest. A warm Christmas means a cold and protracted spring, and a snowstorm foretells a good wheat harvest.

In ancient Rus' there was a close connection and interaction between the church and home life of our ancestors. Orthodox people paid great attention not only to What cooked for lunch, but also How preparing. They did this with constant prayer, in a peaceful state of mind and with good thoughts. And they also paid special attention to the church calendar - they looked at what day it was - fasting or fasting.

The rules were observed especially strictly in monasteries.

The ancient Russian monasteries owned vast estates and lands, had the most comfortable farms, which gave them the means to make extensive food supplies, which in turn gave them abundant means for the wide hospitality bequeathed to the inhabitants by their holy founders.

But the matter of receiving strangers in monasteries was subordinated to both the general church and private statutes of each monastery, that is, one food was offered to the brethren, servants, wanderers and beggars on holidays and feeding days (commemorated for depositors and benefactors) days, another on weekdays; one - on fast days, the other - on fast days and on fasts: Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrovka - all this was strictly determined by the statutes, which were also distinguished by place and means.

Nowadays, not all of the provisions of the church charter, which were aimed primarily at monasteries and clergy, can be applied in everyday life. However, an Orthodox person needs to learn some rules, which we have already mentioned above.

First of all, before you start preparing food, you must pray to God.

What does it mean to pray to God?
To pray to God means to glorify, thank and ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins and your needs. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards God.

Why do you need to pray to God?
God is our Creator and Father. He cares for all of us more than any child-loving father and gives us all the blessings in life. By him we live, move and have our being; that is why we must pray to Him.

How do we pray?
We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart; but since each of us consists of a soul and a body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions: the sign of the cross, a bow to the waist, and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility We kneel before Him and bow to the ground.

When should you pray?
You should pray at all times, without ceasing.

When is it especially appropriate to pray?
In the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessings on the coming day.
When starting a business - to ask for God's help.
At the end of the case - to thank God for help and success in the case.
Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health.
After lunch - to thank God who feeds us.
In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep.
For all cases, special prayers are prescribed by the Orthodox Church.

Prayer before lunch and dinner

Our Father... or:
The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill all animal blessings.

Na Tya- at you. They hope- addressed with hope. In good time- in my time. You open- you open it. Animal- a living being, everything living. Favor- good disposition towards someone, mercy.

What do we ask of God in this prayer?
In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health.

What is meant by by the hand of the Lord?
The hand of the Lord is of course here giving us good things.

What do the words mean? having performed every kind of good pleasure on animals?
These words mean that the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish, and in general about all living things.

Prayer after lunch and dinner

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. Amen.

Creature comforts- everything necessary for earthly life, for example, food and drink.

What are we praying for in this prayer?
In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom.

If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud.

What can be said about someone who crosses himself incorrectly and carelessly during prayer or is ashamed to cross himself?

Such a person does not want to confess his faith in God; Jesus Christ Himself will be ashamed of this at His Last Judgment (Mark 8:38).

How should one be baptized?
To make the sign of the cross, we put the first three fingers of the right hand - thumb, index and middle - together; We bend the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - to the palm.
We place the fingers folded in this way on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right and left shoulder.

What do we express by folding our fingers like this?
By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons.
The two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human.
By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross.

Why do we sign the cross on our forehead, stomach and shoulders?
To enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength.

Perhaps a modern person will find it strange or even fantastic to say that the taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. However, in the lives of the saints there is a very convincing story on this topic.

One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodisius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes.

Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty. To which the monk replied:

“Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery.
When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this.
Thus, everything is done with blessing.
Your servants begin every task with grumbling and annoyance at each other. And where there is sin, there can be no pleasure. In addition, your courtyard managers often beat the servants for the slightest offense, and the tears of the offended add bitterness to the food, no matter how expensive they are.”

The Church does not give any special recommendations regarding food intake, but you cannot eat before the morning service, and even more so before communion. This prohibition exists so that the body, burdened with food, does not distract the soul from prayer and communion.

What is the sacrament of communion?
The fact is that a Christian accepts the true Body of Christ under the guise of bread, and the true Blood of Christ under the guise of wine for union with the Lord Jesus Christ and for eternal blissful life with Him (John 6:54-56).

How should one prepare for Holy Communion?
Anyone who wishes to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must first fast, i.e. fast, pray more in church and at home, make peace with everyone and then confess.

Should you take communion often?
One should receive communion as often as possible, at least once a month and necessarily during all fasts (Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrov); otherwise it is unfair to be called an Orthodox Christian.

At what church service is the sacrament of communion celebrated?
During the Divine Liturgy, or mass, which is why this service is considered more important than other church services, for example, Vespers, Matins and others.

In liturgical practice, the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Typikon. Typicon, or Charter- a liturgical book containing detailed instructions: on what days and hours, during what divine services and in what order the prayers contained in the Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos and other liturgical books should be read or sung.

The Typikon also pays great attention to the food eaten by believers. However, a secular person should not literally follow all the instructions contained in the Charter, for it is aimed primarily at the monastic brethren.